5 Steps to get a High Score on the SAT Verbal Section

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SAT is the key to unlocking the doors to an undergraduate program in your dream college in the United States. SAT preparation can be daunting especially with all the other commitments at school. While a majority of students focus on Quant section, it is the SAT Verbal section that becomes the differentiating factor giving you an edge over your competitors. SAT Verbal might seem challenging but with strategic planning, the right approach, and reliable SAT prep, getting a high score is achievable.

In this blog, we will discuss five ways to not only master the SAT Verbal section but also maximize your performance on the test day.

#1 Understanding the Test Format

Often overlooked, understanding the test format and familiarizing yourself with the structure and content of Reading and Writing Section are the first steps towards a good score. The length of the text of each question in the SAT Verbal section will be approximately 150 words, followed by only one question.

SAT Verbal Section is broadly divided into 4 content areas:

1. Information and Idea – These 12 to 14 questions test your comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills. They check your knowledge and ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, and integrate information from texts and informational graphics: tables, bar graphs, and line graphs.
2. Craft and Structure – These 13 to 15 questions measure the comprehension, vocabulary, synthesis, and reasoning skills. They check the knowledge needed to understand and use words and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and make connections between related texts.
3. Expression of Ideas – These 8 to 12 questions test your ability to improve the effectiveness of written expression and to meet specific rhetorical goals.
4. Standard English Conventions – These 11 to 15 questions measure your ability to edit texts to conform to conventions of Standard English: sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.

An awareness of different question types will help you be prepared with what to expect, alleviating your anxiety and also help in formulating your test strategy.

#2 Working on the Basics

Practicing more questions and doing mocks won’t be of any help if your foundation is not strong. A solid understanding of reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary is a must for getting high scores.

1. Comprehension – The Reading Section includes passages from literature, history, social sciences, and sciences. Students should familiarize themselves with these types of passages and learn to comprehend their tones, structures, and argument styles. One way to improve your reading skills is to focus on active reading over passively looking for words. Practice using the annotation devices to seek and highlight key information or evidence that supports the argument in the text given.
2. Grammar – A good grasp of the basic rules of grammar can significantly boost your score. The commonly tested grammar and writing conventions include subject-verb agreement, punctuation, tenses, comparison and pronoun usage. Review the rules using a grammar workbook or Jamboree online resources to reinforce your understanding of the subject.
3. Vocabulary – Vocabulary forms a major portion of the SAT exam, testing your understanding of the meaning of the word contextually. An effective and practical way of learning vocabulary is to focus on understanding how words function within a sentence over rote-memorization of their meanings. Practice context-based reading, looking for clues, and focusing on the tone of the text.

Strengthening these skills will ensure a strong foundation and help you achieve your desired score.

#3 Practice Questions from Reliable Sources

The internet is flooded with resources and test material, but it’s crucial to focus on credible sources. The SAT verbal section questions should closely reflect the actual exam pattern and provide the most accurate preparation experience. Inaccurate information can cause more harm than help because unlearning the wrong strategy and then relearning the right one is much more difficult and time-consuming than doing it right the very first time.

It’s best to practice from the official College Board material which is accurate, updated, and provides exam-like experience. Jamboree also provides exhaustive resources for practicing different topics with over 90 topic-wise tests, 20 Sectional tests, 10 Verbal Mixed drill tests, 5 Full-length linear tests, and 3 Full-length adaptive tests.

Focus on SAT verbal section specific questions and vocabulary words. Remember, SAT does not focus too much on literal meanings but focuses on contextual. So don’t overwhelm yourself by learning all the meanings. Jamboree follows the approach of working smartly along with hard work by providing commonly asked SAT words in groups to get the contextual meanings right.

#4 Create Your Study Plan and Test-taking Strategy

A methodical and comprehensive study plan plays a vital role in getting high scores. Along with making a concrete study plan and schedule, work on test-taking strategy that aligns with your strengths and goals.

1. Study Schedule – Making a detailed study plan is a must-do item on the list. Allocate a dedicated number of hours per day. Your schedule should be comprehensive including daily practice, spaced repetition, regular recall, and committed time for mocks and for reviewing the mistakes. Incorporate rest and practice mind calming techniques to tame your anxiety. Maintaining your calm throughout the test while ensuring you are on track is a skill you need to master at the earliest.
2. Test-taking strategy – Devise your test-taking strategy on the basis of your strengths and weaknesses. Simulate the actual exam conditions when taking the mock tests. It will help you gauge your performance by giving a deeper understanding of your competency and accuracy in different questions, your time management skills, and your endurance. Recalibrate your approach if required. Rather than looking for the right answers, eliminate the wrong one: this is the best strategy to answer the questions.
3. Time management – Time management is one of the most important elements that can be your best ally or your worst enemy in getting your desired score. Allocate time to each question type depending on the difficulty level of the question and your proficiency in solving it; consider redistributing time if required. Don’t go overboard solving a question – instead, use the feature of flag and review and move on to the next question.

Success on the exam lies not only in your knowledge of the content but also in your approach.

#5 Prepare Your ‘GO-TO’ Document

Focus on quality over quantity. It is not about the number of SAT Verbal section questions done or mocks taken, it’s about how well you have analyzed your mistakes, ensuring they are not repeated.

1. Review – reviewing the incorrect answers and self-evaluating your strategy can be a game-changer. Reviewing helps you know your weaknesses and areas of improvement, giving you an objective assessment of the effectiveness of your test strategy, and familiarizing you to the test format and time constraints.
2. Error log – Only reviewing won’t help unless you create an error log with all the mistakes you’ve been making in the practice sessions and the mock tests. Go deeper and understand why the mistake was made, make a note of it in the error log, and next to it, write the correct way of approaching the question. This is an effective way of tracking your grey areas and will act as your ‘GO-TO’ document on the day before the exam.

Tracking your progress is one of the most effective ways to motivate yourself and assess the effectiveness of your study plan.

Taking the SAT exam along with other commitments at school can be tough, and getting good score can be even more challenging. But with the right approach, sincere practice, and a good mentor, you can achieve the target score you aimed for. Don’t forget to reach out to us; we are always there to help you in your journey to success.

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