The SAT Reading involves answering questions based on reading and deciphering texts which are similar to the ones the students will face in college. The 52 questions on this section can be based on a single passage, a pair of passages, or a passage with one or two graphics. This section contains 5 passages, and each passage comes with 10 or 11 questions. One of these passages will have two short passages that have a common theme. One or two of the passages can have one or two charts accompanying the passage. This is the first section of the test and is for 65 minutes.
The major areas that SAT Reading tests on:
These questions focus on the student’s ability to understand the different meanings of common words as they are used in the text. The meaning and the purpose of the words in context are tested.
These questions focus on the student’s ability to identify textual evidence for the previous question, how the author supports the claim made, and which claim is best supported by the data given in the graphics.
The passages that appear in the Reading test include the following:
One of the passages will be fiction from the US or World Literature. This could be an intact short story or may contain passages from a novel.
Two passages on the test will be from Social Science, Founding Documents, and Great Global Conversations.
Social Science includes passages from anthropology, communication studies, linguistics, human geography, and various other fields. The Social science passage may sometimes contain the paired set of passage or graphics.
Founding Documents/ Great Global Conversations include passages written by the US or International authors and deal with moral, political, legal, and ethical issues. These passages too can sometimes come in a pair.
Two of the passages that appear on the test will be science-based. These passages will talk about recent discoveries or hypotheses from various fields like physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. These passages too can contain a paired set or graphics.
The three categories of SAT Reading questions are the following:
These questions are based on the information given directly in or suggested by the passage. The sub-topics include citing textual evidence, identifying main ideas and central claim, summarizing the content, identifying relationships, and interpreting the contextual meaning of words or phrases.
These questions test how the author develops and conveys the meaning in the text. The subtopics include analyzing words, text structure, arguments, point of view, and purpose.
These questions ask the students to identify the relationship between two passages or between a passage and graphics. The subtopics include analyzing multiple texts and quantitative information.
| SAT Reading | No. of passages | No. of Questions | Time (in minutes) |
| 5 | 52 | 65 |
The raw score on the SAT Reading is the number of questions the student gets correct in the section. There is no negative marking in this section. The raw score is then scaled to the Reading Test score ranging from 10 – 40. This Reading Test score is then combined with the Writing and Language Test score to reach the EBRW section score that ranges from 200-800.
| Reading | Question SAT MCQ-1 |
- Jwalika
- Jwalika
My journey at Manya started when I took the diagnostic test and got a score of 1260. A score improvement of at-least a 100 points was promised and I ended up bettering my score by a massive 280 points! This is due to the wonderful training given by Manya. Teachers who are always ready to help, staff who are always ready to make you feel comfortable, facilities that make you want to be there all the time - Manya has everything needed to make the SAT journey an incredible one for every student. I thank my trainers, Harini ma'am(math) and Raji ma'am(verbal), for their support and fantastic teaching. I have never enjoyed math or english more. And it was these small things that ultimately made me get a 1500+ score.
- Valli Vikram
- Valli Vikram
Enrolling in Princeton review set the right preparation path for me.. From the very beginning, Hemanathan sir and Usha mam knew exactly what my weak points were and helped me improve them. They taught me all the content needed to take the SAT, as well as tips, tricks, and shortcuts to use on exam day. The supplementary Princeton review text books were extremely useful as well, as they helped me master concepts using drills and exercises. The Princeton review website itself had 30 practice tests (or something close to that number), so I had ample practice before the actual test day. It was my teachers help, strategies, and constant feedback that helped me reach my target score on my first try.
- Varsha Senthil
- Varsha Senthil
First and foremost, I'd like to thank you for all the support you've provided me with, Thank you so much to Raji Ma'am, Priya Ma'am, and Siddarth Sir, for all their help with verbal. A huge thank you for all the support they have given me to improve my verbal score. I found the online portal to be extremely useful and the feedback provided after each test (of which there was plenty!) invaluable. The constant testing helped me strengthen my weak areas, and the feedback sessions, especially those for math, were very helpful. I would also like to thank the faculty and management at Manya for providing such a wonderful environment for learning. Every day I would come home with a new concept in my head and a smile on my face. Thank you so very much !
- Anahita
- Anahita
Thank you Princeton Review. The coaches were extremely helpful, and their guidance made it possible for me to achieve such a good score. I am immensely grateful for their endless support and dedication. The classes were extremely helpful. I received a lot of meaningful suggestions and advice from the coaches. The material provided was also very useful in preparing for the test.
- Subhrajyoti Pradhan
- Subhrajyoti Pradhan
It will be an understatement if I said that Princeton Review is just an institute where I took SAT classes. Really I had never explored the possibility of studying abroad and considered it merely as a dream. However at Princeton Review I saw the possibility of that dream becoming a reality. My teachers not only gave me the very vital tips and tricks that helped me through my SAT, but also motivated me throughout my time there. Not being an exceptional student yet getting offered scholarship from ten universities from USA including Stony Brook, Florida tech and Washington University are all courtesy my teachers at Princeton Review. Finally I would once again like to thank the trainers for their consistent help even outside class. None of this would have been possible without them.
It is not necessary to follow the same order as it is given in the question paper. You can decide the order, but the section should be completed within the stipulated 65 minutes. Once you finish the section, and the time is up. you are not allowed to visit it again.Â
Prior knowledge is not required in the SAT Reading section. All the information that is needed to answer the questions is in the passage.Â
Yes, it is possible to score 800 on the EBRW. You have to get all the questions correct in both the reading and writing and language sections.
One of the history or science passages will contain two short passages instead of one long passage. Both passages deal with the same topic.Â
SAT doesn’t test you on arcane vocabulary anymore. But you should develop your skills to identify the contextual meaning of the common words used in the passages.Â
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I have enrolled for SAT classes in princeton review. They are working really great for me especially the math trainer, he always makes sure that we understand everything. The best thing here is that the staffs are more concerned about my performance than I do. THANK YOU
I have enrolled for SAT classes in princeton review. They are working really great for me especially the math trainer, he always makes sure that we understand everything. The best thing here is that the staffs are more concerned about my performance than I do. THANK YOU
Very good institute. I had attended the SAT classes. Excellent Teachers, and are always ready to clarify doubts. Value for money!
Very good institute. I had attended the SAT classes. Excellent Teachers, and are always ready to clarify doubts. Value for money!
They provide really good training in the field of SAT. Tutors have provided me with the finest expertise in the industry...Manya has given me a great opportunity to learn and implement the tools provided by their AI-driven portal.
They provide really good training in the field of SAT. Tutors have provided me with the finest expertise in the industry…Manya has given me a great opportunity to learn and implement the tools provided by their AI-driven portal.
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