5 Common SAT Reading Mistakes You're Likely Making

Students often think the Reading portion of the SAT is the most subjective. If you struggle with this section, you may be looking at it one of these ways.

Students often believe that the Reading portion of the SAT is the most subjective. But in reality, the SAT Reading section is just as objective as the SAT Math section. There is one and only one correct answer for each question. The SAT is a standardized exam in which the answers must be clear-cut. Still, students often believe that there are multiple answers to the same question. This may be due to the fact that there are a million ways to approach SAT Reading. If you struggle with this section, you may be approaching it in one (or more) of the following ways.

1. Reading the passage too closely

Students often get caught up in the details of a passage. While it is important that they read the passage carefully, concentrating too deeply on every sentence could waste valuable time. Some students spend so much time reading the passage that they simply guess their way through questions. Don’t let this be you! Instead, make sure that you budget time efficiently, focusing only on relevant passage paragraphs, because in case you haven't heard, the entire passage won't be relevant to the questions you have to answer (more on that in a moment).

Related: Essential Tips and Strategies for Taking the SAT and ACT

2. Not reading the passage closely enough

This might seem contradictory, after reading mistake number one, but it’s important not to go to the other extreme. The best strategy is to land somewhere in the middle, spending just enough time on each question to ensure you’re reading for comprehension—after all, that is what this section is really about! If you don't understand a passage, then you'll have trouble answering questions related to it. By reading the beginning of the passage closely, you will be more likely to understand the main idea, while easily scanning through details in the middle of the passage. Which brings me to mistake number three...

3. Reading the entire passage before the questions

Some students like to go in order. Read the passage first, answer the questions second. While this may seem logical, it isn't the most efficient approach to SAT Reading. Reading an entire passage before looking at the associated questions is like going on a treasure hunt without knowing what you are looking for. If you want to succeed on SAT Reading, you should always have the questions in mind while reading the passage. In addition, reading an entire passage before even glancing at the questions is actually counterproductive. Most of us forget what we just read. Therefore, it's more efficient to read a passage in chunks (often paragraph by paragraph), so you are not overwhelmed with a ton of information at once.

Related: Video: 4 Must-Do Study Hacks for Better SAT Scores

4. Reading all of the questions before the passage

Some students like to know what is coming ahead. They go through and read all the questions before even looking at the passage. This way, they know exactly what kinds of questions they will be expected to answer after reading the passage. However, this is also not the best approach to SAT  Reading. Similar to mistake number three, you will forget most of the questions by the time you are done reading the passage. In addition, many of the questions will not make sense if you have not read the passage because they will be citing specific details and concepts. Instead, the best approach is to read one question at a time, then go back and read through just enough of the passage so that you are able to answer that particular question. Again, this might appear to contradict mistake number three, but the most effective strategy is about striking the right balance.

5. Trying to outsmart the SAT  

Students have been taught to try to figure out the meanings of words they don't know by using context clues. However, SAT test writers know this, so they plant large words in the SAT Reading section in which the definition simply cannot be deciphered by context. In this case, you are best served by putting in the time and effort to memorize commonly tested vocabulary words. There are many vocabulary books and testing applications available, including the SAT Vocabulary App by Veritas Prep.

Related: 10 SAT Score Improvement Tips

The SATs are hard, but they’re not impossible, and they shouldn’t be for any student. With some extra study resources and a different approach, you can take the section of the SAT that’s been giving you difficulty and overcome it. Take your desire for a great score and let it motivate you to put in the extra work to improve your SAT test-taking skills. Good luck!

For more resources to help you nail the SAT, check out our Test Prep section. You’ll find everything you need there!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Dr. Shaan Patel

Dr. Shaan Patel

Dr. Shaan Patel is the founder and CEO of Prep Expert and a #1 bestselling SAT and ACT prep author. He holds an MBA from Yale University and an MD from the University of Southern California. Patel once won an investment deal with billionaire Mark Cuban on ABC’s Shark Tank. He raised his own SAT scores from average to perfect using 100 strategies taught in Prep Expert's SAT and ACT courses.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA


Samantha Fils-Aime

Samantha Fils-Aime

High School Class of 2019

I love that CollegeXpress has helped me find some scholarships to apply for but also helped me succeed in school with lots of tips. I also really like how they consistently email me about webinars that teach me a lot of things from the comfort of my home!

Dani York

Dani York

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped in my journey by comparing multiple colleges for my final decision. While looking at different colleges, I was able to compare the tuition expenses and that landed me with the college that I’m currently enrolled in, Western Kentucky University. Thank you!

Josiah Kegg

Josiah Kegg

High School Class of 2021

I want to sincerely thank you all for this amazing website that's legitimately helped me find so many different scholarship opportunities. I've been stressing out for the longest time about paying for college since I would rather stay out of debt and have been working days trying to find any scholarship opportunity. When I found CollegeXpress, I discovered many easy scholarships that have given me hope for the future. Thank you and God bless!

Caitlin Eaton

Caitlin Eaton

$10,000 Scholarship Winner, 2021

I first discovered CollegeXpress during my sophomore year of high school while researching colleges that interested me. My SAT prep class the following year further familiarized me with the opportunities available through the organization. CX has personally helped me by exposing me to a diverse selection of schools as well as scholarships and life tips that have provided valuable guidance in my college search.

This scholarship will help me adjust to college life without worrying as much about tuition. This gives me more room to truly explore and benefit from all aspects of higher education. I plan to study Conservation Biology and work protecting species/ecosystems. I’m looking forward to getting field experience and seeing firsthand the problems research is solving.

Amari Toussaint

Amari Toussaint

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me narrow my school choices down from 10 schools to four and then two. It also gave me information on a school I had never heard about or thought about attending until now, which is the school I will be attending in the fall. I am thankful for CollegeXpress and its helpful tools.