For whatever reason, RC is just not clicking for me.
My LR is very strong but it just has not translated to RC, im stuck at a -10 consistently and I would love some tips or strategies that you guys use to score better.
Also, for whatever reason I rarely review wrong answers for reading comp lol, I feel this might be the reason why I am not improving. It just feels like the reason I got an answer wrong was a lack of comprehension rather than reasoning, so that's why I feel that reviewing it is a waste of time.
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hi! here are some tips that helped for me:
I limit myself to 1/4 of my allotted time per passage (I have 150% time, so 13:15 per passage. if you have standard time, that would be 8:45 per passage).
In addition to making a passage map, I note down the positions attributed to every party (the author, critics, etc.).
I highlight specific words or phrases in the text that refer to the positions or opinions attributed to the parties mentioned (author, opponents, critics, etc.)
reviewing wrong answers is super important though! it shows what logical or procedural mistakes you tend to make under pressure. people can also give more targeted advice!
Hi Elvin! To start right off the bat, I would highly recommend that you read the solutions. I understand that you believe that the issue is rather one of reading comprehension, but reading the reasoning of the problem's solution may give you more insight into the way you were supposed to comprehend the passage, in order to reason and solve the problem. Taking the chance to see the solution, and how that solution was worked out through the use of the passage as evidence, could help you in examining your weaknesses in reading comprehension. Again, I completely understand why you are adverse to reading the answers, but I would definitely give it a shot to see what you might be missing in your RC toolkit, to better understand how you should interpret passages, and then relate that interpretation to your answer.
Additionally, what Mitch suggested is extremely helpful. One thing I learned from Kaplan is that, for the time allotted for the test, it is CRITICAL to highlight (or at least, make note of) keywords. Keywords will absolutely help you better understand the passage's main points, and that helps you make shortcuts to find all the important pieces of information the question is asking for you to sift through. This helps you save time (which is everything to this test, to be honest- the LSAT, as you must know by now, is almost all quick pattern recognition with limited time constraints), and cognitive resources. Unsure what keywords are? Think of words such as "however, but, therefore, additionally, [name] writes..., etc. Keywords are usually used to either introduce ideas/perspectives, or to transition between them. Keeping note of all the keywords in a RC section should help you better understand the content of the passage, the perspectives provided, and the author's overall purpose for writing the passage.
I know this is a lot of information, but I hope this helps! Don't give up on trying to improve your RC- you can do it! You just need to take the right steps, and be proactive and intentional with your learning. Take it from someone who has taken the test before- every single minute counts!