Tips for the Reading and Writing Portions of the Digital SAT
The SAT is officially back! Many parents and students thought that the SAT was eliminated completely after many colleges went test-optional for admissions during the pandemic. However, top universities, including Harvard, Yale, MIT, and more have recently reinstated standardized testing requirements for college admissions.
(100+ Grammar Rules for Writers.)
One of the primary reasons driving this reversal is that research is showing that removing standardized test scores from college admissions actually hurt low-income students the most. In addition, the SAT has officially gone digital in 2024. For the first time in almost 100 years, the SAT has gone from a paper-based standardized test to a digital online exam.
The Digital SAT contains new question types, content, and format. Parents and students should be aware of these changes and prepare for them appropriately. Here are some tips that we teach students in our Prep Expert Digital SAT Courses to help you get ready for the Reading and Writing modules of the new Digital SAT.
Avoid These 5 “Kiss of Death” Phrases on SAT Writing
These five phrases are the “kiss of death” for any answer choice on SAT Writing questions. The presence of any of these phrases will almost always make an SAT Writing answer choice incorrect.
Writing Kiss of Death Phrase #1: “Being”
“Being” is a form of “to be” that creates sentences with passive voice constructions. An SAT Writing answer choice that contains the word “being” is typically incorrect because this word can lead to weak or passive sentences.
Writing Kiss of Death Phrase #2: “Is why” or “Is because”
“Is why” and “is because” are colloquial phrases that are often used in everyday speech, but students should not select them on the SAT grammar questions. An SAT Writing answer choice that contains the phrase “is why” or “is because” is typically incorrect because both phrases are informal and redundant.
Writing Kiss of Death Phrase #3: “There is” or “There are”
“There is” and “there are” are phrases that can make sentences vague and wordy. An SAT Writing answer choice that contains the phrase “there is” or “there are” is typically incorrect because these phrases are wordy and can lead to passive voice.
Writing Kiss of Death Phrase #4: “It Is”
“It is” is another phrase that can make sentences vague and wordy. An SAT Writing answer choice that contains the phrase “it is” is typically incorrect because this phrase is often passive and unclear.
Writing Kiss of Death Phrase #5: “Very”
“Very” is an imprecise adverb. An SAT Writing answer choice that contains the word “very” is typically incorrect because this word is too informal for the SAT.
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Avoid These 5 “Kiss of Death” Phrases on SAT Reading
Similar to SAT Writing questions, SAT Reading questions also have certain words and phrases that are almost always incorrect. These five phrases are the “kiss of death” for any answer choice on SAT Reading questions. The presence of any of these phrases will almost always make an SAT Reading answer choice incorrect.
Reading Kiss of Death Phrase #1: “Always”
“Always” indicates that something happens at all times or on all occasions, without exception. An SAT Reading answer choice that contains the word “always” is incorrect because it is an absolute term that is too extreme and inflexible.
Reading Kiss of Death Phrase #2: “Every-” Prefix (“Everyone,” “Everything,” etc.)
The “every-” prefix means “each and all” or “all the members of a group.” It forms words indicating that something includes all the individuals in a group or every instance of a particular thing. An SAT Reading answer choice that contains the prefix “every” is incorrect because it presents an absolute statement not supported by the text. The use of the “every” prefix creates an impression of universality or completeness that is rarely accurate.
Reading Kiss of Death Phrase #3: “Only”
“Only” refers to the sole or exclusive thing in a given context. It can also indicate that there are no other alternatives or possibilities. An SAT Reading answer choice that contains the word “only” is incorrect because it indicates that there is no other similar item or action in the entire universe, which is difficult to prove.
Reading Kiss of Death Phrase #4: “Same”
“Same” indicates that two or more things are identical, meaning that they are not different in any way. An SAT Reading answer choice that contains the word “same” is incorrect because it indicates that two items are completely identical, which is again difficult to prove.
Reading Kiss of Death Phrase #5: “Unique”
“Unique” indicates that something is unlike anything else in its category and is distinguished by its singularity. An SAT Reading answer choice that contains the word “unique” is incorrect because it indicates that something is one of a kind, which is almost impossible to prove.
Check out Dr. Shaan Patel, MD, MBA’s Prep Expert Digital SAT Playbook here:
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