Consistency with reading comp..HELP!

jordanrex30

I really need some help with RC. I'm consistently scoring where I need to with LG and LR and can pretty much guess my scores at the end of those three sections after a PT but my RC is all over the board. I've gotten anywhere from a -4 all the way to a -13 and I can't really sum it up to anything specific. All of the times it will be something where I've narrowed it down to two wrong MP questions and pick the wrong one, or something like that. As I test I don't feel like I'm guessing and I seem to more or less understand the information/questions. I have tried a variety of different methods to get a better score but nothing seems to stick. More or less I just give it my best shot, roll the dice and hope that it is a good score. What have you guys done to score consistently in the high teens (where I need to get my target score) and not miss more then a -8 or -9 on a section? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

carreno.kate

I was very consistent at -2/-4 in RC until recently. My score in this section has begun to fluctuate more recently, as the passages become more difficult into the late-60's, and also as I become more nervous about the September exam.

As far as the increased difficulty goes, the difference between the correct A/C and the wrong A/C's is usually in the details. You really have to read every word, and fully understand what each word means for the passage. This sounds obvious, but most of the questions I have gotten incorrect lately have come down to my misunderstanding of the implications of an answer choice. Wrong answer choices also often misdirect your attention to the wrong portion of a passage, using familiar words and phrases to lead you astray. Sometimes, though, there are questions that are just tricky, and no amount of cautiousness helps me see the right answer under timed pressure. I try to minimize these instances by being very aware while reading.

Careful reading goes hand in hand with focus, of course. As my test date draws nearer, I find myself scanning passages without fully paying attention. I burn through 4-5 minutes "reading" the passage, and all I come away with is "I'm so nervous!" Perhaps you're very aware of your weakness in RC as you go through the section, causing you to put more pressure on yourself.

I hope this helps!