RC: Passage time

shane.mcglashen

Hey guys,

How many minute(s) (max-min) do you guys aim for when reading a RC passage with reasonable comprehension? Do you read more for comprehension, or simply for relative placement?

Thanks!!

[Deleted User]

Spend 8 minutes carefully reading and it should take 45 seconds to a minute to answer questions.

[Deleted User]

But of course during practice take as long as you need

Vendetta

How can you spend only 45 seconds answering 7-8 questions? That doesn't make much sense to me. It doesn't seem humanly possible to read through the answer choices that fast.

I typically spend 3-4 min on the passage, but RC is by far my weakest section

Jengibre

I'd say aim for 2:30 to 3 minutes to read the passage. I used to take longer and mark it up a lot, but I've found that 2-3 minutes gives you time to process what you read and still get to the questions. I've cut back on marking the passage and now just circle the most important terms and transition words and underline what I think the main points are. For an especially difficult passage, 4 minutes may be necessary. Much longer doesn't give me enough time to do the questions adequately.

tsamvelyan

I usually do 3-4 minutes depending on how difficult the passage is and spend anywhere from 45 seconds to a minute answering the questions. In total, you should dedicate about 8:45 seconds per passage.

alexroark5

I would say you would want to average somewhere between 2:30 and 3:30 per passage, maxing out at 4 on the most difficult ones. Getting a good initial read is critical for efficient success through the questions