Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

LR timing Strats: when to skip and why

2RARE2CARE2RARE2CARE Member
edited December 2015 in General 248 karma
I'm currently scoring in the low 160s, aiming for a 170. I want to know what you guys do for skipping questions and when you skip questions in LR. Do you usually read the stimulus and immediately skip if you didn't understand, etc? Do you not skip until you read the answer choices? Is there some type of strategy where you do all the easier ones like 1-14 and then the last 2-3 questions in the section which tend to be easier. Thanks

Also, I'd like to know if most are you are reading the stimulus once, twice, three times, etc in general to answer a tougher ?.

Comments

  • J.H. SongJ.H. Song Alum Member
    201 karma
    For the longest time, I read the stimulus over and over again, and so I always had difficulties finishing LR sections. I saw a dramatic improvement with timing when I decided to just read the stimulus once, eliminate obvious wrong answer choices, then quickly glance at the stimulus one more time. If I am still unsure by then, I pick one of the two or maybe three answer choices and move on. A fresh second look is much more likely to lead you to the right answer, so I would suggest focusing on finishing with some time left to go back to those questions.
  • 2RARE2CARE2RARE2CARE Member
    248 karma
    @"J.H. Song" im gonna try that out, was thinking I should be doing something closer to that, I think I am too used to re reading the stimulus over and over.. But I had a feeling I shouldn't
  • J.H. SongJ.H. Song Alum Member
    201 karma
    Yes, try and train yourself to make that a habit, preferably through timed lr sections, not PTs.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    We are discussing doing a webinar on this very topic ... Stay tuned!
  • poohbearpoohbear Alum Member
    496 karma
    would love a webinar on this!!!
  • twssmithtwssmith Alum
    5120 karma
    Sorry you had to leave the workshop today. During the Q&A portion, skipping questions came up with a lively discussion between @"Quick Silver", @"Nicole Hopkins" & @DumbHollywoodActor and we are hoping that they work out a new workshop for this strategy. Please!!!
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @twssmith said:
    Please!!!
    Haha ... the people have spoken!! <3
  • GSU HopefulGSU Hopeful Core
    edited December 2015 1644 karma
    @2RARE2CARE For me, its simple. If I read the stimulus once and I'm left with that "WTF" thought in my mind, its a skip. Right there. Come back. Certain questions just don't jive and this feeling is a huge indicator that I have hit one of those questions. If I read it the first time and have trouble parsing out the grammar or identifying the argument parts, I will allow myself one more quick read through to see what I missed. If I still don't have a grasp on the argument or the flaw (if there is one)... its a skip. I'll have a better idea when I come back. I'll never hit it a third time on the first run through. It wastes too much time and prevents you from getting to other low hanging fruit. Those are the rules I have set out for myself. The more simple I keep it, the less I have to think about during the test. I just default to those rules.

    @nicole.hopkins I think a workshop on this would be great!
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    Never read a stimulus more than twice during the first go round... The curvebreakers that need 2+ minutes can be dealt with after you finish the section... If you can't find the conclusion (and there is one), skip it... If you can't see the flaw/gap (and there is one), skip it... The former is the most important factor and the latter is the second most important in my opinion... Sometimes you can let the ACs feed you as long as you know what the conclusion is, so there is hope if you can't identify the flaw/gap right away or put it into words... But if you can't see the conclusion you're just grasping at straws in the dark...
  • c.janson35c.janson35 Free Trial Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    2398 karma
    @Pacifico said:
    If you can't see the flaw/gap (and there is one), skip it... The former is the most important factor and the latter is the second most important in my opinion... Sometimes you can let the ACs feed you as long as you know what the conclusion is, so there is hope if you can't identify the flaw/gap right away or put it into words... But if you can't see the conclusion you're just grasping at straws in the dark...
    Great advice here. As long as you can find the conclusion, you have a chance; but if you can't, then your best bet is to move on (assuming there is one). Now, the chance is smaller on certain question types, like strengthening/weakening, and larger on others, like flaws, so the strategy often differs depending on your task. If you read the stimulus once or twice, the flaw can often seem obvious in retrospect once you've come across the correct answer, so I like to give myself this opportunity, at least, before skipping the question right off the bat. Your strategy will also vary depending on where you're at in the section, and how much time you have remaining.
  • 2RARE2CARE2RARE2CARE Member
    248 karma
    Unfortunately I was in the Hofstra library during that webinar and the guest wifi is garbage and got thrown out. A webinar would be awesome on this.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @2RARE2CARE said:
    A webinar would be awesome on this.
    We've got it cookin'!
  • nye8870nye8870 Alum
    1749 karma
    @c.janson35 said:
    so I like to give myself this opportunity, at least, before skipping the question right off the bat.
    Now on test day, if you do this but still feel you must skip, do you bubble in a guess just in case you never do get back to it?
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    I say always bubble so you decrease the chances of a bubbling error and so you can ride that 20% chance in case you don't get to go back.
Sign In or Register to comment.