<p>Progression/Regression of my Critical Reading score:
7th grade SAT: 560
8th grade SAT: 590 (+30)
8th grade SAT: 620 (+40)
9th grade PSAT: 59(0) (-30)
10th grade PSAT: 61(0) (+30)</p>
<p>Average gain: +25</p>
<p>I’ve literally been blasting the CR passages since like 7th grade. It’s gotten to the point where on my 10th grade Lit Honors Midterm (which was a major grade), we were tested on our “skills based” reading competency by being given SAT CR passages + questions…and I had already seen/done most of them, so I knew the answers. But my PSAT score just refuses to go up. I can get in the 70’s with math and writing, but I’m consistent high 50’s - low 60’s in CR. </p>
<p>Responses to commonly asked questions:</p>
<p>-Have you been practicing from the Official SAT Study Guide / Blue Book?</p>
<p>Yes, for Christ sakes, in 8th grade I brought that animal to school every single day and pounded away at those CR sections.</p>
<p>-Do you read a lot?</p>
<p>I used to be a voracious reader in 3rd grade (I remember reading the entire Harry Potter series in just that year), and have consistently gotten high lexile reading ranges, In 6th and 7th grade I read at least 25 books a semester, but in 8th grade I slacked and didn’t read that much. However, I got back into it in 9th grade when certain books were mandated, and this year in honors lit I do some pretty intense literary analysis.</p>
<p>-Are you bad at vocab?</p>
<p>I’m okay at vocab, but it’s more the passage based reading that gets me. I missed 3 vocab questions on one SAT, which isn’t amazing, but it’s obvious that what’s really impacting my score are passages.</p>
<p>At this point I’m really reluctant to keep practicing because, don’t get me wrong, I can and will work hard…but I need to know whether it’s just wasted effort from here on out. End rant.</p>