SAT Reading Passages – Types skills & Strategies

The SAT reading passages section is a collection of different passages. The part of the SAT section consists of a reading-based comprehensive test. 5 passages are present in the English section that test your reading skills. There are 10 to 11 questions asked in every passage. These passages are on different topics may be as literature history, social studies, and natural science. 

The total score for the reading passage section is 200 to 800. The total number of marks is 52. You need to understand the central idea and test the vocabulary of the passages. Time management and the speed of reading are very important. 

SAT reading passage practice test

Types of SAT Reading Passages  

There are 4 main types of SAT reading passages. Literary passages, historical passages, social science passages, and natural science passages. These are the different types of reading passages. Passages come from the novels and the stories. 

History tests are given to you from the historical passages. Social science passages consist of psychology and sociology. Like biology, physics, and chemistry topics are included in the natural science passages.

 Skills Tested in the Reading Section of the SAT Reading Test 

Different skills are tested in the reading section. Like comprehension, in which you need to understand the passage and give the correct answer, vocabulary understanding the meaning of the different words, analyzing the central idea, inferring the main idea, and critical thinking are tested in the reading section. These are the different skills that are tested in the reading section. 

Strategies for Tackling Reading Passages 

  • To solve the reading passages easily without any difficulty, follow these strategies: 
  • First of all, read the passage with full attention and try to understand the meaning of the passage. 
  • After reading the passage, see the question with full focus and answer while thinking about it. 
  • Also, search and understand the main idea of every passage. 
  • If you do not understand the meaning of the words, try to understand the meaning of the words around these words. 
  • Take care of time management while reading the passage, and keep a limited time for every passage. 
  • Try to answer every question with a match of the passage. 

Practice Resources for SAT Reading 

Practice resources play an important role in helping with the SAT. Use the practice tests daily that are also available on the sat practice test prep website. Many websites and academies provide a practice test. Khan Academy also provides a practice test for the SAT. Besides this, many books are also available in which the practice test is available. You can also do practice tests from the study guide and the comprehensive study books.

Common Challenges with SAT Reading Passages 

You may also be facing some different challenges and strategies during the SAT reading passage. You may face the first challenge in time management because you are given a limited time to read the passage. Difficult vocabulary is the second challenge, in which understanding the word is difficult. The third challenge is the complex sentence that disturbs the understanding of the passage. Understanding the main idea can also be a difficult challenge. 

Conclusion and Recommendations 

Focus practices are very important for SAT reading passages. Regular practice is needed to improve reading speed and comprehension skills. Do additional reading to understand the vocabulary and difficult words. Improve your time with the help of the time practice tests. Focus on your mistakes after doing the practice test. 

SAT reading passage with answer pdf

FAQ about the SAT Evidence-Based English Reading Test 

How Many Passages on the SAT Reading? 

There are five passages in the SAT reading, and 11 to 12 questions are asked. The themes of the passages are related to literature, history, social studies, and natural science. One passage may be a paired passage in which two related passages are present. 

Is SAT reading the hardest? 

No, it only depends upon the Student’s knowledge and the student’s academic grip as well as the student’s strengths and weaknesses in the specific area of the SAT. 

Is a 480 on the reading SAT good? 

48o SAT reading section is a low score. The SAT reading Section consists of scores from 200 to 800, and a score of 480 is considered low to get admission to higher-ranked universities. 

Is a 700 on the reading SAT good? 

A 700 SAT reading score is an excellent score to get admission to higher-ranking international universities. Aspirants must focus on the academic areas of math and English as well as practice the passages daily. 

How to Get Better at SAT English 

  • Improve by reading daily 
  • Mastering grammar rules 
  • Practicing official SAT questions 
  • Eliminating wrong answers strategically 

How Many English Questions in the SAT 

The digital SAT English reading and writing consists of 54 questions, which are further divided into two modules. 

How the SAT English Score is Calculated 

Your raw score (correct answers) is converted to a scaled score (200–800) using the SAT scoring algorithm. 

How Long is the Digital SAT English 

The SAT English two modules section has 64 minutes, and students must solve the 54 questions within the given time.e 

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