Reading Strategies

It can be difficult to stay engaged in the lengthy reading sections of the ACT and SAT. These tips will help you tackle these tricky sections.

Recognize Question Types
Because questions do not generally progress from easiest to most difficult in the SAT Critical Reading section (except for Sentence Completions), you cannot easily evaluate a question's difficulty just by its place in the test. Learn the different reading question types, which include:

• Main Idea/Author's Purpose
• Inference
• Vocabulary-in-Context
• Tone/Attitude
• Function
• Detail

Reconsider the Question
Answer the question in your own words and thoughts before jumping to the answer choices. Often, you may be influenced by "attractors" if you don't stop to think before choosing an answer.

Make Educated Guesses
Identify and eliminate wrong answers, then make an educated guess from the remaining choices. On the ACT, there is no penalty for guessing, and on the SAT, there is a small point deduction for incorrect answers. This "penalty", however, is just an adjustment to offset random guessing. Educated guessing is an important part of improving your score.

Focus on What You Know
Don't get bogged down by difficult vocabulary words or complex details within a passage. It's okay to reread a sentence once, but if you find yourself stumped, it's better to attack the question based on what you already know.

Pace Yourself
Remember, reading tests are long, so you should pace yourself accordingly. Do not spend too much time on any one question. Be sure not to rush through the test either, because you are far more likely to make careless mistakes that way. Practice is the best way to help you develop a comfortable pace.

Read Actively
Whether you are reading for pleasure or for school, think and ask questions about what you are reading as you read it. This will train you to think critically during the reading process, and will prevent you from having to reread, saving you valuable time.