Reading (on the Reading Section) is for Losers, Part 3

The Reading section of a standardized test is exactly like a trip to the grocery store. Literally. Except figuratively.

Imagine you need to pick up three things you need for the dinner you want to cook. The store is on your way home, but you can only spend ten minutes shopping if you want to have dinner ready on time.

Reading on the Reading section would be like meandering up and down the aisles, stopping to look at each and every item—maybe even reading the nutritional labels on some. You know exactly what you need! Why are you looking at everything in the store? Are you every single customer I’ve ever willed to move faster in every grocery store I’ve ever been to?

I’m proposing that, instead, you simply make a beeline for the items you need and get the heck out of there. After all, you’re not going to get a prize for having seen more, read more, or walked more.

Don’t worry, I’m getting back to discussing common Reading question types before I bloviate so much that I stretch this out into a part 4.

Tone and Attitude Questions

These questions will ask you how an author, narrator, or character “feels” about a subject based on what they say in the passage. These are among the most difficult questions for most students because these questions are only asked when the answer is subtle. Keep in mind: subtle does not mean “missing.” There is always evidence to support the correct answer, but it may be difficult to find.

Supporting/Undermining Claims Questions

Supporting or undermining claims questions require the most reading skills because they are intentionally worded in a convoluted way to cause misinterpretation. The key here is to breathe—which is actually good advice for every question/section because most students cannot hold their breath for the three or three-and-a-half hours the test will last—and to make sure you understand what the question is asking before proceeding.

Infographics Questions (SAT ‘Sclusives)

If you love the ACT Science section, you’ll love these infographics questions. How quickly can you read labels and interpret nonsense tables, charts, and graphs that are filled with garbage data and set up in a garbage way? 

Supporting Evidence Questions

Match up evidence from the passage with the question stem. This really isn’t that different from what you should be doing on most questions anyway. If you aren’t looking for evidence to figure out which of the answers is an accurate reflection of the passage, what are you doing?

Conclusion

Don’t read. I could come up with yet another illustration of how silly it is to read all of the information on the page during a timed test, but if I haven’t convinced you at this point, it’s not going to happen. Now, it’s up to you to make use of this strategy and practice, practice, practice.