SAT Prep- Long Passages,

Question Types and Strategies

Long Passage Question Types
• Question Order
• Reading Comprehension are not arranged by degree of difficulty, but they do
have a specific order.
• In general, the questions correspond to the passage:
• first few questions ask about the beginning of the passage
• The middle questions about the middle
• Last few questions about the end
• The last couple are likely to be Big Picture questions that ask about the overall main idea
of the passage
Introduction
• Each long passage begins with a brief introduction that tells you what
the passage is about.
• This is an important part of the question set and should NOT be
skipped.
• Introduction helps you focus your reading by preparing you for the
kind of information and ideas to come.
Learn to Read Actively
• A key skill to master for the Reading Comprehension passage is active reading.
• Take an active role as you read.
• You do this by asking yourself questions as you read:
• Why did the author write this?
• What is the purpose of this paragraph?
• Why include this detail?
• The 3Ws of Active Reading:
• Why is more important than what
• Keep straight who said what
• While reading, look for the author’s
• Motivation
• Keep track of the various opinions and points of view
• The author’s view is likely to be different from those of any other people the
author mentions in the paragraphs.
Map the Passage:
• Longer passages cover many aspects of a topic
• Within each of these paragraphs, there are several details that help the author
convey a message
• Write- the simplest notes possible in the margin- abbreviations work well, but be sure you
understand them
• Note- the summary purpose of each paragraph- such as background, opinion, pro, con, etc.
• Bracket or circle- key points (keep underlining to a minimum)
• Mark- places were opinion and point of view are expressed- the chance of seeing questions
on these points is nearly 100%
• Pay attention- to all contrasting elements- one person thinks one thing, while another thinks
another.
• These notes are your passage map.
• Passage map helps you find the part of the passage that contains the information
you need.
Passage Maps
• A good passage map:
• Contains short words or phrases
• Uses clear marks like brackets and circled words
• Concentrates on viewpoints and opinions
• Notes opinions other than the author’s
• Avoids too-specific details
ABCs of Active Reading
• A= Abbreviate margin notes
• B= Bracket key sentences
• C= Circle keywords or phrases
Paired Passages
• The SAT will include at least one long paired passage and one short
paired passage.
• Paired passages are two separate passages that relate to the same
topic.
• Questions following paired passages are generally ordered the same
way.
• The first few questions relate to the first passage, the next few to the
second passage, and the final questions ask about the passages as a
pair.
Strategy for Paired Passages
• Step 1: Read Passage 1 and answer the questions about it.
• Step 2: Read Passage 2 and answer the questions about it.
• Step 3: Answer the questions asking about both passages.
Paired Passages Continued…
• Because you have to keep track of two different viewpoints with
paired passages, it’s especially important to read actively and create a
map for each passage.
• Ask yourself as you read the first passage:
• What is the author’s main point?
• When you read the second passage, ask yourself:
• How is this different from or similar to the first passage?
Practice:
Timing Strategies for the Critical Reading
Section
• Leave as much time as possible for reading and answering the long
passage questions.
• These take more time than either the short reading or the Sentence
Completions.
• Possible Plan for the 25-minutes section:
• Spend only 2-3 minutes on the Sentence Completions.
• Save a minute or two at the end to come back to the harder Sentence
Completion questions.
• Short passages should take no more than 5 minutes, less if possible.
• Two long passages (paired or not) usually follow; you’ll want at least 15
minutes for reading and answering the questions, more if possible.