RC- HELP!

hannah526

For reading comp. I have had a really hard time cutting down my time less than 6:30 mins per passage and 5 mins per section of questions. When I shorten my time, I rush through the questions and miss it because of a simple misread. Would it be better to slow down and just skip the last passage in order to get more answers correct??

BruiserWoods

I think if you slow down with the caveat in mind that you MIGHT not get to the last few questions - that might be the best approach. I would advise against just settling for not getting to the last RC passage, but if you slow down and take your time with each question and make sure you're understanding what they're asking, you'll eventually get faster.

It's really a matter of building up competence as well as confidence. I would never tell anyone just don't worry about the last passage, but if you allow yourself the flexibility to not stress if you can't get to the last couple questions - or to just outright SKIP the ones that are taking you a long time, I think that would be better than just not having any strategy at all.

I also advise that - if you're going to implement any strategy like the one you mentioned or a modified one, that you do the passages with the most questions first and save the passage with the fewest questions for last.

MrSamIam

The question isn't whether you should reduce your time or not (the answer to that is, you NEED to reduce your time. 11:30 per passage is far too much time). The question is, why are you spending so much time on the passage? 5:00 per set of questions is fine, so long as you're completing the passage in under 4 minutes.
Can I assume that you're spending a lot of time on the passage because you're trying to understand every little detail? Let me guess, the passage's convoluted language, lack of clarity, and ambiguity are causing you to reread or spend a ridiculous amount of time reading each sentence. If that's the case, you're focusing too much on information that will often prove to be irrelevant. Focus on the big picture. The analogy we use here is that of a forest. Focus more on the forest (the entire structure/reasoning structure of the passage) and not the trees (the details).

You want a strong understanding of each paragraph, and the passage as a whole. For that, you need not focus on each and every detail.

For instance, here is what you're probably doing (after reading paragraph 1): "So the author mentions that natural disaster relief isn't working well. Why? Because people are too focused on immediate results that require tons of money. Wait...what did he say about immediate results? Or yeah, it takes away from the 'long-term' aspect of remedying issues created by natural disasters"

Here is what you should be saying to yourself after reading paragraph 1: Author thinks current natural-disaster remedies suck due to lack of focus on future results...he'll probably offer alternative solution(s)"

Notice how I didn't discuss details in my summary (no mention of money). That's what you want to do.

hannah526

Thanks @BruiserWoods that is a better approach for sure! I think you are right about the time-sinkers. If I can just skip the question that takes forever...instead of aiming to miss a whole passage, I will be in much better shape.

Thanks @MrSamIam! Yes...you are definitely right. Haha I have been trying to understand all the details (especially tying them all together) and focusing passage meaning more than just getting the big picture. I just watched Nicole Hopkins' Webinar about RC and she said the same thing... That really helps though. I just need to cut my reading time in half and give more time to understanding questions, that way I don't make careless mistakes. Thanks for the example too, that helps a lot!

I appreciate the help,
-Hannah