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Related Discussions
RC Troubles
StellaBlue
Alum Member
Hi friends,
Wondering if anyone else is having a similar problem: I was scoring -0 or -1 in RC on the older tests, but in the 60s and 70s, I'm trending towards -4 or -5. I'm sort of depending on ace-ing RC to keep my score within my target range. Does anyone have any tips for what to look for in the newer RC sections, or else how to practice not falling for the subtle differences? I'm currently planning on writing in September.
Thanks a million!
Comments
There's really no silver bullet. The more attractive AC that now make POE more difficult require a more nuanced understanding of the passage, and making sure that every word is supported by the text.
I agree with what @uhinberg wrote with respect to the new passages. I've found that the new passages can be harder, but like anything else with the LSAT/newer tests, if you practice you will improve.
One thing that has helped me specifically with the newer passages is spending less time reading the passage and giving myself more time for the questions. On the old passages I was fine spending 3:30 minutes just reading and 4-5 minutes or so on the questions. On the newer PTs I've done I realize that I do better if I have a bit more time for the questions. I used this app called "Spreeder" to help me train to start reading a bit faster and that was able to cut my time reading the passage to around 2:30. I think it's something worth checking out... Just experiment with different time distributions between the passage and Q's.
@"Alex Divine" wow! thank you for the suggestion, that seems to make sense.
Absolutely! I can't guarantee it is going to work, but I had the same dramatic drop with RC when I took a couple of the newer PTs. This seems to have at least help me get back closer to where I was on the older RC sections.
Good luck!
Finding your optimal passage/question time distribution is really important. It's different for everyone so tinker with it and find what works for you. For me, I spend a lot of time upfront, almost 4 minutes sometimes. The passage strategy has big implications for question strategy. I answer questions very quickly and very confidently. I have to because of how I've chosen to distribute my time. I maybe get to look back at the passage for two questions per section. But my reading is so good that I rarely need more than that. On the other end of the spectrum is probably about a two minute read. This gives you lots of time for the questions and plenty of opportunity to refer back. Of course, you're likely going to really need this time because your reading will be less thorough. It's a trade off either way, so just make sure you're making a deliberate decision.
Try taking a section and doing extremes. On two passages, allow yourself 5 minutes to read the passage. Then, give yourself 3.5 minutes to answer all the questions. It'll be hard. That's barely enough time to read all the questions, much less think a whole lot about them, so you've got to act decisively and confidently without any agonizing over answer choices. On the other two passages, give yourself 2.5 minutes to read the passage and then 6 minutes for the questions. 2.5 in the passage is about a casual reading pace (for me anyway, I'm a slow reader). So you'll really have to keep moving. You won't have as solid an understanding as the 5 minute passage reads, but you'll be able to take about a minute per question to work with the questions and passage in tandem.
Somewhere in that spectrum lies your time distribution. This exercise will hint at which end you're likely to land. Tinker with it until you find your sweet spot. I think for most people it lies somewhere in the middle: 3:30 read time with 5 minutes questions. This gives a decent read time with enough question time to work with the passage on some questions while forcing a quick, confident answer on others.
Like Alex, I'm personally better served by spending less time in the passage and more time in the questions on newer sections. Obviously if you do this, you still want to read very carefully and very actively to ensure that you're engaged with all parts of the passage. Continue looking for main point, author's attitude, points of view, and structure like you always do. I just find that sinking a ton of time into taking notes comes back to bite me when I'm between two ACs.
This won't work for everyone, but I've actually gone to the full extreme and started taking almost zero notes in the newest tests and I am consistently scoring about -1. I feel like nailing down a pacing strategy is key, now more than ever. As someone else mentioned, the appealing ACs are much harder to parse out now than they were in older tests. You really do have to go in with a fine-toothed comb and make sure there's not a single word that isn't held up by information in the passage. All of us on this thread obviously have different approaches, which speaks to the fact that you'll be able to find yours with some practice
My strategy may not work for you, but playing around with your pacing and finding the sweet spot is totally doable. You got this!
@"Cant Get Right" @"Maddie Distasio" Thank you both so much! I'll try both of your ways, and nailing down a go-to strategy really does seem like the way to go.
BTW, 7sage comment boards =
Of course! And agreed. I've been walked back from many cliffs thanks to fellow sagers
@"Cant Get Right" @"Alex Divine" @"Maddie Distasio"
I've been using this week as an RC intensive. It used to be my strongest section, but improvement in LR and LG have forced me to address what I always assumed was a given: RC. Anyway, I've been piggy backing in this thread for advice.
I used to think I needed lots of time with the passage. But I am taking @"Cant Get Right"s advice and experimenting with extremes and experiencing a lot more success with a fast read (2.5 minutes or less). It's uncomfortable but effective.
Glad that exercise helped @jkatz1488 ! That's exactly why it's so important to try out different things and make a decision empirically rather than based on what "feels" right. I did the same thing as you but backwards. A quick read with lots of question time feels much more comfortable, but I perform consistently better by increasing my passage time and then burning through the questions. Funny how things work out some times.
It definitely takes some getting used to reading the passage in less time, but I've found that it becomes less uncomfortable once you get used to it, especially after seeing the results!
Okay I'm really horrible at RC (not being humble) so I'm not in anyway doubting all the above insightful advice, I just have one concern and would really appreciate it if anyone could shed some lights clarifying for me. It's just I remember when I started with the LSAT prep, the general consensus on RC at that time was do not ever "skim" passages then go back hunt answers with questions, (in response to some students' forum inquiry on RC "skim reading" strategy at that time) but just to me (a super slow reader), spending 2.5 mins or even less overwhelmingly seems like "skimming" the passages first then go hunt ACs with questions. I spend well over 4 plus mins on any hard passages still fuzzy understanding quite often so I'm not sure what i'm gonna do with 2.5 or less...
Has the approach shifted due to the new RC style or maybe I misunderstood something? Any input would be greatly appreciated!
I can only speak for myself but I absolutely don't skim the passage. I think you can carefully read a few paragraphs in under 3 minutes without having to skim. It's certainly at a fast(er) pace then one might be typically accustomed to reading passages, however. I still employ the memory method and do everything the same. The only difference is the amount of time I spend reading vs. answering the questions.
Yeah, if you need 3 or 4 minutes to properly read and understand a passage then definitely do that. @"Cant Get Right" spends more time reading and is more easily able to bang out the questions. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I spend less time reading and more time on the questions. I rarely can fly through them as quick as @"Cant Get Right" and need to return to the passage a bit more, I'm sure.
I think the general takeaway is that it's okay to experiment with how long you spend upfront reading the passage vs answering the questions. At the end of the day, what works for one person may be a bit different for someone else. I personally have found that spending 3 minutes or so reading (sometimes less) and about 5 minutes on answering the questions is what works best for me. I'm always adjusting and constantly tweaking my timing and strategy to be better.
@"Alex Divine" gotcha, I think I just read too slow, especially on harder ones, and you are def a much better reader than me given your time slot and results. I think the difference between me and Josh is that when he spends 4 plus minutes to read, he flies through the questions with confidence, and that's not the case for me. Thank you for your advice!
And it's funny how some passages just hit me completely out of norm, maybe due to unfamiliarity of subject matter. Like lots of considered hard humanity and science passages, I'm still not great but for the most part I could handle them, but for some reason pt36 passage 2 and 3 just went way over my head at the initial read..I was like, screw it, ended up doing it untimed...
That's EXACTLY how I felt when I took the real test in September 2016. There was a passage about lacquer as an art. My mind melted away, I felt it happen during the test. I couldn't concentrate because I had no idea what lacquer was, and art makes me want to fall asleep.
I'm really sorry to hear that @LSATcantwin and that's even worse cuz you can't just put the timer down and tell the proctor: "you know what, I'm just gonna do this passage untimed..."
I also wasn't prepared. I didn't take the test seriously, thought I could wing it. The test made me pay...haha
@"Heart Shaped Box"
That is the frustration with RC. I hope you're able to hack together a solution. In fact, I'm sure you'll figure something out.
Personally, I think my reading speed has increased since I began studying. It's definitely not skimming, but it took awhile to train myself to read differently than when I read a novel (which i do every night). I am beginning to feel what everyone means when they say "read for structure".
I think pushing myself to accelerate my reading has helped me do this in fact. When I was reading passaged in 3-4 minutes, I don't think I had any better understanding than I do now that I read them in 2.5 to 3 minutes, but the understanding I have now is more geared to the construction of the passage which is what we need in RC. I return to the passage at least 2-3 times but I am usually pretty sure of the AC before doing so and I always know where to look.