SAT Critical Reading

A comprehensive guide to mastering the SAT Critical Reading section, focusing on reading comprehension, vocabulary, inference, and test strategies.

Reading Comprehension FundamentalsVocabulary in ContextMaking Inferences
Analyzing Author’s Purpose and PerspectiveInterpreting Evidence and Supporting ClaimsComparing Multiple Texts
Applying Critical Reading to Everyday MediaBuilding Vocabulary for College and CareerEffective Note-Taking While Reading
Time Management on the Reading SectionEliminating Wrong Answer ChoicesActive Reading Techniques
Reading Comprehensio...Vocabulary in Contex...Making InferencesAnalyzing Author’s P...Interpreting Evidenc...Comparing Multiple T...Applying Critical Re...Building Vocabulary ...Effective Note-Takin...Time Management on t...Eliminating Wrong An...Active Reading Techn...
Basic Concepts

Reading Comprehension Fundamentals

Understanding What You Read

Reading comprehension is at the heart of SAT Critical Reading. You'll encounter passages from literature, history, social studies, and science. The goal? Make sense of what you read and answer questions about it.

Skills You'll Build

  • Recognizing the main idea and supporting details
  • Identifying the author's purpose and tone
  • Summarizing information and spotting key arguments

Key Tips

  • Read actively: Ask yourself questions as you go.
  • Highlight or underline important lines (if allowed).
  • Don’t rush! Take time to process each paragraph.

Why It Matters

Strong reading comprehension skills help you everywhere—from acing exams to interpreting news articles and instructions in daily life.

Examples

  • After reading a passage about climate change, you identify that the main idea is the impact of human activity on global warming.

  • You summarize a historical document by noting its key arguments and the author's perspective.

In a Nutshell

Learn how to grasp the main ideas, details, and purpose behind every passage.

Key Terms

Main Idea
The central point or message of a passage.
Tone
The author's attitude toward the subject.
Supporting Details
Facts or examples that reinforce the main idea.
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Vocabulary in Context