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Related Discussions
Hard RC Passages/Time Management
btate87
Alum Member
I'm in the midst of my first really intensive bout of studying on RC, and I'm a little hung up on strategy. Out of the last 5 or 6 sections I've done, there have been two passages that have really tripped me up. On those two sections I finished around the 31 minute mark, so I had time to go back to have another shot at it. It's what to do with that time that I'm not sure of right now. I'm already trying to force myself to slow down when I notice something isn't sinking in on a passage. Most passages I can read around 2:30 and go -0/-1, and I've spent up to 3:30-3:45 on tougher passages up to this point. These have been in the -3/-4 range (one even got worse on BR...). Does anyone have any tips on whether I should spend even more time up front, or is having the distance of the second pass at the end a better strategy? If I'm going back to a passage at the end that I have 3+ circled questions on, should I dive back into the questions or read through part or all of the passage again? It's kind of a limited sample right now, but it's definitely been an ongoing trend on RC for me. Right now these passages are pretty much my biggest LSAT nightmare.
Comments
Reading through a passage in 2:30 is really fast. I would slow down. 3:30 is still a quick read. On average, you've got 8.5 minutes per passage, but that means more like 10 minutes for the hardest passage. I would not hesitate to spend as much as 4.5-5 minutes reading these passages.
The way I attacked RC at my end stages was to make sure I wasn't spinning my wheels on harder questions. First, don't compare answers to each other, only compare them to the text. Second, pick an answer choice and move on. If you don't have the answer within 45 seconds, move on. You can come back to it later if you have to, but for most questions spending more time will not help (there are exceptions, technically you want to gauge whether or not to move on by your problem solving process rather than just looking at the clock).
As for a reread, I think that's good. Other top LSAT minds have said that people overestimate how much time it takes to reread, and I think that's probably true. I bet you could skim a significant chunk of the passage in 30 seconds and it would help. Either way, for the hard questions, focus on applying the answers to the passage and to the task (question) at hand. Don't compare them to one another to see which is "more" correct. One is totally right and all others are totally wrong.
Thanks so much! That is all super helpful. I'll experiment with slowing down the reading all around - I've definitely thrown away some easy points on easy passages by missing something that should have been obvious.
Not comparing answers to each other is something I needed to hear. I just finished reviewing a passage before reading your comment, and I think I tend to follow that principle more at the slower review pace than when I'm under pressure. Will definitely practice keeping that mindset when the timer's on as well.
Good to hear.
When you blind review RC passages, go into as much detail as possible. Type out summaries for each paragraph, then write down the main point, purpose, tone, viewpoints, and structure. Doing this repeatedly will help you to read for the right things on timed passages.
Do you all notate a lot in the RC sections?
I do not. Way early in my prep I overdid notations (thanks to the Bibles) and then shifted to really making zero marks on the passage. Currently I make a few on maybe 1 or 2 passages/section in certain circumstances: 1) I have a hunch a certain word or point is going to be in the questions I underline it 2) if there is some sort of enumeration (like 2 premises to some argument) that are spread out quite a bit spatially I'll mark them with numbers 3) If I notice some notable shift in structure/tone/POV (like author argument doesn't show up until paragraph 3) I'll star it or bracket the right margin if it I think there is something specific in the text to read over for some sort of detail.
I really like the advice about not comparing answer choices. I've found it's a really big time sink for me.
@AllezAllez21 do you notate, underline, or highlight as you read?
As @AllezAllez21 said, it is important to slow down when reading the more difficult passages. You are always trying to do the same thing while reading, i.e., understanding the argument structure and how all the pieces fit into that structure. This automatically becomes more difficult in the more difficult passages and will take more time. It also pays to develop a sense of what kind of details you can afford to not have a perfect understanding of and move on, and what must be understood well before moving on.
@TaylorAnn I did underline and circle certain words. You've got to find a style that works for you. I didn't go totally crazy annotating passages because I felt that detracted from my absorbing the information. On the other hand, I find that underlining and circling to some extent definitely enhanced my understanding. It's personal, try things out and see what works for you.