S-A-T: Three small letters that inspire big emotions in high school students across the country. The SAT is an important aspect of many college applications, and as a result, most students want to do their best on the test.
The best way to prepare for the SAT is to break down your studying for the different sections of the test. Here are some great tips and tricks for the SAT Reading and Writing section to help you better understand the test and maximize your scores!
What to expect from the SAT Reading and Writing section
The SAT Reading and Writing section is composed of two 35-minute modules with 27 questions each. The Reading and Writing section accounts for 800 points, or half of the 1600 points available on the SAT, with the other half coming from the Math section.
The new digital SAT is adaptive, which means you will get harder or easier questions in the second module based on your answers in the first. Those who are given easier questions will only be able to earn up to 650 points on the Reading and Writing section.
Also in each module, there will be two test questions that don’t affect your score regardless of whether you get them right or wrong. You won’t know what those two questions are, however, so it’s important to answer every single question on the exam.
Related: 3 Ways to Improve Your Test Prep for the New Digital SAT
How to study for the SAT
With your busy student schedule, you’ll have limited time to study once you schedule a test date, so it’s important to make the most of the time you have using these tips and tricks.
Use reputable sources
When you go online, it will seem as if a million people have advice about studying for the SAT. Unfortunately, not everyone really knows what they are talking about. Steer clear of Reddit pages, TikTok accounts, or random books on Amazon claiming that they know the secrets to getting a perfect score. Instead, direct your attention to more reputable study resources, websites, and blogs—like this one!
Practice, practice, practice
One of the best ways to study for any section of the SAT is to do as many practice questions as possible, which will help you become more comfortable with the format and phrasing of questions. It’s important to use official study materials as much as possible. Try Bluebook’s practice tests and Khan Academy’s adaptive SAT practice tests made in partnership with the College Board.
Spread out your studying
Studying for the SAT is no small feat, and your study sessions should be spread out over several months. While this may sound like a big time commitment, especially to a busy high schooler, you would only need to study for 15–30 minutes a day on this schedule, making it quite manageable. While it’s normal to study harder in the days leading up to the exam, it’s important not to rely on last-minute cram sessions.
Related: Make the Most of Your Time With a Great Study Routine
Review basic grammar
It’s a good idea to review some basic rules of grammar that you may have forgotten over the years, because you’ll definitely need them on test day. Understanding basic parts of speech and sentence structure is helpful for the SAT Reading and Writing questions that will dive into the nitty-gritty details of grammar.
Time yourself
If you have endless time to devote to a question on the SAT, chances are you’ll do better than when you're being confronted with a giant ticking clock in the middle of your computer screen. While untimed practice isn’t useless, it doesn’t give you the full picture of what the SAT will be like. Students have an average of one minute and 11 seconds per question on the SAT, so you should allot that time per question accordingly while studying and taking practice tests.
Build up your stamina
While the SAT is not as long as it used to be, it still lasts a grueling two hours and 14 minutes. To really feel prepared, simulate the same conditions of the test to fully understand the fatigue and time crunch associated with it. To do this, you should practice answering 54 Reading and Writing questions in 64 minutes to simulate the two modules.
Related: How to Balance SAT Prep With a Busy School Schedule
Tips to help you on exam day
SAT test day is the culmination of all of your hard work and when you finally get to put what you learned to use. This is a stressful moment for students, but these tips can help alleviate some of your nervousness and perform better the day of.
The art of skipping (and returning to) questions
Sometimes, despite all your hard work, you will simply not understand a question in the Reading and Writing section. In moments like this, the best course of action is to skip the question and return to it later. No question is worth more than the others on the SAT (the only exception being demos), so don’t waste your time stressing over one hard question when you can instead solve several easier questions first. In the moment, it will be hard to decide whether to skip a question, but if you’ve practiced pacing yourself properly, you’ll have adequate time to return and answer it later with a fresher mind.
Pay attention to the details
The SAT is obviously a difficult exam—a fact compounded by the test’s proclivity for using trick questions. Paying careful attention to even the most minute details is the best (and only) way to avoid these score-lowering mistakes. This is especially true in the Reading and Writing section, where it wants you to parse out meaning and comment on sections of writing.
Remember: Whatever happens, happens
It’s rare for an SAT taker to leave the room without thinking about what they could’ve done differently. While it’s hard, you need to accept that what happened, happened—and there’s nothing you can do to change it once it’s over. It won’t help anyone if you spend the next two weeks stressing about a couple of questions on the exam. I know this is extremely difficult, but you must at least try.
Related: Top Tips to Avoid Test Prep Burnout for the SAT and Beyond
The SAT is a tricky test for many reasons, but luckily, there are many ways to make the study process more manageable—and focusing on one section at a time is a great way to start. If you want to raise your scores, utilizing just a few of these tips and tricks can make a world of difference in the SAT Reading and Writing section. We wish you all the best of luck on your SAT journey!
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