How to approach short RC?

ClaudioD21

Hello everyone. Basically, I’m looking to see how to approach short RC passages as in passages that have around 5 or maybe 6 questions at most. In my experience, these passages are usually the first to come up in any given section, tend to be on the easier side, and seem like they can be completed in 6-7 minutes maybe 8 at most. However, as someone who struggles reading all 4 passages and often can’t finish the 4th, I need help with how to approach these passages with fewer questions.

Should I focus on completing these types of passages with less questions first in hopes of getting a likely 5-6 extra correct answers given the easier nature of these passages? Or should I skip it and move on to the passages that have more questions but are likely harder which can lead to more incorrect answers?

I hope this makes sense! My October LSAT is quickly approaching and I’m just looking for some last minute refinements to maybe score better on RC given that timing is my #1 enemy in RC. Thanks!

claremont

I don't think it would be an optimal strategy to skip the easier passages because they have fewer questions. Bank those points and build up some confidence and momentum as you go into the more difficult passages.

Cant Get Right

I’m not sure I have the same expectation that these passages are typically easier. I can think of several exceptionally difficult passages with only five questions just off the top of my head. In your situation, I think you could opt to start for the easier passages to bank them early; or some people like to start with the harder passages so it’s the easy ones they’re left with for the time crunch. Either way, I just wouldn’t use number of questions to determine difficulty.
All that said, I sure bet there is a better solution than this. This isn’t really a solution at all because it seeks to accommodate the problem rather than to address it. Take your time to understand the passage and then attack the Q&A’s aggressively. I bet if you look in your timing reports, you can find the time you need to finish the section in a handful of questions where you over-invested. Just a guess, but I see it all the time. For some reason, people are more comfortable sacrificing whole passages than individual questions. It sounds crazy (and is) but there’s some psychological trick to it that makes it kinda the default positioning.