Bubble first or last?

Comments

• 4 Likes

  OlamHafuch Alum Member

  January 2018 2326 karma

  After every RC passage, after every game, after every two pages of LR (which means each time you turn the page). After a bit of practice, it becomes second nature, and provides you with a couple of breathers throughout the section.
• 1 Like

  kvento Alum Member

  January 2018 86 karma

  @uhinberg Nailed it. I have found this is the best strategy as well. All you have to remember is just to bubble before every page turn and you'll be set. After the page turn, put your pencil down, close your eyes, and take a long deep breath before moving forward. It's a great way to reset, calm the nerves, and clear your head.
• TexAgAaron Alum Member

  January 2018 1723 karma

  Yeah for what little experience I have PT'ing, bubbling at the end of the page is much more efficient in my opinion.
• 10000019 Alum Member

  January 2018 edited January 2018 3279 karma

  I do it right before I need to do a page flip. My exception is when I've skipped a question. Then I'll bubble up to that question.
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 edited January 2018 23929 karma

  I actually bubble after each question. The exception being LG where I bubble in after each game. I'm not sure it's actually a good strategy but it's what I've always done. I like having a few seconds between questions to refresh and collect my thoughts. I've also done it after every page turn. I think this is a better, more efficient strategy. I need to start practicing it and actually using bubble sheets when I take PTs/Drill. I'm really bad about that tbh.
• Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 8392 karma

  Yep, same as @uhinberg. I think it's the most efficient way that also prevents mistakes. Some people advocate not bubbling until you are finished with the entire section, or hit the 5 minute warning. I think bubbling that many in at a time would be much easier to make mistakes. I also think it just takes too much time going back and forth after each question. Bubbling before each page turn is a nice balance.
• paulmv.benthem Alum Member

  January 2018 1032 karma

  I've actually also been bubbling my answer after each question during LR and after each game or passage for LG and RC. But, I've been thinking lately that I need to modify my technique for LR. I like the idea of bubbling the answers immediately prior to each page turn; seems like it would be a good cue to mentally attach the bubbling to.
• Seeking Perfection Alum Member

  January 2018 4428 karma

  I bubbled before each page turn like most people seem to. It is just the most efficient. If you bubbled at the end you have extra page turbs and more risk of a really bad mistake if you miss one bubble. If you bubble every question it takes more time per bubble.

  On occassions where I was running out of time at the end of sections I would make an exception and bubble as I went.
• 1 Like

  Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 8392 karma

  @"Seeking Perfection" said:
  On occassions where I was running out of time at the end of sections I would make an exception and bubble as I went.

  Agreed on this point - if I'm running out of time toward the end, say past the 5 minute mark and I still have a few LR questions to go, I'll bubble in everything I have on that page(s) and then bubble each as I go. If it's more questions than I think I'll be able to do, I'll even sometimes bubble in random guesses for the whole thing, then erase and change as I go just to make sure that I don't leave anything blank.
• Trust But Verify Alum Member

  January 2018 432 karma

  @uhinberg said:
  After every RC passage, after every game, after every two pages of LR (which means each time you turn the page). After a bit of practice, it becomes second nature, and provides you with a couple of breathers throughout the section.

  Great advice and very underrated.
• westcoastbestcoast Alum Member

  January 2018 3788 karma

  I have heard some arguments in favor of bubbling after every 5 or 10 questions in LR, after every game and reading comprehension passage. It all comes down to preference. For me, I find it too easy to feel rushed and prone to mis-bubbling when I employ the aforementioned bubbling strategies. I'm more comfortable with bubbling after every question. Like with many things, you should field test it and see how you like it.
• 1 Like

  Sami Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 7Sage Tutor

  January 2018 10806 karma

  I use the same method as @uhinberg .

  The only thing I do different is after each page turn and bubbling, I'll put my pencil down and take a breath and exhale slowly. It helps calm my brain down, takes me out of fight and flight mode, and gives me a chance to look at the game/passage I am about to tackle. The result is that I feel like I am ahead and know what I am about to face rather than being at the edge of the seat and being nervous.
• Stothentothek Free Trial Member

  January 2018 69 karma

  I bubbled after each question, I tried bubbling after each passage/game/page too. I found that yes, I was slightly quicker doing this, but I did not manage to do it even once without mis-bubbling (usually not discovering this until much later - but, it was easier to fix due to the noted answers in the booklet vs mis-bubbling when I bubbled 1 at a time). I decided not to risk it and just stuck with bubbling each question as I go.