Struggling with timing on the SAT Reading & Writing section? You’re not alone. Many students get flustered by the harder mid-section Reading questions, waste time there, and then rush the easier Writing section, which costs them points they should have earned. There’s a better way. It’s called the RWR Method, and it’s helped countless students […]
Struggling with timing on the SAT Reading & Writing section? You’re not alone. Many students get flustered by the harder mid-section Reading questions, waste time there, and then rush the easier Writing section, which costs them points they should have earned.
There’s a better way. It’s called the RWR Method, and it’s helped countless students improve their scores by reordering how they tackle the section.
Read on for a full breakdown, or watch the explanation on YouTube:
The Problem with Going in Order
Most students move through the test exactly as it appears: Reading first, then Writing. The issue isn’t the content, but instead the mental load.
You start strong, but once you reach more involved Reading questions (tough literature or science passages, Evidence, Inference) your pace slows. Time begins slipping faster than you expect, and by the time you reach Writing you’re already rushing. That’s where the preventable mistakes happen.
Why Jumping Straight to Writing Isn’t the Answer Either
Some students flip the order and begin with Writing instead. But that’s like eating your dessert first — after finishing Writing, you suddenly have to face the entire Reading section in one go. With your energy already lower, the dense passages hit harder, focus drops, and zoning out or misreading becomes much more likely. The order swap alone doesn’t fix the underlying issue.
The RWR Method: A Smarter, More Sustainable Flow
RWR stands for Reading → Writing → Reading. Essentially, this method breaks the Reading section into two manageable chunks and protects your energy when you need it most.
Here’s the flow:
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Start with the quick, lower-effort Reading questions. Hit Word-in-Context first, then move on to the other early Reading questions that you can answer efficiently. Try to make a dent in the section, and stop when your momentum starts slowing, usually around question 7–10.
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Switch to Writing for a mental break. Writing’s shorter passages and rule-based logic help you collect easy points while giving your brain a rest from the heavier text analysis of Reading.
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Return to the tougher Reading items. With Writing taken care of, you can lastly switch back to tackling the last — and usually most challenging — Reading questions.
Why This Approach Works
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It avoids time traps and protects your score: Moving the time-drain questions to the end keeps you from getting stuck early, and because these are the lowest-probability questions, skipping them has little effect on reaching your score target.
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It locks in the easiest points: You secure the straightforward Writing points while your focus is at its strongest.
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It reduces burnout and makes dense questions feel easier: Breaking up the longest mental stretch helps you stay fresh, so when you return to tough Reading passages, they feel more manageable.
A Flexible Strategy
Another benefit of the RWR method is that it’s easily adaptable. Having no problem solving Reading? Just breeze through keep going — RWR method automatically changes back to regular solving order. Other times you’ll feel that wall and make the switch.
TL/DR
- Break the long Reading section in two: Reading / Writing / Reading
- Collect the easier points first
- Use Writing as a built-in mental recharge
- Return to tougher Reading with fresh focus
- Delay low-probability, time-draining questions until the end — and consider strategically skipping some completely.
Give the RWR Method a try on your next practice test. Then drop a comment to let me know how it worked for you!
