Hi everyone, I had a general strategy question. Do you recommend reading the question stem before reading the stimulus so you know what kind of information or reasoning to look for as you read?
I’ve noticed that some instructors seem to do this when working through examples, and I can see how it might help make the reading feel more purposeful. At the same time, I don’t want to build a habit that ends up slowing me down or hurting comprehension.
For those who have tried both approaches, do you find question-first helpful, or do you prefer reading the stimulus first and then looking at the question stem?
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I used to read the question stem but then I ended up re reading it again later so it was a waste of time. It also distracted me from understanding what the argument was by just looking for the answer to the question stem. But then I wasn’t able to understand it without fully reading the stimulus.
So in my opinion, read the stimulus first and fully understand what is being said, and identify any loopholes or immediate flaws or assumptions. Then read the question stem.
But up to you and what you think works best for you. Each person is different and what may work for one person might not be the best for another!
This is the subject of a lot of debate. I've heard people both swear by reading the stimulus first AND reading the question first. I am currently finding I want to know what is being asked when I attack a stim, so I read the question first. Money may vary. Edit: Mileage. Not money.