Why Your SAT Reading Score is Not Improving
Many Silicon Valley students get stuck at 700 – 720 on the SAT Reading and Writing section. This page explains why.
1. You’re Competing Against Stronger Readers
if your SAT Reading score is not improving, you must remember this: The SAT is not just a test; it’s a competition. That is why your score on the 200-800 scale corresponds to a percentile. For example, if you are in the 93rd percentile, you scored better than or equal to 93% of test takers.
In general, students in the 98th percentile have a stronger reading background than students in the 85th percentile. That’s because in the 98th percentile, most students have been reading independently for hours each week outside of class. This extra work helps them build stronger vocabularies and faster comprehension.
One reason SAT Reading and Writing scores stop improving around the 700–720 range is that students are now competing against exceptionally strong readers. While it is easier to rise above students in the 85th percentile, it is much, much harder to outperform students in the 93rd percentile, especially if you lack a broad background in reading.
Bottom Line: On the SAT Reading and Writing section, scoring 750+ requires stronger underlying skills.
2. Writing skills improve faster than reading skills
SAT writing prep is relatively simple and straightforward. Why? Because correcting sentences is a technical skill with clear guidelines.
English grammar has many clear and definite rules: Match the subject to the verb; put commas and semicolons in the right places; use the right transition word.
Because many schools no longer teach these rules, students don’t know them when they start preparing for the SAT. Missing these writing questions costs them points early on. But as they master English grammar and practice SAT writing questions, they get all or almost all of the questions right.
Unfortunately, only about half of the SAT Reading and Writing questions are based on writing. If you are getting all these questions correct, but you haven’t improved your reading, you will hit a score plateau.
Bottom Line: SAT writing skills develop faster. Deep reading ability usually takes longer to build.
3. Weak Background Knowledge Slows Reading
Background knowledge improves speed and comprehension. If you know nothing about ancient Egypt, you will struggle to understand a passage about the pyramids. If you have never read a scientific paper, you will struggle to read a scientific study about sea otters.
Good readers can overcome lack of background knowledge, but their reading will slow down as they orient themselves to the topic.
The SAT reading passages cover a wide range of academic subjects, including science, history, and English literature. If your high school did a good job of preparing you for these subjects, you help your performance on the test. If you lack that background, your SAT Reading and Writing score can plateau at the 700 to 730 range.
Bottom Line: SAT Reading and Writing success is not just about taking practice tests, but about the reading you have done prior to your test prep.
4. Tips and Tricks Can Hide Weak Fundamentals
Learning SAT tricks creates a false sense of progress.
In general, top scorers on SAT Reading and Writing aren’t guessing or using tricks; they know the right answers. And these are the students that you are competing with when aiming for a top score.
It’s easy to learn the basic tricks: “Avoid extreme language”; “‘Being’ is usually wrong”; “guessing is better than leaving blank.” But getting right answers with tricks like these often covers up weak reading comprehension.
For example, suppose you reduce a vocabulary question to two possibilities, but you don’t know the meanings of the two vocab choices. You guess and get the right answer. That right answer actually conceals an important gap in your preparation.
Worse, students with weak fundamentals are more likely to miss easy questions. Missing a single easy question can drop your score by up to 40 points.
Tips and tricks give the illusion of mastery because students think they are “outsmarting” the test. But at a certain point, the tricks are no substitute for real knowledge.
Bottom Line: If you want a top score on the SAT Reading and Writing section, you cannot rely on tips, tricks, or luck.
5. Weak Vocabulary Imposes a Ceiling
Knowing words matters for the SAT. By the time you get to the 700-720 range on SAT Reading and Writing, many of the questions you miss use words that you don’t know.
Over the years, studies have shown a linear relationship between vocabulary knowledge and SAT score—the more words students know, the higher they score on the SAT. Other studies have shown that “vocabulary knowledge predicts reading comprehension at all grade levels.”
Yes, the College Board uses vocabulary to sort students. Some of the hardest SAT questions have the most challenging vocabulary words. Without knowing the words, you have no way to guess the right answer.
Some of these words you can learn from standard SAT Vocab lists. For example, for a top score, you need to know the meanings of words like “infallible,” “lucrative,” and “tenuous.”
But on the SAT, vocabulary knowledge requires more than simply memorizing a list of challenging words. You also need to be comfortable with the words from the subject areas covered: history, social science, and science.
For example, if you are uncomfortable with words like “biomolecules” and “pathogens,” you will struggle with a vocabulary question that uses them. Likewise with “legitimacy” and “corollary understanding” in a passage about history.
Finally, you also need to clearly understand the difference between typical words used to create questions—words like “contrast,” “explain,” “indicate,” and “describe.” These words look easy, but each has a distinct meaning. I’ve worked with many students on the 720 plateau who initially struggle to explain the differences among them.
In my experience as an SAT tutor, this is really the biggest difference between students who score 700-720 and students who score 750+.
Bottom Line: The high scoring students have clear and exact knowledge of the words that they encounter on the test; the students stuck at 720 need to work on this area.
Frequently Asked Questions About the SAT Reading and Writing Score Gap
Is a 700–740 SAT Reading score a common score plateau?
In my experience, yes. Many of the students who come to me are stuck precisely here. They have taken many practice tests, and they already understand the basic test mechanics. Further improvement usually requires deeper reading comprehension, vocabulary precision, attention control, and the ability to process complex written arguments efficiently.
I primarily work with high-achieving students in Silicon Valley, so my observations reflect that population specifically.
Can students understand an SAT passage and still miss the reading question?
Yes—if they misunderstand the question. But many students who think they understand the passage actually understand it only at a superficial level.
Quick test: Can you create a strong visual image of the passage content? Can you write a summary of the passage in your own words, without looking at it? Can you generate critical thinking questions about the passage? Those are the marks of strong reading comprehension.
Does screen time affect SAT Reading performance?
Screen time affects kids back in many ways, as documented by an increasing number of research studies. Some of the specific areas of impact are in language development, focus, and attention span, all skills that influence SAT Reading performance.
Students trying to improve SAT Reading and Writing scores may benefit from stronger reading habits, reduced digital distraction, and more intentional screen hygiene.
Are practice tests alone enough to improve SAT Reading & Writing?
For students who have done extensive vocabulary study and regularly read challenging material with a high degree of focus, yes. But when students need to improve their reading foundation, taking practice tests will eventually land them on the 720 Reading and Writing plateau. On this plateau, tips and tricks no longer lead to a higher score.
Students who want to score above 750 on the SAT Reading and Writing typically need to study significantly more vocabulary words than those who are satisfied with a 720.
Students looking for a structured in-person program can also learn more about our SAT Reading & Writing Summer Intensive.
Stuck on the 720 Reading and Writing plateau?
Wondering how to break through to 750+?
With Nat Crawford, National Merit Scholar and Stanford graduate