Perfect 800 on the Digital SAT Reading & Writing: What Does It Take?

A perfect 800 in Digital SAT Reading & Writing is a game-changer. It helps you achieve the most desirable score of 1550+, which opens the gates to Ivy Leagues and elite US colleges. 

This means that even if you fall slightly short in the Math section, an 800 in Reading & Writing provides a crucial safety net, giving you a competitive edge.

And Today's edition is focused exactly on that.

We reveal tried and tested tips that Lets Unbound’s top scorers, who were once in your shoes, have applied to achieve top scores in the test.

Here are the 8 strategies at a glance:

• Know the test

• Grammar mastery

• Question first

• Speed reading

• Enrich vocabulary

• Eliminate wrong answers

• Know when to quit

• Consistent practice (+ a top secret)

1. Know the test

This might seem like a no-brainer, but you will be amazed at how many students make this mistake. 

The first step is to be clear about the type and patterns of questions you will get in the exam. This clarity guides you to focus on the right areas and avoid wasting time on irrelevant topics. 

SAT reading and writing evaluates 4 core domains. Train your mind to solve these in minimum time with maximum accuracy.

Here is an overview of all 4 ⬇️

1. Information and ideas

The questions in this domain ask you to: 

• Find the central idea of the passage

• Interpret quantitative data from tables and graphs 

• Comprehend and analyze information from text

2. Craft and Structure: The questions from this domain test your ability to:

Understanding this category is crucial as it requires you to fill in the blanks by selecting the most appropriate choice based on the context.

• Recognize the primary purpose of the underlined text

• Use high-utility words and phrases in context

• Understand the main relationships to interpret the meaning

3. Expression of Ideas

The questions in this domain ask:

• Knowledge about transition words to connect two sentences

• Ability to improve text to meet specific rhetorical goals

4. Standard English Conventions

The questions in this domain ask:

• Grammar rules and their usage in a sentence

• Edit sentences according to core conventions of Standard English.

Just knowing these 4 core domains can take your score close to the perfect level.

2. Grammar mastery

Questions from the Standard English Conventions are heavily grammar-based. Some of the key grammar concepts are asked frequently in the Digital SAT exam:

• Punctuations

• Subject-verb agreement

• Modifiers

• Sentence structure

• Verb tense

• Pronouns

Prepare them thoroughly. These build the foundation for scoring high in the Reading and Writing Section.

For instance, see this example from the subject-verb agreement.

The teacher, along with 20 students, run an NGO to teach Math to underprivileged kids.

Here, the incorrect verb is ‘run.’ The subject is the teacher, which is singular. However, as the sentence is complex, your brain perceives students as the subject and thinks the plural verb fits the sentence.

But the correct verb here is ‘runs.’

The more you practice, the higher your efficiency gets at solving tricky questions.

3. Question first

Typically, students read paragraphs slowly, line by line, and then skim the question. Usually, they have to go through paragraphs once again. This not only wastes time but makes you miss the tiny details. And you fall into the trap of picking the wrong option.

Try following this counter approach in your practice tests. 

First, read the questions and options carefully. Then, skim through the paragraph. Find similar words in the section that hints towards the answer as you skim. 

Here's how to put this hack into action.

4. Speed reading

Many aspirants need help to score well in SAT reading because they lose time interpreting passages.

 Boosting your reading speed is the key.

Find the correct answers faster using these 3 speed-reading techniques:

Skimming - This method requires you to quickly scan the text while emphasizing key phrases, numbers, essential sentences, and notable details.

Reading the question first, you understand essential words throughout the text. Ignore unnecessary details. Stay focused on the lines with words similar to those asked in the question. This saves time on whole passage reading.

Previewing—This method previews the most crucial text part first, then skims the rest. It also previews the variables used in the tables and graphs.

Suppose the question is asked from a particular line of the passage. Focusing on that sentence and scanning related data helps find the answer faster.

Text annotation- This method involves highlighting or underlining specific parts of the text. Your brain focuses on the highlighted part and blurs out the rest. This improves answering efficiency.

In digital SAT, you can use the ‘annotation’ tool to highlight, underline, circle, and take margin notes. This is present on the upper right side of the screen. Underline the supporting claims in evidence-based questions, circle important words for vocabulary-based questions, and make quick notes to summarize the main ideas.

You can derive the answer faster once you have distinguished critical points and decoded the main idea.

Let’s attempt a question using skimming and previewing. 

5. Enrich vocabulary

You might think “SAT doesn’t ask questions on synonyms or antonyms”. Then why so much emphasis on vocabulary?

While direct questions on these aren’t asked, having a strong vocabulary is key for tackling the reading comprehension sections

Here’s an example:

The best synonym of ‘quality’ here is ‘characteristic’ — option A. The quality they are talking about is Jay Gatsby’s “resourcefulness of movement,” which manifests as restlessness.

6. Eliminate wrong answers

This technique involves eliminating three options and eventually picking the right one. Go through the options carefully. 

Find strong reasons that make a particular option wrong. Either it contradicts the data given in the passage, or it’s irrelevant, or it contains information that isn’t evident in the passage. 

Now, let’s eliminate one by one.

7. Know when to quit the question

What will happen when you spend excess time on the question you can’t get right? You’ll run out of time for the questions you can get 100% right. That’s why, it’s important to make it a habit to give up on the question if it takes more than reasonable time.

Mark such questions for preview. Come back to it after solving all other questions. Utilize the time saved on some easy questions to solve time-consuming ones.

8. Consistent practice (+ a top secret)

Even with dedicated studying and plenty of practice, many students find it difficult to surpass the 600 mark.

What's holding them back? Overlooking their weaknesses

We have seen students who solely kept studying and left mock tests for the last month. This approach doesn’t work. 

Because it doesn't give you room for improvement. You keep on giving one test after the other without analyzing what's going wrong in that test. Last month's mock tests leave you with limited time for leveling up.

What if you have a buffer period before the final mock tests? The period during which you give a test, do a rigorous analysis of wrong answers, and strengthen all weak concepts.

So here's another efficient approach to boost scores. Have a ‘buffer month’.

We observed significant improvement in the scores of our students who used the ‘buffer month’ method. It’s a proven way to achieve scores of 700 and beyond on the SAT Reading and Writing

The approach here is to give practice tests and identify mistakes. These mistakes become your weapon to improve your score. 

Reserve the 6th for final mock tests. By this time, you’ve already worked on your weakness and converted it into strength. This is reflected in the form of consistently high scores in final mock tests.

Here is a strategy to ensure you ‘actually’ learn from your mistake and boost your score:

First, analyze three things on a broad level.

Next, dig deeper into your mistakes to get ahead—find the reason why you made them.

Question of the Week

Which part of the college admission process should be removed?

The best answers to be featured in next week's edition✨

P.S. The clue is to be creative, think outside the ordinary, and come up with a great answer to get featured.

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Amol & Nishant,

Co-Founders, The College Crest - Powered by Lets Unbound,

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