RC Plan of Attack

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• 1 Like

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3462 karma

  I've heard of people skimming the questions before reading the passage. It's suppose to be quick so that you do not get too carry away when you're reading the passage. But many prep companies do not recommend it. I guess it really depends on you and what you think will be the best approach for you. Maybe you should attempt it and see if it helps out your score?
• 1 Like

  bstew2002 Alum Member

  March 2015 269 karma

  Thanks emli1000. If i do try it out, I suppose sooner rather than later would be preferable.
• 1 Like

  Nilesh S Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3438 karma

  So there are some RC strategies outlined here in this thread: http://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/2362/retake-disaster-need-help-from-a-mod
  Personally, I don't read the question stems first because I feel that I will be reading the questions again anyway... and 35 minutes is not a lot of time... so I might as well make efficient use of it by getting the passage down pat and applying the methods outlined in the discussion above..
  
• 1 Like

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3462 karma

  Correct.
• 2 Likes

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 edited March 2015 3462 karma

  This is what I used in the beginning-
  
  The Memory Method For Reading Comp
  These are drills to be done with individual reading comp passages. Do these drills with 6-8 passages.
  It may be tough at first, especially the “Check Your Memory” section. But if you stick with it you’ll learn to retain what you read.
  
  Phase I – Improving Retention Memorize The Passage Structure [3.5 Minutes]
  1. Take a passage. Spend 3.5 minutes reading it.
  2. At the end of each paragraph, summarize the main point of that paragraph into one line.
  3. At the end of the passage, look over each paragraph again and make sure you know the main point. Combine these main points into a narrative.
  4. Once you know the point of each paragraph, decide on the main point of the passage.
  -Gaining command of the passage will speed you up when doing the questions.
  
  Check Your Memory [1.5 Minutes]
  1. Turn over the passage – don’t look at it.
  2. On a sheet of paper, write down the main point of each paragraph (one line each), and the main point of the passage.
  -RC tests whether you really retained what you read. If you don’t remember anything at first, don’t worry, and don’t look back at the passage.
  -Just write down what you do remember, and resolve to do better next time.
  
  Do The Questions – Avoid Time-Traps [3.5 Minutes]
  1. Turn the passage over, you can look at it again.
  2. If the question involves a specific detail (e.g. lines 17-21, paragraph 2, the statements of Picasso and Braque), reread that section of the passage. This shouldn’t take long, because you memorized where details are located.
  3. If there is no specific detail, attempt to answer the question.
  4. In either case, if you think one answer is right, trust your gut and move on.
  5. If you’re not sure, refer back to the passage [but be quick about it].
  6. If step 5 doesn’t solve it, flag the question, pick an answer, and move on.
  -If you waffle between answer choices, then you are spending most of your time on the hardest questions. This is a time-trap. You want to spend your time on questions you can solve.
  -Give each question an honest shot. But if you aren’t getting it, cut your losses and move on to the other, easier questions.
  -Eventually, you will get fast enough to come back to the flagged questions with a fresh mind. They’re often significantly easier the second time through.
  
  Phase II – Reading Comprehension Mastery
  The second phase of the memory method is exactly the same as the first, with one exception: you only spend 30 seconds on step two (Check Your Memory).
  Do this 6-8 times. The first phase teaches you how to retain information. The second phase teaches you to quickly recall and apply it.
  
  Conclusion – Practice, Practice, Practice
  Getting good at LSAT Reading Comprehension is a habit. These drills lay the foundation for proper technique, but you’ll have to revisit them from time to time to perfect your method.
  -If you feel your retention flagging, focus on improving it. A good command of the passage and it’s structure is the key to success on reading comprehension
  
  Source:
  (not enrolled, but should enroll!) http://7sage.com/lsat-reading-comprehension-the-memory-method/
  (enrolled) http://7sage.com/lesson/the-memory-method-for-improving-lsat-reading-comprehension/
  
• blah170blah Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3545 karma

  I don't read the question stems before I read the passage but I do read the question stems and skip around. I rarely complete RC questions in the order given, usually starting with the higher level questions first (e.g, MBT, MP, AA) and then attacking the detail/identification questions (e.g., role of paragraph).
• Nilesh S Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3438 karma

  @blah170blah ... me neither... skipping around and having that flexibility is so good... especially if you are in a crunch situation where you are almost out of time... I'd much rather have to guess on 5 questions (if put in that situation) than on 7.
• 1 Like

  blah170blah Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3545 karma

  Yes yes yes! And, if you were put in the situation where you had to guess on the real day, I'd be much more comfortable and more accurate when guessing the details since I already have an understanding of the big picture (I also tested this theory out in some practice tests and this proved to hold true. Obviously I don't want to guess my way to the right answer all the time but it's nice to know that for my brain, starting out holistically and then focusing on details makes me comprehend things better).
• Nilesh S Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3438 karma

  totally!!!
• harrismegan Member

  March 2015 2074 karma

  I think that the LSAT Trainer gives a good breakdown of how to handle the RC.... I wouldn't read the question stems before because the questions themselves give you an idea about where to go in the passage. That's what the LSAT Trainer teaches you.
  
  The "main point question" is more general most of the time, or, as you're reading, you can locate and star the main point and come back.
  Questions like "it can be inferred" or "the word in line..." questions basically tell you if it's going to be more general (first one) or specific (second one) and kind of an idea about where in the passage to go back to.
  
  Taking a minute to read the questions I feel is kind if a waste. If you read the passage, get an understanding of it and mark it appropriately (structure, author's opinion, other people's opinion) and get a grasp of how the paragraphs relate to each other, then the questions are just a guide of where to go back and look.
• emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3462 karma

  @harrismegan I need to hurry up & get to that section in the trainer