Test Strategy

What you'll learn

• Read and answer all questions for one passage in 10 minutes or less
• Refine your passage-reading approach to balance speed and comprehension
• Practice strategic question ordering: answer easy detail questions first, then harder inference questions
• Experiment with different reading strategies (full read, skim-then-answer, questions-first)

Key concepts

The Reading section gives you 40 minutes for 4 passages with 9 questions each, so you have exactly 10 minutes per passage. Most students run out of time because they read too slowly or re-read passages too many times. There are three main approaches: (1) read the full passage in 3-4 minutes, then answer questions; (2) skim the passage for main ideas, then answer questions while referring back; (3) read the questions first, then read the passage with targets in mind. No single approach works for everyone. Today is about testing what works best for you and committing to it.

Pro tips

• Use a watch or timer for each passage. Build a habit of checking your time after each one.
• If you consistently run out of time, try reading only the first and last sentences of each paragraph, then answering questions.
• Remember: you do not need to understand every sentence. You need to answer 9 questions correctly.