How should I tackle a reading passage if I don't have enough time to go through it properly?

Question

I think this is a situation a lot of us end up in, with that last passage on the reading section. If I don't have enough time to finish the whole thing properly (say I have 2-5 minutes for example), what should I do to answer the questions? Should I read the first and last sentences of each paragraph, skim and do the easy ones, or guess? What are your tips? (Also, any tips for having good timing on the reading section, in general?)

Answer 1

My response relates to overall test prep: As you begin to prepare for the test, it is my suggestion that you focus on accuracy, not speed. It is important to understand the question and the concept behind it because the same questions recur. Also, it is important to identify why the other answers are wrong. Once you start working this way, you will naturally build both your comprehension and your speed.

Answer 2

Look for key words, phrases, or quotes in the questions, such as the names of people or places, and then locate them in the reading by skimming the text. You can also skim the text first to try and familiarize yourself with it, which might make it easier for you to locate key words from the questions. Make sure to practice this and time yourself before you take the official test.

Answer 3

Hey Aidan,

As you say this is a very common problem with SAT Reading, we run out of time towards the end. If I were in that situation (I think I probably was at some point) I would go questions first then reading. I'd know what the specific bits of information to look for (probably leave, general summary/feeling of passage to the end) and scan, first and last sentences of paragraphs (for topic and conclusion sentence) then go into a bit deeper on specific information after I knew it'd be in that paragraph.

Honestly there are a number of strategies and practices I help students who have timing issues on reading, basic one's include timing yourself, (90sec a questions etc.) but depending on how much time before the exam and what level my students are at I prefer to help them understand and get a high score (no time constraint) and then work down to efficiency and time management while maintaining correct answers.

Let me know if you're interested in chatting with me!

-Michael