🎯 Ultimate Guide to Acing the SAT Reading
& Writing (RW) Section
🧠 Understand the SAT RW Format (2024–2025 Digital
SAT)
✅ Total Time: 64 minutes
2 Modules, 32 minutes each
~27 questions per module (Reading & Writing combined)
✅ Question Types Covered:
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary-in-context
Grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure
Logic and transitions
Expression of ideas (clarity, conciseness)
Textual evidence and analysis
Data interpretation
📘 PART 1: MASTERING SAT READING
📌 Top Strategies to Score 100%
1. Preview the Question First
Read the question before the passage, especially for short paragraphs.
You’ll know what to look for when you read.
2. Active Reading in Mini-Passages
Focus on main idea, tone, argument
Highlight names, dates, opinions, contrasts (but, however, although)
For paired passages: compare agreement vs disagreement
3. Use Line References
For “According to line 5…” style questions, go to the exact line, then read 2 lines
above and below for context.
4. Master Inference Questions
Use only what is in the text.
Avoid “overthinking” or using outside knowledge.
5. Vocabulary in Context
Replace the word in the sentence with your own synonym.
Then match your guess with the choices.
6. Evidence Questions (Paired)
Answer the evidence question first — it will lead you to the correct answer for the
inference question.
7. Data & Charts
Read titles, labels, and axes.
Connect the data to the author’s claim or point.
✍️PART 2: MASTERING SAT WRITING
📌 Top Grammar & Style Rules to Know
1. Punctuation
Comma rules (before FANBOYS, in lists, non-essential clauses)
Semicolon = period (joins 2 full sentences)
Colon = introduces example or explanation
Dashes = interruptions or dramatic emphasis
2. Subject-Verb Agreement
Ignore phrases between subject and verb
E.g. “The list of books is long.”
3. Verb Tenses
Keep consistent within the sentence or paragraph
Watch signal words: yesterday, now, has/had, will
4. Pronouns
Clear reference (avoid “it,” “they” ambiguity)
Match in number and gender
5. Modifiers
Descriptive phrases must be right next to what they describe
Incorrect: “Walking down the street, the house looked old.”
Correct: “Walking down the street, I saw an old house.”
6. Transition Words
Contrast: however, although, yet
Cause & Effect: because, therefore, thus
Addition: furthermore, also
Eliminate options that don’t match the logic of the sentence.
7. Conciseness & Clarity
Choose the shortest and clearest option unless there’s a grammar error.
Avoid redundancy: “basic fundamentals” → just “fundamentals”
8. Parallel Structure
Lists and comparisons should use the same grammatical form
E.g. “She likes swimming, dancing, and biking.” ✅
🧪 Practice Routine (4–6 Weeks Plan)
Week Focus Area Tasks
Learn grammar rules, read short nonfiction, vocab-in-
1–2 Build Skills
context
Practice by Question
2–3 Daily drills on: inference, grammar, transitions, charts
Type
3–4 Timed Practice Full RW section from Bluebook or practice tests
5–6 Review & Refine Error log, review wrong answers, eliminate weak areas
Time Management Tips
~1 minute per question
Skip and return later if stuck
For charts or paired passages, take 10–15 seconds to preview structure
🧰 Tools You Should Use
✅ Official Bluebook App (College Board)
✅ Khan Academy SAT Prep (linked to your College Board account)
✅ Anki or Quizlet flashcards (for grammar rules and vocab)
✅ The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar (Erica Meltzer) – highly recommended
📊 Scoring Perfection: What It Takes
1 wrong = drops from 800 to ~790
To score 100%, aim to get EVERY question right
That means:
o Know the rules cold
o Master logic-based reading
o Eliminate answer traps
o Practice consistently under timed conditions
🎓 Bonus: Tips from 800 Scorers
🔁 Review EVERY mistake — why you got it wrong, and how to avoid it
🧠 Think like the test maker — Why is this answer better than the others?
📄 Read challenging articles daily (The Atlantic, NYT, Scientific American)
🎧 Try reading + listening to improve comprehension speed and retention
