How to remember small details?

unrealsimon

I noticed some questions ask specific question about a small part, e.g. "the text supports which one of the following..." and it's about a small detail that was mentioned in the text, for which no line reference was given. Sometimes I just have no idea because the memory method on 7sage focuses on the big picture of each paragraph rather than every little detail.
What's your strategy?

evanoxax

i found it useful to focus on the big picture when you do the RC. after reading the RC, i generally remember the structure and main point of each paragraph (sometimes when the subject is hard, I will spend some time on the definition of the subject etc.) so when asked small details in the passage, you should have a vague (if not everything) idea where these info is located and always go back to the passage (if time permits) to confirm. that's what works for me. but sometimes under time constrain, it is difficult to go back to the passage to confirm. i rely on my memory (the first round reading). hope it helps.

polscken

Don't forget that if you manage time well you can have enough time for this type of question. For example, if you have a few quick ones, then the little bit of extra time you need for these types of questions isn't a big deal. Scan quickly, find it, and get the right answer.

raytranr

If you don't have time, definitely focus on the bigger picture. If you are practicing and want to improve, I suggest practice reading the passage (un-timed at first) as if you need to explain it to an intelligent 12 year-old (it's sort of like how they "explain" passages as they read through it during the lessons - explaining it bit by bit, then tying it into the entire passage, summarizing along the way and at the very end). Hit the questions, and if you did a great job explaining it to the 12-year old, you should retain the information necessary to answer the questions correctly.

Your comfort level answering the questions and the amount you get correct will determine if you need to do more or less explaining (if you spent a lot of time explaining, but got everything right really fast - then you could do less - notice where you spent a lot of time going into detail that doesn't seem to matter; on the other hand, if you are getting things wrong, you might need to invest more time; if you're like me, you'll start noticing the "types" of questions you are getting wrong and learn to pay attention to those).

Eventually, you'll need to do less "explaining" and it'll process more automatically as you read, and you can adjust your speed accordingly.

unrealsimon

Great tips guys! Thanks a bunch!