Tips for Improving SAT English Section Score

Speaker's Background

• International student
• Improved from a 640 to a 760 on the English section of the digital SAT
• English not their first or second language
• Goal: To help fellow international students improve their SAT scores

Key Tips for SAT English Section

1. Time Management

• Essential for success on the digital SAT
• Digital SAT: 1 short passage per question, ~70 seconds per question
• Reading questions require more time than notes or grammar questions

Strategy:

• Solve easier questions first (Standard English conventions, Vocab, Notes)
• Spend ~40-50 seconds on each vocab and Standard English question
• Spend ~15-20 seconds on notes questions
• Allocate max 10-15 minutes for these easier questions

2. Don't Ruin Your Flow

• If you don't understand a question in 15-20 sec, mark it for review and move on
• If you don't understand a word, ignore it; focus on the passage meaning

3. Do Not Read Some Questions

• For vocab and Standard English conventions, don't read the questions in detail
• Skip hard and long names; use abbreviations

4. Notes Questions Strategy

• Only read the first half of the question
• Use keywords to find the correct answer

5. Focus on Grammar First

• Grammar is more rule-based and easier to improve than reading
• Learn and apply grammar rules
• Resources: Crack SAT, Khan Academy (old and new), YouTube channels (Hayden Rhodia, Prep Expert, Sevinson Method)
• Practice with old SAT writing tests
• Perfecting grammar makes it easier to score 700+ in English

6. Review and Reflect

• Spend as much time reviewing mistakes as taking the test
• Understand why you made mistakes and how to avoid them
• Read College Board explanations and note down mistakes

Additional Tips

• Use the adaptive nature of the digital SAT to practice both easy and hard modules
• For vocabulary, focus on improving comprehension rather than memorizing 1000+ words
• Engage with harder books and scientific articles to improve reading skills
• Practice consistently and review regularly
• Resources: Khan Academy, old SAT tests, YouTube tutorials, Netflix shows in English

Conclusion

• Tips tailored for international students
• Focus on improving comprehension and practical strategies over rote memorization
• Practice and review consistently for the best results