Video summary

52 SAT Reading & Writing Tips to Break 1500 (From a 1590 Scorer)

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lessons

  • The video claims to provide 52 SAT Reading & Writing strategies meant to help the viewer reach 1500+ (with the creator stating they personally scored 1590).
  • Strategies focus on:
    • Quick grammar moves (punctuation, subject-verb, semicolons, transitions)
    • Efficient vocab tactics (guessing intelligently, word roots/prefix/suffix)
    • Reading comprehension techniques (finding claims, matching synonyms, avoiding trap answers)
    • Time management and test-day workflow (what to skip first, pacing rules, not revisiting confident answers)
  • A recurring theme: don’t overthink, eliminate traps, and use a structured process + time limits.

Detailed checklist of methodologies / instructions (Tips 1–52)

Grammar / punctuation / sentence structure (Tips 1–13)

  • Pronoun verb-tense trick

    • Use “he” and “they” to test verb tenses/grammar quickly.
    • Choose the answer that makes the grammar work; described as a quick subject–verb agreement method.

  • Comma placement with a descriptor before a name

    • If a description precedes the name, you typically don’t need commas.
    • Still re-check by reading the phrase; there might be commas if the phrase is part of a non-essential clause (potentially indicated by commas at the end of the phrase).

  • Comma question with two choices

    • If unsure between two options, pick the one with fewer commas.

  • Dash rule

    • If you see a dash, pick the dash answer.
    • SAT often uses two dashes to isolate a non-essential clause.

  • Semicolon in list context

    • If there’s a semicolon and an “and” already in the text, SAT likely uses semicolons to separate list items.
    • Choose an answer using another semicolon to separate the three items.
    • If you already see two semicolons, beware—you may need a different punctuation solution.

  • Sentence separation logic

    • If only one answer choice can separate two sentences, that’s likely correct—test it.

  • Semicolon vs period

    • As long as the surrounding text doesn’t already force semicolon usage, you can eliminate:
      • semicolon vs period, since both can separate complete ideas.
    • Principle given: semicolons typically separate two complete sentences.

  • Apostrophe “majority rules”

    • On apostrophe questions, narrow choices by selecting the one with the most similarity to the others.
    • Cross off “oddballs” until the choice with the most common pattern remains.

  • Gerund (“-ing”) at least once (Module 2, Q18–22)

    • You likely need an -ing word at least once.
    • If the subject + verb are part of a phrase in between, use -ing, not a full standalone verb.

  • Shifting transition questions (2-step method)

    1. Determine needed punctuation by sentence completeness:
      • Two complete sentences → use period or semicolon
      • Not two complete sentences → use comma
    2. Determine where the transition goes:
      • For contrast transitions, find which two sentences are contrasted; the transition goes in the second sentence.
      • Bonus: If there’s no comma/punctuation after the transition word, you can often eliminate that option.

  • Eliminate same-function transition words

    • If two transition words play the same role, cross off one (e.g., if you see two contrast words, eliminate accordingly).

  • Unique-phrase transition questions

    • When transitions are followed by a unique phrase in each answer, ignore the transition word.
    • Read the statement after the blank, then choose the unique phrase that correctly matches/continues from it.

  • Transition word function “test in a starter sentence”

    • Test by inserting the transition into a fixed starter:
      • Example starter: “I didn’t study for the SAT.”
    • Then infer relationship:
      • Example: “Accordingly” → cause and effect (since “didn’t study” led to “failed”).
    • Recommendation: study a transition-function chart so you’re not guessing under test time.

Vocabulary-in-context (Tips 14–19, plus reading-related later)

  • Positive/negative word strategy

    • If you don’t know multiple words, determine whether the blank needs a positive or negative word.
    • Use word “sound”/meaning to pick the most likely positive vs negative option.

  • Build a list of unknown SAT words

    • Write down any unfamiliar words you encounter and look them up.
    • Words repeat across passages and answer choices.

  • Use linguistics: roots/prefixes/suffixes

    • Break words into components to infer meaning.
    • The creator also promotes their workbook’s roots/prefixes/suffixes chart.

  • Study high-probability vocab list

    • Focus on words likely to repeat.

  • Time cap for vocab questions

    • Spend 20–30 seconds max on a vocab question.
    • If you don’t know it quickly, don’t deliberate for minutes.

  • Anticipate before looking at choices

    • In vocab questions, guess what kind of word fits the blank first, then choose the similar-sounding/meaning option.

Reading passages: accuracy, traps, comprehension methods (Tips 20–22, 29–39)

  • Reading strategy: find 3 wrong answers instead of 1 right

    • Because traps sound good, critically evaluate every answer.

  • Literal comprehension via synonym matches

    • Find words/phrases in the text that directly correspond to the answer choices.
    • Choose the answer that restates the text’s meaning.

  • Annotate if lost

    • Use T-charts for comparing two things.
    • Use timeline annotations for passages with many dates/events.

  • Always read question first

    • Know what to look for before reading so you read actively.

  • Know trap answer types

    • Traps include:
      • Off-topic vs relevant
      • Too broad
      • Too extreme (e.g., always/never)
      • “Half right” (only part matches)
      • “Could be true” but not enough info
      • True in general but not true for the specific question
      • Factually true but not stated in the text

  • Find the claim

    • Understand the author’s argument; claim often appears in the last sentence.
    • Look for claim-signals: maintains/asserts/purports/believes/hypothesizes/concludes.

  • Pay attention to transition sentences

    • Often start with however/but/nevertheless.
    • Typically where the author’s argument lies, often contradicting an old belief.

  • Poetry should be interpreted metaphorically

    • Don’t choose literal interpretations (e.g., if a poem mentions a drum, don’t pick answers that only focus on drums—expect metaphor/deeper meaning).

  • Last sentence often contains correct answer (early reading)

    • Especially in the first half, the last sentence often helps you select the correct option via synonym match.

Test-taking behavior: guessing, flagging, and review (Tips 23–24, 42–44, 49)

  • Never leave blanks

    • No penalty for guessing → always select an answer.

  • Flag questions to come back to

    • If stuck, choose something then flag it to revisit later.

  • Don’t overthink

    • If you get stuck in a loop, step back, use metacognition, flag and move on.

  • Review wrong answers after practice

    • Reflect on why you were wrong and why the right answer was correct; otherwise you repeat mistakes.

  • Do every Blue Book test at least once

    • More practice improves performance; the creator emphasizes having seen many question types repeatedly.

  • Do not revisit confident answers

    • Re-checking can turn correct answers into incorrect ones.

Time management + pacing + paper/scratch/workflow (Tips 25–28, 30–35)

  • Know time limits by question type (Module 2)

    • Words in context: ≤ 30 seconds each
    • Reading questions: ~1 minute 45 seconds each
      • Logically complete text may take 2.5–3 minutes
      • Simple overall structure can be ~30 seconds
    • Grammar questions: ≤ 30 seconds each (often faster with proper strategies)
    • Transition questions: ≤ 1 minute each (prefer ~45 seconds)
    • Note-taking questions: ≤ 1 minute each
    • Goal: keep to upper thresholds to finish with a few minutes left.

  • Scrap paper management

    • Fold paper before the test to create organized boxes for work and easier review.

  • Graph questions

    • Don’t start by looking at the graph.
    • Read the question, identify the claim/conclusion, review answer choices, then decide if the graph is needed.
    • Claim: graph isn’t needed about 50% of the time.

  • Student note-taking questions

    • Ignore bullet points initially.
    • Go to the question and choose based on answer choices.
    • Bullet points needed only about 20%; if needed, check the last two bullet points.

  • Skip to easier sections (Module 2 order)

    • Start at number 15 (skip longer reading first).
    • Alternatively, start at number 27 and work backward.
    • Save hardest reading for last; do “logically complete text” dead last.

  • Cross-text connections (strategy adjustments)

    • Often only need:
      • Last sentence of text 1 (argument)
      • First sentence of text 2 (response)
    • But be flexible; sometimes you need the first couple sentences of text 2.

  • Cross-text connections if weak

    • Skip these and save for last; don’t prioritize a question that will take too long.

  • Reset pacing before Module 2 (re-focus)

    • Don’t carry over module one pacing; re-center and attack module two to avoid running out of time.

Additional reading/answers tactics (Tips 36–38, 39–41, 51–52)

  • Claim/transition emphasis and trap awareness

    • Covered above in Tips 37–38 and Tip 36.

  • Adverb-of-degree warning in answers

    • If an answer includes -LY degree adverbs (significantly, partly, minimally), don’t pick it most of the time.
    • If running out of time, treat these as especially risky.

  • Initial-reading flow

    • When reading passages, use people’s initials rather than full names to avoid breaking reading flow.

  • Warm-up in the parking lot

    • Do an easy warm-up set beforehand since English module is first.

Practice/testing logistics and long-term prep (Tips 40–45, 48)

  • If you run out of Blue Book practice

    • Take PSAT Test 2 instead; it’s similar difficulty for English modules.

  • Register for more than one official SAT

    • Reasons:
      • Anxiety: a later attempt after nerves
      • Some English questions repeat across test dates (example given: same reading passage appeared on November 2024 and November 2025).

  • Use a test tracker analysis tool

    • Identify categories you’re weaker in.
    • Use that to select targeted drills from College Board’s question bank.

  • Self-care

    • Eat well, sleep well, exercise; mental and physical connection affects cognitive performance.

  • Active reading via parsing

    • Read one sentence at a time and summarize in your own words, then repeat.
    • Simplifying complex sentences improves comprehension.

  • Avoid revisiting confident answers

    • Covered in Tip 49.

Speakers / sources featured

  • Primary speaker (main creator/teacher): Unnamed “I” narrator (the person giving the 52 tips).
  • Other named/referenced sources/tools (not additional speakers):
    • College Board (question bank referenced)
    • Blue Book tests (practice tests referenced)
    • PSAT Test 2 (practice option referenced)
    • SAT English workbook / SAT English self-paced course (the creator’s products referenced)
    • SAT English “test tracker” analysis tool (the creator’s product referenced)
    • College Board’s question bank (referenced for additional practice)

Original video