Struggling with SAT Reading and Writing? Expert shares tips every student should follow for better scores

Indian students aspiring to study abroad are performing better on the SAT than ever before. Year-on-year data shows a steady rise in overall scores, driven largely by strong performance in Math.

However, Reading and Writing continue to remain a challenge, often preventing students from reaching their target scores for top US universities.According to Ms. Sonali Dawar, Founder and Global Education Advisor at Elixir School of Language and Life Skills, the issue is not a lack of ability or effort. “Most Indian students are well-versed with grammar,” she says, “but the SAT does not test grammar in isolation.

It tests how well students apply logic under time pressure.”

Why SAT Reading and Writing trip up Indian students

Ms. Dawar explains that SAT Reading and Writing questions are designed around subtle inconsistencies. In many cases, one part of a sentence does not logically align with the rest. Students who read passively often miss this mismatch and choose answers that sound correct but do not fit the context.Another common mistake is trying to read everything in detail.

“The SAT rewards selective reading,” she explains. “Students must decide which part of the sentence or passage actually needs analysis. That decision-making is where scores are won or lost.”Time management plays a critical role here. Without a clear elimination strategy, students spend too long on questions and still make avoidable errors.

The preparation gap most students don’t see

Ms. Dawar points out that many students focus on attempting mock papers daily but skip the most important step: analysing their mistakes.

“They know their scores are stuck, but they don’t know why,” she says.She recalls working with a student who approached her just 15 days before the SAT with Reading and Writing mock scores in the low 500s. The student was practising regularly but not reviewing her errors. After identifying three specific grammar-related gaps and restructuring her approach to question analysis, the student saw a sharp improvement in a short span.“The change happens when students start understanding how questions are framed and why certain options are meant to confuse them,” Ms. Dawar explains.

Three expert-backed strategies to beat national averages

Based on her experience guiding students aiming for international universities, Ms. Dawar shares three strategies that consistently lead to score improvement in SAT Reading and Writing:

Break grammar into clear topics

Students should first ensure they understand each grammar topic individually.

Vague familiarity is not enough. Concept-level clarity reduces guesswork during the exam.

Practise topic-wise, not only full tests

Instead of relying solely on full-length mocks, students should attempt section- or topic-specific papers. This helps identify strengths and weaknesses quickly and allows focused improvement.

Analyse mistakes and reattempt strategically

Students should mark questions that require deeper analysis, revisit the underlying rule, and then reattempt similar questions.

This cycle trains the brain to spot patterns and improves elimination skills.“Once students start analysing their mistakes properly, their brain adapts to the SAT’s logic,” Ms. Dawar says. “That’s when accuracy and confidence improve together.”

What study abroad aspirants should take away

For students planning to study abroad, especially those targeting competitive US colleges, SAT Reading and Writing cannot be treated as weak but unavoidable sections. With the right strategy, these areas can become score boosters.As Ms. Dawar puts it, “SAT success is less about how many papers you attempt and more about how well you understand your mistakes.” For Indian students, adopting that mindset may be the key to crossing crucial score thresholds.