The key to success in the SAT Critical Reading section is to master the ability to concentrate on the topic, and take in what you’ve read. The SAT Critical Reading section does not require special knowledge of the given topic as all the information needed to answer the related questions are supplied in the passage at hand. Each passage is prefaced by either a short or long description. For some students, reading and “absorbing” the entire passage prior to reviewing the questions works best. However, many students find it better to first read the questions and then selectively refer to the passage to find the specific answer in question.
Proper training, preparation and common sense are all paramount for a successful test day and a successful test score. That aside, here are few good tips to take with you on your test day.
Students often worry that taking the SAT or ACT test too many times will impact their chances of admission. At nearly 5 hours to administer, it’s a pain in the you-know-what to take the test more than once, but the reality is you can take it 100 times and it won’t even matter. Your focus should be on achieving the highest score possible.
Dates for the upcoming tests offered for the remainder of 2009.
Technically, preparation for the SAT should begin in your freshman year of high school by selecting a strong curriculum with plenty of relevant courses. As for shorter term SAT preparation, a good bet is to engage in a 6-8 week practice test study plan, and read plenty of books and periodicals to improve your vocabulary.
If you are not quite sure which test to take, then you have not done enough homework on the schools to which you are applying. To determine which test to take, you need to see what test scores your schools of interest will accept. Though the SAT is more widely accepted, some schools require ACT test scores, while others will accept scores from either test. Be sure to check if you will need to supplement either SAT or ACT scores with SAT II subject test scores. If you are applying to a multitude of schools your best bet is to take both the SAT and the ACT tests to cover all bases.