10 SAT Reading Strategies That Actually Raise Your Score The highest-impact SAT reading strategies you can apply right now are: read the question before the passage, predict your answer before looking at the choices, eliminate at least two wrong answers using passage evidence, scan for structural pivot words, use per-question pacing checkpoints, and always answer every question (no penalty for guessing). These moves work on the digital SAT format because each passage is short and paired with one or two questions, so targeted reading beats passive reading every time. For official practice, College Board’s Official SAT Practice and Khan Academy’s free SAT prep are the canonical starting points. Quick-action checklist for your next practice set: Read the question stem first, then read the passage with that question in mind Write a one-sentence prediction before you look at the answer choices Eliminate choices that go beyond what the passage actually says Highlight only pivot words (but, however, although, yet) and the author’s main claim Set a target of roughly 70–75 seconds per question and flag anything taking longer. Answer every question, even if you are guessing, since the digita