Even well-prepared students make predictable mistakes on SAT Reading and Writing sections. Understanding these common pitfalls helps you avoid them and maximize your score. Here are the most frequent errors and how to prevent them.
Reading Mistakes
Mistake #1: Rushing Through Passages
Many students read too quickly, trying to save time, then waste more time rereading or answering incorrectly.
Solution: Read at a deliberate pace the first time. Active, focused reading saves time overall. You should understand the main idea and structure after one careful reading.
Mistake #2: Bringing in Outside Knowledge
Students often answer based on what they know about a topic rather than what the passage actually says.
Solution: Constantly remind yourself: “What does THIS passage say?” Your personal knowledge or opinions are irrelevant. Find textual evidence for every answer.
Mistake #3: Choosing “True but Irrelevant” Answers
Wrong answers often contain factually accurate statements that don’t answer the specific question asked.
Solution: Always reread the question before selecting your answer. Ask: “Does this choice answer what’s being asked, or is it just a true statement from the passage?”
Mistake #4: Overthinking Inference Questions
Students make logical leaps beyond what the passage supports, creating elaborate interpretations the author never intended.
Solution: Strong inferences stay close to the text. If you’re constructing a complex logical chain, you’ve probably gone too far. The correct answer should feel almost obvious once you find the right supporting evidence.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Question Stems
Different questions ask for different things: “suggests,” “according to the passage,” “primarily,” “most nearly means.” These words matter.
Solution: Circle or underline key words in questions. “According to the passage” requires explicit textual evidence. “Suggests” allows reasonable inference. “Primarily” means the main point, not a minor detail.
Writing and Grammar Mistakes
Mistake #6: Choosing What “Sounds Right”
Many students rely on what sounds familiar rather than grammatical correctness. This often reflects spoken English, which differs from formal written English.
Solution: Learn the specific grammar rules the SAT tests. Don’t trust your ear alone—verify that answers follow proper grammatical principles.
Mistake #7: Selecting Wordy or Redundant Options
When choosing between options, students sometimes prefer longer, more complicated sentences thinking they sound more sophisticated.
Solution: The SAT values conciseness and clarity. When multiple options are grammatically correct, choose the most concise one that maintains the original meaning.
Mistake #8: Missing Subject-Verb Agreement in Complex Sentences
Prepositional phrases or clauses between subjects and verbs distract students from identifying the true subject.
Solution: Cross out or mentally ignore intervening phrases. Find the subject and verb, then verify they agree: “The collection of ancient coins [IS], not [ARE], valuable.”
Mistake #9: Confusing Commonly Confused Words
Their/there/they’re, affect/effect, who/whom, its/it’s—these homophone errors persist even among strong writers.
Solution: Create flashcards for commonly confused words. Practice identifying them in context until correct usage becomes automatic.
Mistake #10: Ignoring Parallelism
Lists, comparisons, and correlative conjunctions require parallel structure, but students often miss these errors when skimming.
Solution: When you see lists or comparisons, check that all elements have the same grammatical structure. All gerunds, all infinitives, or all nouns—but not mixed.
Strategic Mistakes
Mistake #11: Spending Too Long on Single Questions
Obsessing over one difficult question costs time that could earn points on easier questions later.
Solution: Implement the 90-second rule: if you haven’t made significant progress after 90 seconds, make your best guess, mark the question, and move on. Return if time permits.
Mistake #12: Not Reading All Answer Choices
Finding an answer that seems right, some students select it without considering other options that might be better.
Solution: Always read all four choices. Even if choice A looks good, B, C, or D might be more precise or complete. This is especially important for “which answer best…” questions.
Mistake #13: Changing Answers Without Good Reason
Second-guessing leads many students to change correct answers to incorrect ones.
Solution: Only change an answer if you have a concrete reason: you found contradictory evidence, you misread the question, or you caught a calculation error. Vague uneasiness isn’t sufficient reason to change an answer.
Mistake #14: Leaving Questions Blank
Since there’s no penalty for wrong answers, blank responses guarantee lost points.
Solution: Answer every single question, even if you’re purely guessing. Eliminate obviously wrong choices when possible to improve guessing odds.
Mistake #15: Not Using the Process of Elimination
Students sometimes search for the “right answer” without first eliminating clearly wrong ones.
Solution: Cross out definitely incorrect answers first. Often this leaves you choosing between two reasonable options rather than four, dramatically improving your accuracy even when unsure.
Mental and Physical Mistakes
Mistake #16: Letting One Bad Section Affect the Rest
After struggling with a difficult passage or missing several questions, some students become demoralized and perform worse on subsequent sections.
Solution: Each section is independent. A rough start doesn’t determine your overall score. Reset mentally between sections. Take deep breaths, focus on the present, and tackle the next section with fresh concentration.
Mistake #17: Neglecting Physical Needs
Hunger, thirst, or needing the restroom distracts from optimal performance but students often don’t use break time wisely.
Solution: Bring water and light snacks. Use breaks to stretch, hydrate, and use restroom facilities. These few minutes of self-care maintain focus through the entire test.
Prevention Through Practice
The best way to avoid these mistakes is recognizing them during practice. When reviewing practice tests:
- Categorize your errors: careless mistakes, content gaps, strategic errors
- Identify patterns: Do you consistently fall for the same types of wrong answers?
- Create prevention strategies: What specific action will prevent this error next time?
Awareness transforms mistakes from frustrating losses into learning opportunities. Each error you identify and correct during practice is a point you’ll earn on test day. Stay patient, practice deliberately, and watch your Reading and Writing scores steadily improve.
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