SAT Reading and Writing success relies on three core strategies: active annotation (marking key ideas and transitions as you read), understanding the specific question types being tested, and pacing yourself to avoid running out of time. Many students benefit from learning to identify the author's main point before diving into questions, and practicing strategic skimming for detail-based questions. Working with a tutor can help you discover which strategies work best for your reading style and learn to apply them consistently under timed conditions.

Time management on SAT Verbal typically comes down to efficient reading and knowing when to move on. The Reading and Writing section gives you 64 minutes for 52 questions, which means developing speed without sacrificing comprehension. Many students rush through passages and make careless mistakes, while others spend too long on difficult questions. Effective strategies include timing yourself on practice passages, learning which question types you should tackle first, and building stamina through regular full-section practice tests so you can maintain focus and accuracy through all 64 minutes.

The best way to pinpoint weaknesses is to take full-length practice tests, then carefully analyze which question types and passage topics trip you up most. Track patterns—do you struggle with vocabulary-in-context questions? Dense historical or scientific passages? Inference questions? Once you see the patterns, you can focus your studying on those specific skills rather than wasting time on material you already know. A tutor can accelerate this process by reviewing your practice tests with you and creating a targeted plan to address your particular gaps.

Most students benefit from taking 4-6 full-length practice tests spread throughout their preparation period. Your first test establishes a baseline, the middle tests help you practice applying new strategies, and your final tests simulate test-day conditions and build confidence. Quality matters more than quantity—each practice test should be followed by detailed review where you understand why you got questions wrong, not just moving on to the next one. Spacing these out over 2-3 months allows you to study between tests and see your improvement over time.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or uncertain about strategy, so thorough practice with full-length tests is your best defense—you'll build confidence as you see yourself improving. On test day, manage anxiety by starting with sections you're most confident in to build momentum, using deep breathing during difficult passages, and remembering that you don't need a perfect score to reach your goal. Working with a tutor can help you develop a personalized test-day routine, practice managing stress during timed drills, and address any specific anxiety triggers before they derail your performance.

While the SAT doesn't test isolated vocabulary as heavily as it once did, strong vocabulary is still valuable for understanding complex passages and tackling the vocabulary-in-context questions that appear throughout Reading and Writing. Rather than memorizing endless word lists, focus on learning high-frequency SAT words in context and understanding common word roots and prefixes that help you decode unfamiliar words during the test. The most effective approach combines strategic vocabulary study with lots of reading practice, which naturally builds your word knowledge while improving your reading speed and comprehension.