SAT VERBAL: Critical Reading

Erica Meltzer’s articles adapted for your review

Mirrors college thinking and reading expectations The writer reacts to and accounts for ideas in a

pre-existing text, generating his/her own theory.

You need to decipher writer’s POV from popular POV that provoked his/her reaction to determine the writer’s path to a feasible conclusion

We call this writer’s skill synthesis- the 2nd highest order of critical thinking (evaluation is the highest)

Critical Reading Passage: Purpose

I. Introduction (anecdote/ historical background)

II. Popular interpretations of topicIII. Flaws in popular interpretations of the

topicIV. Writer’s personal take on the topic

(departs from popular beliefs)

Critical Reading Passage: Format

Touch the text- increase reading rate Don’t get hung up- if something is confusing- keep

reading for ideas or phrases that make sense; you’re reading for the gist, not for detail

5-6 word main idea Abbreviate notations Jot arguments, not facts (isolated words or names =

useless) Circle transitions, not nouns, to understand

relationships Code paragraphs to indicate support or

contradiction ( + + -) Only three or so

Read Actively

Strip the verbiage to bear the meaning Rephrase with simple language EVERY word counts

It will take you 5 stinking seconds and make a TREMENDOUS difference- just do it!

Strip the questions!

Jumbled range of difficulty Time is limited- problem jump

Save back-to-text questions for the end

Identify Time Consuming Questions

You’ll have to go back to text to find necessary information for questions like these: Which of the following? I, II, and III Which of the following relates to the situation in

lines…? Which of the following would undermine the

information in lines…? All of the following except…

SAVE THESE QUESTIONS! HIT THE TIME- FRIENDLY

QUESTIONS FIRST!

Back-to-text questions

Do not rely on previous knowledge Unless the response is supported by the text, it’s

wrong

“Same idea, different words!” (handout) Look for synonyms, not direct quotes

Plausibility is no guarantee- context is everything. There is only one accurate, objective answer,

just like in Math

Narrow Answer Options

Stuck between 2 options- no problem! Mind adjectives- if their implications don’t jive

with the passage, the answer choice is WRONG.

If you can’t narrow it down to 2 options, skip it You lose .25 points for each error Skipping 20 questions on both the Verbal and

Math sections can STILL earn you an average score (above 500)

Guessing Game

Meltzer, Erica. The Critical Reader. The Critical Reader, 2012. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.

Works Cited