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Reading Comprehension Help!

harrismeganharrismegan Member
edited January 2015 in General 2074 karma
Reading Comprehension is one of my worst sections (-7 to -9 wrong all the time per 35 minute section).

I really wanted to put in some work (before October 2015 exam). I have purchased the LSAT Trainer, as I've heard some really great things about it. I'm also going to be purchasing some Cambridge packages to drill later on. I've also..... taken up reading a variety of books so that I can enhance my reading ability.

In terms of practice, because I've already been through this once already, should I be focusing on timing? I really want to focus on effectiveness of my method. I know I should be looking at the structure and not the content. Marking MP, Author's opinion, Opposing Opinion, Background, ect. Should I focus, at least on the first sections, on really attempting to identify structure, and then introduce the timing later on?

Advice would be appreciated! :) Thanks.
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Comments

  • joegotbored-1joegotbored-1 Alum Member
    edited January 2015 802 karma
    So JY's method is more from memory, so you don't have to make those marks. Some people report having tons of time left over at the end of RC (I'm not one of them!) so marking wouldn't matter for them. But for some of us, marking can take up a lot of time. Have you tried to limit what you actually mark to see if that makes a difference?
    I ask because most RC errors for me came from rushing or panicking when I was clueless and sucking up a bunch of time...which led to more rushing!

    If your BR score is much higher than your timed, then it's clearly a timing/confidence issue. If BR is lower too, then focusing on your comprehension and structure will definitely help.

    Also, make sure you look at the types of questions you get wrong to see if there are any patterns. The RC question types are really no different than the rest of the test, so you can drill them too.
  • emli1000emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐
    3462 karma
    Take a look at this whenever you get a chance. It should help speed up your reading time after a few times. http://lsatprep180.com/the-lsat-and-reading-speed-change-headline/#more-1638
  • lbalestrierilbalestrieri Alum Member
    110 karma
    The LSAT Trainer is a really great resource in terms of Reading Comprehension - I think it was possibly the most helpful part of the book. I found that section to be more helpful in the Trainer than on 7sage, but LR and LG best at 7sage. So I would definitely spend some time going over that before you get too discouraged about the Reading Comp. For me, I always worked within the parameters of time - I've never practiced RC without timing myself. I think that it forces you to recognize the structure in a fast manner consistently so my advice would be to keep timing yourself to keep the pressure on time, because ultimately that's the most important aspect when it comes to the actual test. I feel like that's what the Blind Review method is for as well - going back and taking your time to recognize the structure of the passage. That way you get the opportunity to do both.
  • LSATman1LSATman1 Alum Member
    386 karma
    I suggest reading things like the Economist and Scientific American regularly. Some people also recommend the New Yorker. They will get you in the habit of reading the types of passages that appear on the test and improve your reading skills. Also, the New York Times has a feature called "Room for Debate," which is good practice for the comparative reading passage.
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