Only complete 3/4 RC Passages

larissa-xo

So, for RC I seem to have a common issue on my PTs. I always seem to run out of time. I finish 3 passages and the questions (usually only skipping one or two) but never the last one. On all of the three passages I get all of the correct answers minus the ones I skip and guess on. When I BR, I then am able to correctly answer all of the questions for the passage I missed.

Just wondering if perhaps I am taking too long to read/comprehend the passage? Or am I spending too long on certain questions? Also just looking for some RC tips in general.

keets993

Do you video-tape yourself? That could really help expose whether you spend too long on reading the passages or questions. My bet would be the questions. You're basically sacrificing 5-7 points for the first three passages. I bet once you watch video you'll be able to see which questions you spend way too long on and how to reduce that timing. Do you spend a long time deliberating between two answer choices when you should be moving on? Do you not know where to find answers for explicitly stated and then waste time re-reading the passage when you could've skipped?

Pride Only Hurts

I'd try a few things. On your next times section, definitely pay attention to how long it takes you to get through the passage. Some people do it in 2-3 mins other are more comfortable with 3-4 mins. If you're taking too long with the questions than there is a good chance that you haven't memorized some key parts of the passage like the author's POV, MP, and other big details. The memory method is great for this. Most or about half of the questions do not require you to go back into the passage and dig for information. Also! See how many questions you can eliminate based on what you remember reading. Often 2 or 3 answer choices are dead wrong. This makes the process of going back into the passage much quicker because you've already narrowed your answer choices.

Disclaimer* I am by no means excellent at RC but these are a few things I tried to get from 3/4 to 4/4 with ease.