There's no single secret to attaining the highest ACT or SAT Reading score you're capable of. However, there are a set of keys without which you're almost certainly bound to fail at unlocking your full potential.
When I ask my ACT/SAT test prep students what they think these keys are, I get a few predictable answers:
Reading comprehension skills?
Nope. Comprehending the text of the passages is certainly important, but in my 10+ years of experience as a full-time SAT and ACT test prep tutor, that's very rarely the reason students have been frustrated in their efforts to increase their scores. Comprehension alone is not enough. To consistently score high on ACT Reading, you also need to master a specific set of analytical skills.
Doing lots of practice tests?
Wrong. In fact, many of my students do too many practice tests. I call it "mindless grinding"—burning through test after test without a clear idea of the specific skills all of that practicing is supposed to improve. Sadly, such students are simply further ingraining bad habits and depleting their supply of official practice exams, an extremely valuable and limited resource.
Studying the subjects likely to appear in the passages?
Definitely not. The point of SAT/ACT Reading is not to test "outside knowledge." That is, it's not an achievement test, which is the type of test students generally take in school, designed to measure the knowledge and skills a student has acquired in a specific subject area. Rather, the SAT and ACT are designed more to measure general aptitude, cognitive abilities, or critical thinking skills than specific knowledge in particular subject areas.
My point isn't to make anyone feel dumb. The above answers are all very reasonable. If you hope to do well, it's certainly true that you need to have sharp reading comprehension skills, be willing to put in lots of practice, and possess a level of knowledge in the covered subject areas considered normal for a high school student. Those are necessary conditions, but they're not sufficient.
Rather, my point is that the most effective strategies for SAT/ACT Reading aren't intuitively obvious. To find out what really works, it's best to be wary of standard advice and seek input from an experienced expert.
That's where I come in!
KEY #1: HLTA
Today, I'm going to introduce you to the first key to scoring your personal best on SAT or ACT Reading. It's something I've dubbed Hyper-Literal Textual Analysis (HLTA).
I say "analysis" because beating the most difficult questions on ACT/SAT Reading is usually more about having sharp analytical skills than just reading comprehension ability. A student may comprehend a paragraph, yet still fall short when it comes to analyzing how it logically relates to the specific wording of a question and set of answer choices.
I say "hyper-literal" because avoiding subjective interpretation and instead sticking strictly to the plain meaning of the text is critical to success on ACT/SAT Reading. Understanding the concept of reading literally is simple. However, I can tell you from years of experience working with test-takers that learning to consistently apply HLTA is another story. For the vast majority of students (even academically high-performing students) mastering this skill requires study and deliberate practice. (By "deliberate practice" I mean practice that is consciously focused on improving specific skills).
The good news about HLTA—aside from the fact that it works wonders for one's SAT or ACT Reading score—is that there's nothing mysterious about it. Like all skills, anyone can improve with consistent, focused practice and feedback from a good coach.
How You (Or Your Child/Student) Can Learn to Master HLTA
I've spent the past 10+ years helping students use HLTA to "get unstuck" and significantly increase their SAT/ACT Reading scores. Now, because of the wonder of the internet, I'm able to offer my expertise not just to those who can afford my private tutoring rates.
When you become a premium subscriber to Walker Prep, you'll get full access to all the details about HLTA, plus everything you need to know about other key strategies and question type tactics. Premium subscribers are also able to ask questions in the comments section, and get full access to Walker Prep answer explanations, which specify how HLTA applies to every answer choice on the most challenging official ACT and SAT practice test questions.
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