The Critical Reading (formally Verbal) section of the SAT consists of questions requiring critical reasoning skills, correction of sentences and reading comprehension. This portion of the test consist of three scored sections with varying types of questions, including sentence completions and questions about short and long reading passages.

Follow up:

Three timed subsections of the critical reading test:
25 minute section    includes 8 sentence completions and 16 reading comprehension questions
25 minute section    includes 5 sentence completions and 19 reading comprehension questions

20 minute section    includes 6 sentence completions and 13 reading comprehension questions

The SAT sentence completion questions will test the participant's knowledge of both vocabulary and sentence structure. Most often they will be fill in the blank that will require the participant to choose a word that fits best in the sentence. The sentences will vary in length and complexity and increase in difficulty as the test progresses.

The reading comprehension test will measure the participant's ability to read and think critically about a text. Most of the texts are nonfiction, although there will also be excerpts from well-known literature. The participant may expect these readings to be between 100 and 800 words in length. They will vary in complexity and depth. The SAT test-taking strategy will focus on the participant's ability to concentrate while reading the passage and his ability to understand what he has read.

The first step for the participant is to determine the type of passage that he is reading. Read the sentences that explain where the passage is from or by whom it is written. These will give clues to the type of passage. Then determine if the passage is a report, a short story, an opinion, a fact, etc.
Next, the participant should read actively asking questions as he reads. He should determine what the author's main purpose is, what the theme is, and the style of writing being used. Don't sweat the details. One can always go back and read them again to find them.

If the participant has trouble assessing what he is reading, it is advisable to take notes while reading.
Lastly, the participant needs to realize without a doubt that all of the answers are right there on the page for him. Every correct answer has evidence in the passage to back it up. This is not a memory test. It's a comprehension test.

Remember: there are three basic skills targeted:
1.    Vocabulary in context (how and when certain words are used in a passage)
2.    Literal comprehension ( participant's understanding of what the text actually means)
3.    Extended reasoning ( participant's ability to make inferences, recognize implications and follow an argument's logical development)
Study for the Critical Reading portion of the SAT by increasing vocabulary, practice reading for new words, and take practice tests. As many as are necessary to be properly prepared to take the real test.


Reading comprehension is the degree to which the reader understands what he reads. Reading comprehension skills are used to gather information from text. Therefore, the SAT reading comprehension test assesses the participant's ability to read and think critically about a text.