Can someone explain JY's strategy for comparative RC passages?

youbbyun

hey all,

so i see JY implement a strategy for comparative RC. I think I get the gist of it, but just wanted to confirm, and would love for any correction/advice/input.

So it seems when JY sees a comparative passage, he first looks at the questions to see which questions only address that ONE SPECIFIC passage (A or . If he sees like 3 questions that solely ask about B, he'll read passage B first.

He'll then answer those 3 specific questions that are only about Passage B. He'll then go to the other questions and try to eliminate certain answer choices if he can. For some questions, he can't eliminate any

After this, he reads passage A, and then goes back to the remainder of the questions and finishes them.

Is this the correct strategy for comparative RC?

Thanks everyone.

samantha.ashley92

I’ve seen him read one at a time and both, depending on the passage. I think it’s a personal preference based on your skill set— mostly memory and timing. For me, I prefer to read one at a time. I hold onto a lot of details in the passages and I can easily forget which author said which thing. I suggest trying the passages both ways and seeing what works best for you. Unpopular opinion: I like to use a highlighter while reading them. I plan on using one on test day, too.

akistotle

Hi @username_hello,

The strategy he uses is this:

1) First read Passage A
2) Do all the questions except for the ones focused only on Passage B
3) Read Passage B
4) Do the questions

As for the 2) part, for example, if a question says:

Which one of the following is a statement that is true of XXX according to passage A, but that would not have been true of YYY, according to passage B?

after reading Passage A, you read the question as

Which one of the following is a statement that is true of XXX according to passage A, according to passage A?

and get rid of answer choices that is not true of XXX according to passage A

You can usually get rid of some. After reading Passage B, you choose from the answer choices that are left.

These videos have been updated recently to include J.Y.'s A/B Passage strategy.
PT58 Passage 4
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-58-section-2-passage-4-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-58-section-2-passage-4-questions/
PT59 Passage 1
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-59-section-4-passage-1-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-59-section-4-passage-1-questions/
PT60 Passage 2
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-60-section-4-passage-2-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-60-section-4-passage-2-questions/
PT61 Passage 3
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-61-section-1-passage-3-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-61-section-1-passage-3-questions/
PT62 Passage 3
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-62-section-1-passage-3-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-62-section-1-passage-3-questions/
PT63 Passage 4
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-63-section-4-passage-4-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-63-section-4-passage-4-questions/
PT64 Passage 3
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-64-section-4-passage-3-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-64-section-4-passage-3-questions/
PT65 Passage 3
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-65-section-3-passage-3-passage/
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-65-section-3-passage-3-questions/

youbbyun

@akistotle thank you so much!!

LCMama2017

@akistotle thanks! Aside from the videos you posted is there a "teaching" video that I missed? I went throught the CC and didn't see a comparative passage video in the RC section.

akistotle

@LCMama2017 said:
@akistotle thanks! Aside from the videos you posted is there a "teaching" video that I missed? I went throught the CC and didn't see a comparative passage video in the RC section.

The strategy isn't in the CC since it's relatively new. He explains it in the explanation videos.

keets993

It's an amazing strategy. I think he tried it for the first time in PT 75 and was blown away by how beneficial it was. It basically relieves your brain of having to remember and differentiate between the two passages. You read one and eliminate whatever answer choices you can from all questions and then go back to passage B, read it, and eliminate the rest. Also, if you've read the answer choices for ones you couldn't eliminate only after reading A; sometimes, while you're reading B and you come across it (like most explicitly stated) you can immediately go to the correct AC and circle it to avoid confusion

youbbyun

@keets993
@akistotle

for this strategy, how do you decide whether to read passage A first or passage B first?

Do you first glance at the questions to see whether there are a lot of questions ONLY geared to B, and thus read B first?

or do you first read A no matter what? go to the questions ... and then read B?

Thanks!

akistotle

@username_hello said:
@keets993
@akistotle

for this strategy, how do you decide whether to read passage A first or passage B first?

Do you first glance at the questions to see whether there are a lot of questions ONLY geared to B, and thus read B first?

or do you first read A no matter what? go to the questions ... and then read B?

Thanks!

Read A no matter what. It's just because spending time thinking whether I should read A or B is a waste of time.

keets993

Read A no matter what. It's just because spending time thinking whether I should read A or B is a waste of time.

Same. I like things simple, A comes first in the alphabet and it's shown before passage B so that's what i do.

youbbyun

@keets993 @akistotle

thank you