Critical Reading Basics!
Here's all the basics you need to know about the SAT Critical Reading sections!
Number of Questions
There are 3 Critical Reading sections on the SAT
Section 1: 24 multiple choice (25 minutes)
Section 2: 24 multiple choice (25 minutes)
Section 3: 19 multiple choice (20 minutes)
GRAND TOTAL: 87 multiple choice questions (the most of any section!)
These three sections may be disbursed throughout the test, but the short Critical Reading section will always come after the two longer sections.
Scoring
Your Critical Reading score will be measured on a scale of 200 to 800.
This scaled score is derived from your RAW SCORE. Your raw score is based on your actual answers.
• For every wrong answer in multiple choice, you get 1/4 of a point subtracted from your raw score. That means that there IS a penalty for guessing in multiple choice.
• For every omitted answer of either variety, nothing is subtracted from your raw score - but it isn't added either!
Test-Taking Information
ONLY OLD-SCHOOL WOODEN PENCILS are allowed. Why? The College Board has not made an announcement with a reason, but that still means that your mechanical pencil will get confiscated, along with your pens.
You may also NOT bring the following into your testing room:
- Dictionaries (small or large)
- Foreign-language dictionaries
- Books, magazines, or newspapers
Types of Multiple Choice Questions:
There are 2 types of multiple-choice SAT Critical Reading questions:
1. Sentence Completions: You will be given 19 of this question type: there will be 5-8 of them in each of your three Critical Reading sections. These questions primarily test vocabulary and reading for context. You will need to fill in one or two blanks with the best choice of words.
2. Reading Passages: You will be given 48 of this question type: there will be 13-19 of them in each of your three Critical Reading Sections. Some passages will be as short as 100 words, and some will be as long as 850 words. Short passages will typically have fewer questions than long passages. You will need to compare two passages in order to answer the questions correctly at least once on your exam.
Note: In the past, the SAT Critical Reading section included a section of analogies, which you might have seen in older study material. The SAT no longer tests analogies.
Ask all your Critical Reading questions here!
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