ACT / SAT Strategies for the Reading Section

General Strategies

1. Take 30 seconds-1 minute to skim through the reading selections. Decide which ones are easiest look like the easiest for you to read. Sometimes this can mean easy vocabulary, a topic you are familiar with, or even length. Once you have determined which one looks the easiest (again, spend no more than a minute on this). Choose this selection to complete first--saving the hardest for last. This way, if you run out of time, you have run out of time on the more difficult passage rather than the easy passage.

2. Read the questions of the passage you have decided to tackle first (don't read any answers-just the questions). Let the questions guide you in your reading, but don't try to memorize them, just skim through them and get a general idea of what kind of information the questions are asking for.

3. Read any and all introductory information they give you about the passage. Sometimes there will be a sentence or two about the author or the passage in italics at the beginning of the selection. If it is included, it is important information and needs to be read.

4. Begin reading the passage. As you read, underline or mark main ideas in each paragraph. If it's a particularly difficult passage, try to summarize the paragraph in your own words before attempting the questions. Try to jot down an overall summary as well (no more than a few words).

5. Don't let words you don't know stop you. Just keep reading and try to use context clues to find the meaning. If you let unknown words stop you or take you away from the overall meaning, you are taking away precious test-taking time.

6. If you've read the whole thing and are really confused, don't try to read the whole thing over. Let your questions guide you to where you need to go to find the answer. Use "cue words" to help you find places where the answers might be. For example, if the questions asks about a particular characters "consternation," skim the passage for that word, read around the word, and see if you can find the answer from there.

7. Label the different question types so that you can figure out where you need to look when you don't know the answer right away. The question types can lead you to how to look for the answers. Here are the question types. Sometimes, if you do not struggle for time, you should label the question types in the first step.

Purpose: Overall, what's the point or purpose of the passage? (Questions asking for a good title for the piece are main idea questions).
Detail: Asks about a specific spot in the passage. Use locator words to find that specific spot in the text. You should be able to find your answer specifically written in the story (though may use different wording).
Meaning: Ask you what a word means in context. GO BACK TO THE PASSAGE and read around the word. Don't go with the meaning you know, go with the meaning derived from the passage.
Infer: You are asked to "infer" or "imply" an answer. Clues to the answer are in the text, but you have to put them together to find the answer.
Application: Asks you to apply an idea in the text to a different situation. There will be clues in the text, but you have to put them together to get the answer.
Author: Asks questions about the author's tone, mood, attitude, etc. Look at the passage from the writer's perspective and think about why they used certain words or examples to help you answer this question.

By knowing the question type, you can determine where you need to look for the answer:
P: Overall passage
D: Find the specific spot in the passage
M: Find the word in the passage and read around it
I: Clues in the passage + your head
App: Clues in the passage + your head
Auth: Clues/Words in the passage + your head

8. Use eliminate and guess on the answers! This means, of the four answer choices cross out the one's you know are not correct. Usually you can get down to two answers that could be right, and then if you really don't know--you guess. This leaves you with a 50/50 chance of being right, rather than a 25% chance of being right. Sometimes, it can even lead you to right answer.

9. Remember, the more you read and analyze on your own and in practice, the better reader you become. The better reader you are, the better score you will receive on your reading section.

The ACT or SAT can be a very stressful test, especially if you know a specific score you have to get to be admitted to the college you want. In order to succeed, it is important to develop a strategy and practice that strategy. These 9 steps are one of the many strategies out there. In order to see if it works for you, you have to practice it a few times. Once you've practiced, you can determine if it has helped you answer better and use your time more wisely. But, as I said before, it takes a few practices for these steps to start saving you time.

Overall, the SAT and ACT might not reflect your intelligence, but many colleges do require a certain score. Some states even offer scholarships if a student receives a high score. So, it is to your best advantage to practice and study and do your best. Good luck!