The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is a standardised test taken by high school students to get admission to Undergraduate Courses at US colleges primarily. Other countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Germany, and Malaysia also accept SAT scores. However, it is not mandatory. SAT is a 3 hour, pen and paper-based multiple choice question test which comprises three sections; Reading section, Writing & Language section, and the Math section. There are a total of 154 questions on the SAT, out of which the Reading section consists of 52 questions, the writing and language test consists of 44 questions, and the math section has 58 questions. There is also an optional SAT essay section. Out of all the sections, the majority of students find the Reading section most challenging as it comprises fictional passages which can be a bit difficult to understand. It is important to have excellent comprehension and analytical skills to score well in the Reading section. This blog provides you with SAT Practice Reading test samples & tips for preparation.
Table of Contents
Details About SAT Reading Section
The Reading Section is of immense value in the SAT. It assesses the comprehension skills of a student to gauge whether they possess the literary skills required to understand what is taught at the college level. There are a total of five Reading passages of 500-750 words in the SAT, and each passage is followed by a set of 10-11 MCQs. The first four passages are to be read alone, whereas the last one comprises a pair of two passages. Students are given 65 minutes to read all the five passages and answer the questions related to the text.
The first passage is a work of fiction usually taken from a book or magazine. The next two passages are related to US history or the US constitution. The fourth passage can be related to social sciences, science, psychology, economics, or political science. The last two passages are excerpts related to earth sciences, biology, and chemistry. Some questions in the SAT comprise a graph or a chart, and the students are required to analyse the information.SAT Reading Test 2022
Sample Questions for SAT Practice Reading Section
For History/Social Science Passages
1. Which assumption shared by the researchers at the Martin Prosperity Institute is strongly suggested in the passage? Options:
- Employers value employees who work from home more than the employees who commute frequently.
- Employees who spend less time commuting to more productive work for their employers.
- Employees can carry out various business activities like joining conference calls or composing memos while commuting.
- Employees who spend more time commuting are likely to earn more than employees who have relatively shorter commuting time.
2. Select the best choice that describes the relationship between Puttman’s and Lohmann’s research according to the passage.
Options:
- Lohmann’s research is contradicted by Putman’s research.
- Puttman has built its research based on Lohmann’s research as a base.
- Puttman’s research is confirmed by Lohmann’s research.
- Puttman’s research is corrected by Lohmann’s research.
For SAT Test Synthesis Questions
Here are some samples for these synthesis questions in the SAT Reading Section.
1. What common traits do crows in passage 1 and the ravens in passage 2 share?
Options:
- Both creatures modify their behaviour to adapt to the changes in their environment.
- Both creatures built a strong bond with the humans who observed them.
- Both crows and ravens manufactured their own tools for the purpose of searching and accessing food.
- The creatures observed the actions of people around them and mimicked what they saw.
2. Does the conclusion made in passage 2 align with Morgan’s canon, which has been mentioned in passage 1. Options:
- Yes, as the conclusion in passage 2 suggests that raven’s behaviour is affected by environmental factors.
- Yes, because the conclusion in passage 2 provides a compelling statement which explains the raven’s behaviour.
- No, because it has been suggested in the conclusion of the second paragraph that the ravens show signs of complex behaviour patterns.
- No, because the conclusion of para 2 implies that the raven’s behaviour is motivated by a humanlike quality.
Explore all countries
SAT Practice Reading Tips
Here are a few essential tips for students to improve their reading comprehension skills and score well in the Reading Section:
Read As Much As You Can
The most simple yet effective tip one can follow to score well in the SAT Reading Section is to read different types of passages from various sources. Students need to practice reading general fiction, historical content, humanities, and scientific passages. Reading a variety of passages can help polish your reading skills.
Focus on Main Idea Practice Questions
The main idea questions should ideally be answered at the end. Students should first answer easy and direct questions and then go through the passage once again to analyse the correct answer for the main idea questions.
Practice with a Timer
It is beneficial to do SAT Practice Tests with a timer so that students can evaluate the type of questions that require a lot of time. This also improves reading and paper solving speed, which allows students to finish the SAT in time.
Find the Most Suitable Meaning
For vocabulary context questions in the SAT, it is better to read the entire sentence or two sentences preceding and two sentences succeeding the word to figure out the most suitable context of a word rather than just focusing on the word to determine its meaning.
Avoid Making Inferences
Reading Section is all about going through the passage and analysing what the author wants to convey in the passage. Students should refrain from forming their own opinions or answering the questions based on their background knowledge. They should find answers that are evident in the passage.
Guide For Preparation Of SAT Exam 2022
Conclusion
The Reading Section is one of the hardest and trickiest parts of the SAT. Even if students are able to understand the passage, the reading test questions can be confusing at times. Therefore, it is important for students to solve maximum SAT Practice Reading test samples to understand the type of questions and answer them correctly. It is not required to have prior knowledge of the subject or content mentioned in the passage. Students can easily answer the SAT Reading Questions after reading the passages carefully. However, along with the passage, it is also important to read the questions carefully and analyse what is being asked.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to answer fictional passages SAT Reading Questions?
The fictional passages are excerpts from stories. These are mostly direct and relatively easier in comparison to other passages because of the simple language. Students are mostly able to comprehend the passage by reading it once or twice. When they start reading, they should focus on the author or narrator, the other main characters, the line of events that take place, and the tone of the passage. This makes it easier to answer fictional passage questions.
What questions can be asked from science passages on SAT?
cience passages are difficult to understand because of the scientific jargon that might be used. However, most direct questions are asked from science passages that do not require too much analysis. Students can easily solve the question by reading the passage. One can expect questions related to the main research point in the passage, “what was the hypothesis in the research,” “what scientific method was used to draw a conclusion?” and “what conclusion can be drawn from the research?”
What are paired passages in SAT?
The last passage in the SAT Reading Section is a set of two related passages combined. The questions that can be asked in the SAT are a mixed bunch related to the first passage solely, the second passage, and a combination of both the passages, like “what two ideas are compared in both the passages?”
Have Questions? Get Guidance to reach your Dream University
Connect with India's finest counsellors and biggest study abroad community.
Get Guidance