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All SAT Critical Reading Resources
Free SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Tests
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 1
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 2
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 3
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 4
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 5
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 6
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 7
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 8
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 9
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 10
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 11
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 12
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 13
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 14
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 15
SAT Critical Reading Diagnostic Test 16
All SAT Critical Reading Resources
Our free SAT Critical Reading Practice Tests are each a selection of 10 to 12 questions, which will give you a cross-section of topics from the Critical Reading section of the official SAT. You might think of them as little quizzes, which you can use to hone your skills. Whether you need SAT tutoring in Atlanta, SAT tutoring in Houston, or SAT tutoring in San Francisco, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.
SAT Critical Reading Section
What is the SAT Critical Reading Section?
The Critical Reading section of the SAT specifically measures a student’s ability to evaluate the form and content of written text and to identify words’ meanings. Varsity Tutors offers resources like a free SAT prep book to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an SAT Critical Reading tutor.
How many problems are there on the SAT Critical Reading section, and how long do I have to complete them?
In total, each SAT test contains 67 Critical Reading questions. 48 of these are passage-based Reading Comprehension questions, and 19 are Sentence Completion questions. In total, you are given 70 minutes in which to answer these questions; however, the SAT Critical Reading section is split into three blocks: two take 25 minutes and contain 24 problems, and the last one is 20 minutes and contains 19 problems. These sections are not given consecutively, but are separated by Math and Writing sections. In addition to the SAT Critical Reading practice tests and SAT Critical Reading tutoring, you may also want to consider using some of our SAT Critical Reading flashcards.
Section #1: 25 minutes, with 8 Sentence Completion questions and 16 Reading Comprehension questions
Section #2: 25 minutes, with 5 Sentence Completion questions and 19 Reading Comprehension questions
Section #3: 20 minutes, with 6 Sentence Completion questions and 13 Reading Comprehension questions
Total: 70 minutes, with 67 total questions (48 Reading Comprehension questions and 19 Sentence Completion questions)
What does the SAT Critical Reading section cover?
The SAT Critical Reading section contains passage-based Reading Comprehension questions and Sentence Completion questions. Passages may be drawn from a range of subject areas that students will be familiar with from their high-school education. The possible subjects of SAT Critical Reading passages include humanities, the natural sciences, literature, and the social sciences. SAT Critical Reading passages range in length from 100-900 words. Generally, the much shorter passages will have fewer questions associated with them. Some passages will be paired together with other passages, and you will be asked to compare and contrast them.
What do passage-based Reading Comprehension SAT Critical Reading questions test?
To solve passage-based SAT Critical Reading questions, you will need to be able to identify a word’s meaning from the context of the sentence in which it appears; show that you understand information that has been directly stated, such as in the passage’s thesis or body paragraphs, or through fact retention; identify cause and effect relationships; make predictions and inferences; evaluate the author’s intentions and style; and identify narrative point of view. Varsity Tutors has free SAT Critical Reading Practice Tests that consist entirely of passage-based Reading Comprehension problems if you need to familiarize yourself with this problem type or practice answering this type of question.
What do Sentence Completion SAT Critical Reading questions test?
Each individual Sentence Completion question on the SAT Critical Reading section is set up with one or more blanks that represent a word or words that has or have been omitted. You have to choose a word, or words, that best completes the sentence. Sentence Completion problems test your ability to recall the meanings and connotations of vocabulary words, understand the context of sentences, and identify subject-object relationships. Varsity Tutors has free SAT Critical Reading Practice Tests that consist entirely of Sentence Completion problems if you need to familiarize yourself with this problem type or practice answering this type of question.
Should I guess on the SAT Critical Reading section?
Each question on the SAT Critical Reading section carries a 1/4-point penalty if you answer it incorrectly. This means that for every four questions you get incorrect, one point will be deducted from your overall raw score. While keeping this penalty in mind, you should not guess haphazardly on the SAT because doing so could significantly lower your raw score; however, you can expect to be able to eliminate answer choices, increasing your likelihood of successfully guessing an answer. Due to this fact, it is recommended that you make educated guesses throughout the test. Don’t waste time on taking too long to solve challenging questions, only to run out of time when answering questions that you know how to solve. Remember, every question on the SAT is worth the same number of points, no matter how difficult it is.
How can I study for the SAT Critical Reading section?
Varsity Tutors offers free SAT Critical Reading Practice Tests for you to use in preparing for the SAT's Critical Reading section. Our free SAT Critical Reading Practice Tests are written by teachers, professors, content specialists, and tutors. Explanations are given for each question, so if you miss a question, you can find out where you went wrong. It’s a great idea to kick off your review for the test by taking a Full-Length SAT Critical Reading Practice Test. By beginning your preparation with one of these free full-length practice tests, you’ll get a comprehensive overview of your current skill level. These online practice tests will ask you to draw upon all of the concepts you’ll need to have mastered by the time you take the real test. Upon finishing the test, you’ll receive insights and metrics that give you the opportunity to create a personalized study plan, like thorough explanations for each correct answer and links that provide additional review exercises. When you feel ready, you can evaluate your study plan’s effectiveness by taking another Full-Length SAT Critical Reading Practice Test. Varsity Tutors also offers free SAT Critical Reading Flashcards, and free SAT Critical Reading Questions of the Day, as well as other free SAT Critical Reading resources.
Additionally, it is highly useful to practice your critical reading skills in the months leading up to the test. Critical reading is a skill, like any other, that can be acquired through persistence and purpose. Many students will enter the Critical Reading section of the test with a distinct advantage, because they have been reading for fun their entire lives. Only you can know if this describes you or not. If it doesn’t, do not be discouraged, because you can improve your critical reading ability with effort over time. When you read the newspaper or articles for school, focus on identifying authorial intent, argument, structure and style—the things that the SAT Critical Reading asks questions about in its Reading Comprehension questions. Imagine that you are writing Reading Comprehension questions about every text you read. What would you ask students about? Thinking about these things when you read for fun or for school, not only when you’re studying for the SAT, can help you tremendously in preparing for the Critical Reading section.
Free SAT Critical Reading Practice Tests
Practice Tests by Concept
Passage-based questions practice test
sat_critical_reading-passage-based-questionsHumanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-humanities-passagesContent of humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-content-of-humanities-passagesExtrapolating from the text in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-extrapolating-from-the-text-in-humanities-passagesComparing and contrasting in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-in-humanities-passagesConsidering analogous concepts in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-considering-analogous-concepts-in-humanities-passagesMaking inferences about the author or humanities passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-making-inferences-about-the-author-or-humanities-passage-contentUnderstanding organization and argument in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-organization-and-argument-in-humanities-passagesAnalyzing argumentative claims, bias, and support in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-argumentative-claims-bias-and-support-in-humanities-passagesAnalyzing sequence, organization, and structure in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-sequence-organization-and-structure-in-humanities-passagesUnderstanding the content of humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-the-content-of-humanities-passagesAnalyzing cause and effect in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-cause-and-effect-in-humanities-passagesAnalyzing main idea, theme, and purpose in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-main-idea-theme-and-purpose-in-humanities-passagesDrawing evidence from humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-drawing-evidence-from-humanities-passagesSummarizing and describing humanities passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-summarizing-and-describing-humanities-passage-contentLanguage in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-language-in-humanities-passagesPassage-wide features of humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-passage-wide-features-of-humanities-passagesStyle choices in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-style-choices-in-humanities-passagesTone, audience, and point of view in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-tone-audience-and-point-of-view-in-humanities-passagesSpecific phrases and sentences in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-phrases-and-sentences-in-humanities-passagesContext-dependent meaning of phrases or sentences in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-humanities-passagesPurpose and effect of phrases or sentences in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-humanities-passagesSpecific words in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-words-in-humanities-passagesContext-dependent meaning of words in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-words-in-humanities-passagesPurpose and effect of word choice in humanities passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-word-choice-in-humanities-passagesLiterary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-literary-fiction-passagesContent of literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-content-of-literary-fiction-passagesExtrapolating from the text in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-extrapolating-from-the-text-in-literary-fiction-passagesComparing and contrasting in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-in-literary-fiction-passagesConsidering analogous concepts in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-considering-analogous-concepts-in-literary-fiction-passagesMaking inferences about the author or literary fiction passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-making-inferences-about-the-author-or-literary-fiction-passage-contentUnderstanding organization and argument in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-organization-and-argument-in-literary-fiction-passagesAnalyzing argumentative claims, bias, and support in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-argumentative-claims-bias-and-support-in-literary-fiction-passagesAnalyzing sequence, organization, and structure in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-sequence-organization-and-structure-in-literary-fiction-passagesUnderstanding the content of literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-the-content-of-literary-fiction-passagesAnalyzing cause and effect in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-cause-and-effect-in-literary-fiction-passagesAnalyzing main idea, theme, and purpose in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-main-idea-theme-and-purpose-in-literary-fiction-passagesDrawing evidence from literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-drawing-evidence-from-literary-fiction-passagesSummarizing and describing literary fiction passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-summarizing-and-describing-literary-fiction-passage-contentLanguage in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-language-in-literary-fiction-passagesPassage-wide features in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-passage-wide-features-in-literary-fiction-passagesStyle choices in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-style-choices-in-literary-fiction-passagesTone, audience, and point of view in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-tone-audience-and-point-of-view-in-literary-fiction-passagesSpecific phrases and sentences in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-phrases-and-sentences-in-literary-fiction-passagesContext-dependent meaning of phrases or sentences in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-literary-fiction-passagesPurpose and effect of phrases or sentences in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-literary-fiction-passagesSpecific words in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-words-in-literary-fiction-passagesContext-dependent meaning of words in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-words-in-literary-fiction-passagesPurpose and effect of word choice in literary fiction passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-word-choice-in-literary-fiction-passagesNatural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-natural-science-passagesContent of natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-content-of-natural-science-passagesExtrapolating from the text in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-extrapolating-from-the-text-in-natural-science-passagesComparing and contrasting in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-in-natural-science-passagesConsidering analogous concepts in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-considering-analogous-concepts-in-natural-science-passagesMaking inferences about the author or natural science passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-making-inferences-about-the-author-or-natural-science-passage-contentUnderstanding organization and argument in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-organization-and-argument-in-natural-science-passagesAnalyzing argumentative claims, bias, and support in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-argumentative-claims-bias-and-support-in-natural-science-passagesAnalyzing sequence, organization, and structure in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-sequence-organization-and-structure-in-natural-science-passagesUnderstanding the content of natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-the-content-of-natural-science-passagesAnalyzing cause and effect in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-cause-and-effect-in-natural-science-passagesAnalyzing main idea, theme, and purpose in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-main-idea-theme-and-purpose-in-natural-science-passagesDrawing evidence from natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-drawing-evidence-from-natural-science-passagesSummarizing and describing natural science passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-summarizing-and-describing-natural-science-passage-contentLanguage in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-language-in-natural-science-passagesPassage-wide features in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-passage-wide-features-in-natural-science-passagesTone, audience, and point of view in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-tone-audience-and-point-of-view-in-natural-science-passagesSpecific phrases and sentences in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-phrases-and-sentences-in-natural-science-passagesContext-dependent meaning of phrases or sentences in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-natural-science-passagesPurpose and effect of phrases or sentences in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-natural-science-passagesSpecific words in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-words-in-natural-science-passagesContext-dependent meaning of words in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-words-in-natural-science-passagesPurpose and effect of word choice in natural science passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-word-choice-in-natural-science-passagesPaired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-paired-passagesComparing and contrasting paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-paired-passagesComparing and contrasting arguments in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-arguments-in-paired-passagesComparing and contrasting content in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-content-in-paired-passagesComparing and contrasting language and rhetoric in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-language-and-rhetoric-in-paired-passagesContent of paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-content-of-paired-passagesExtrapolating from the text in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-extrapolating-from-the-text-in-paired-passagesMaking inferences about the author or paired passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-making-inferences-about-the-author-or-paired-passage-contentUnderstanding organization and argument in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-organization-and-argument-in-paired-passagesAnalyzing argumentative claims, bias, and support in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-argumentative-claims-bias-and-support-in-paired-passagesLanguage in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-language-in-paired-passagesSpecific phrases and sentences in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-phrases-and-sentences-in-paired-passagesContext-dependent meaning of phrases or sentences in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-paired-passagesSpecific words in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-words-in-paired-passagesContext-dependent meaning of words in paired passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-words-in-paired-passagesSocial science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-social-science-history-passagesContent of social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-content-of-social-science-history-passagesExtrapolating from the text in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-extrapolating-from-the-text-in-social-science-history-passagesComparing and contrasting in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-comparing-and-contrasting-in-social-science-history-passagesConsidering analogous concepts in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-considering-analogous-concepts-in-social-science-history-passagesMaking inferences about the author or social science / history passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-making-inferences-about-the-author-or-social-science-history-passage-contentUnderstanding organization and argument in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-organization-and-argument-in-social-science-history-passagesAnalyzing argumentative claims, bias, and support in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-argumentative-claims-bias-and-support-in-social-science-history-passagesAnalyzing sequence, organization, and structure in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-sequence-organization-and-structure-in-social-science-history-passagesUnderstanding the content of social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-understanding-the-content-of-social-science-history-passagesAnalyzing cause and effect in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-cause-and-effect-in-social-science-history-passagesAnalyzing main idea, theme, and purpose in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-analyzing-main-idea-theme-and-purpose-in-social-science-history-passagesDrawing evidence from social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-drawing-evidence-from-social-science-history-passagesSummarizing and describing social science / history passage content practice test
sat_critical_reading-summarizing-and-describing-social-science-history-passage-contentLanguage in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-language-in-social-science-history-passagesPassage-wide features in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-passage-wide-features-in-social-science-history-passagesStyle choices in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-style-choices-in-social-science-history-passagesTone, audience, and point of view in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-tone-audience-and-point-of-view-in-social-science-history-passagesSpecific phrases and sentences in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-phrases-and-sentences-in-social-science-history-passagesContext-dependent meaning of phrases or sentences in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-social-science-history-passagesPurpose and effect of phrases or sentences in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-phrases-or-sentences-in-social-science-history-passagesSpecific words in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-specific-words-in-social-science-history-passagesContext-dependent meaning of words in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-dependent-meaning-of-words-in-social-science-history-passagesPurpose and effect of word choice in social science / history passages practice test
sat_critical_reading-purpose-and-effect-of-word-choice-in-social-science-history-passagesSentence completion questions practice test
sat_critical_reading-sentence-completion-questionsOne-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-one-blank-sentencesContext clues in one-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-clues-in-one-blank-sentencesConjunctions and sentence logic in one-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-conjunctions-and-sentence-logic-in-one-blank-sentencesStyle, intensity, and connotation in one-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-style-intensity-and-connotation-in-one-blank-sentencesParts of speech in one-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-parts-of-speech-in-one-blank-sentencesAdjectives and adverbs in one-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-adjectives-and-adverbs-in-one-blank-sentencesNouns in one-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-nouns-in-one-blank-sentencesVerbs in one-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-verbs-in-one-blank-sentencesTwo-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-two-blank-sentencesContext clues in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-context-clues-in-two-blank-sentencesConjunctions and sentence logic in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-conjunctions-and-sentence-logic-in-two-blank-sentencesParts of speech in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-parts-of-speech-in-two-blank-sentencesNouns and adjectives or adverbs in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-nouns-and-adjectives-or-adverbs-in-two-blank-sentencesNouns and verbs in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-nouns-and-verbs-in-two-blank-sentencesTwo adjectives or adverbs in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-two-adjectives-or-adverbs-in-two-blank-sentencesTwo nouns in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-two-nouns-in-two-blank-sentencesTwo verbs in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-two-verbs-in-two-blank-sentencesVerbs and adjectives or adverbs in two-blank sentences practice test
sat_critical_reading-verbs-and-adjectives-or-adverbs-in-two-blank-sentencesAll SAT Critical Reading Resources
All SAT Critical Reading Resources
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