SAT test preparation involves the right combination of smart work and hard work. In this article on SAT test preparation, we will talk about the most dreaded part of the SAT- Critical Reading. Formerly known as Verbal Section, the critical reading section on the SAT test comprises of sentence completion questions and passage-based reading questions. The SAT Critical Reading section may follow one of the three patterns:

19-Question Critical Reading Section

Questions 1–6 sentence completion

Questions 7–19 reading comprehension (paired long passages)

24-Question Critical Reading Section

Questions 1–8 sentence completion

Questions 9–12 reading comprehension (2 short passages)

Question 13–24 reading comprehension (1 long passage)

24-Question Critical Reading Section

Questions 1–5 sentence completion

Questions 6–9 reading comprehension (paired short passages)

Questions 10–24 reading comprehension (2 long passages)

Why exactly is the Critical Reading section considered difficult by most SAT takers? The difficult of the Reading section can partly be ascribed to lack of practice on the test taker’s part- most students would not READ articles related to culture, society, history and art; rather they would stick to reading those comic books or other stuff that entertains them. The SAT test takes advantage of this weakness of the test takers.

If you challenge the authenticity of the preceding statement, ask yourself "how many novels have you read in your entire life?" Better, look at the following excerpt taken from a biography of Florence Nightingale:

"The name of Florence Nightingale lives in the memory of the world by virtue of the heroic adventure of the Crimea. Had she died - as she nearly did - upon her return to England, her reputation would hardly have been different; her legend would have come down to us almost as we know it today - that gentle vision of female virtue which first took shape before the adoring eyes of the sick soldiers at Scutari. Yet, as a matter of fact, she lived for more than half a century after the Crimean War; and during the greater part of that long period all the energy and all the devotion of her extraordinary nature were working at their highest pitch. What she accomplished in those years of unknown labor could, indeed, hardly have been more glorious than her Crimean triumphs; but it was certainly more important. The true history was far stranger even than the myth. In Miss Nightingale's own eyes the adventure of the Crimea was a mere incident - scarcely more than a useful stepping-stone in her career. It was the fulcrum with which she hoped to move the world; but it was only the fulcrum. For more than a generation she was to sit in secret, working her lever: and her real life began at the very moment when, in popular imagination, it had ended…."

Now try answering the question:

The 'fulcrum' (second last line) refers to her

A. reputation

B. mental energy

C. physical energy

D. overseas contacts

E. commitment to a cause

A SAT test taker, who has been reading topics pertaining to art, sciences, social sciences, humanities and culture (among others) would have less difficulty tackling a passage like this one.

SAT test preparation would help you locate your weaknesses, and walk you through various strategies to tackle the Critical Reading section without falling prey to it. Test preparation under the guidance of an online tutor can make your dream of studying in one of the most renowned colleges, a reality.