Bootcamp RC Help

[mkhan27]

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Could someone give some suggestions. I took a practice test from Bootcamp RC yesterday and another one today. I got 18/50 yesterday and 21/50 today. Both scores are less than 15 . I tried reading the whole passage (while looking at the first couple of questions) and I have tried search and destroy.

Last time I took the DAT I got a 20 (with SnD) in this section and I am really freaking out that I may do worse this time because of these RC bootcamp scores. Could some of you guys give some tips on how to get better scores. I have been reading Scientific American articles for a couple months now. I know that its not my reading speed or comprehension that seems to be the problem. I don't know if its just the pressure with time, but I really suck at this section. You guys gotta save me here, please!

Thank you!

 

[bc1002]

practice more. I used both Bootcamp and Crack DAT for this section. Crack DAT is not quite similar with the real test, but it isn't bad tool to habituate yourself.

 

[mkhan27]

I tried reading the passage and taking notes this time....I scored a 16 this time, but I had to guess on the last 6-7 questions because I had like 20 seconds left. Even after reading the passage I seem to be doing better this time, but I still get some questions wrong that seem to be tricky. Its really aggravating to do so bad in this section

 

[swindoll]

Practice, practice, practice! But to be honest, I feel like when it comes toRC, it all depends on luck! If you get an interesting passage on something you have background knowledge on, you'll probably do well. (I didn't get so lucky... All 3 of my passages were on difficult physics stuff, which wasn't my strongest suit at the time since I hadn't taken any physics classes .I probably would have had a much stronger vocabulary and been able to understand those passages better had I taken a physics course. 🙁)
When I was perusing SDN during my DAT prep this past summer, I came across this advice that I think really helps: basically, while you're reading, pretend like you find the passage to be very interesting, and read as if you're indeed festinated by the topic. I know this may sound silly at first, but it really works! I noticed that I remembered thing MUCH better if I was reading with albeit fake fascination! lol
So try that!
Also, keep in mind that Bootcamp passages are significantly longer than the passages on the real DAT! Good luck!

 

[mkhan27]

Practice, practice, practice! But to be honest, I feel like when it comes toRC, it all depends on luck! If you get an interesting passage on something you have background knowledge on, you'll probably do well. (I didn't get so lucky... All 3 of my passages were on difficult physics stuff, which wasn't my strongest suit at the time since I hadn't taken any physics classes .I probably would have had a much stronger vocabulary and been able to understand those passages better had I taken a physics course. 🙁)
When I was perusing SDN during my DAT prep this past summer, I came across this advice that I think really helps: basically, while you're reading, pretend like you find the passage to be very interesting, and read as if you're indeed festinated by the topic. I know this may sound silly at first, but it really works! I noticed that I remembered thing MUCH better if I was reading with albeit fake fascination! lol
So try that!
Also, keep in mind that Bootcamp passages are significantly longer than the passages on the real DAT! Good luck!

Thanks swindoll! That makes me feel a little better, but no so much. I'll keep practicing and I'll use your tips to hopefully help me out. Thanks really appreciated!

 

[Megazeroxuxm]

What I did was I read the first half of the essay, if it was an easier essay (even tho I had 3 hard full 14 paragraph essays) I would read a bit more than half and then speed read the rest to get some kind of keyword down, it would usually take me 5-10 minutes to do so. Then I would start answering questions, skip all the ones I didn't know right away, but having read the question I had an idea of what I needed to be looking for. Then after I have finished all the ones that I know for sure, I go back to the essay and finish reading the second half, normal speed. The trick is to do all this in under 20 minutes, so start practicing 1/3 of boot camp test, then slowly increase to full rc test. The main thing for me was I read a lot and so on the second or third essay I started reading casually, as if I was reading a news article or something, and that was bad!! Don't do that, don't relax, keep at it, read as fast as you can, for a whole hour, that was the realization that was critical for me to do well on the rest. Anyways I got a 21 doing this, I did like 2 bootcamp test, not a native English speaker. That's what worked for me. Lmk if that worked for you 😀

 

[soccerfan01]

Could someone give some suggestions. I took a practice test from Bootcamp RC yesterday and another one today. I got 18/50 yesterday and 21/50 today. Both scores are less than 15 . I tried reading the whole passage (while looking at the first couple of questions) and I have tried search and destroy.

Last time I took the DAT I got a 20 (with SnD) in this section and I am really freaking out that I may do worse this time because of these RC bootcamp scores. Could some of you guys give some tips on how to get better scores. I have been reading Scientific American articles for a couple months now. I know that its not my reading speed or comprehension that seems to be the problem. I don't know if its just the pressure with time, but I really suck at this section. You guys gotta save me here, please!

Thank you!

I am doing horrible on BC Reading as well like 15 less on my first two BC Reading tests. To be honest I cant even comprehend what some of those passages are saying. I am freaking out to however I started taking the CDP Reading tests and my scores are around 18 and 19 so I am on the same boat as you however if you did score a 20 last time you took the exam I believe you will do at least that well or a little lower than that 19 which still is not bad. Let me ask you this when did you take your last DAT test. I am certain that the reading test should be of similar difficulty this time too. Do you remember the exam being more search and destroy or was it mostly inference like the BC tests. Also I will tell you this BC tests on reading especially are harder than the real exam I have heard many people claiming this!

 

[mkhan27]

I am doing horrible on BC Reading as well like 15 less on my first two BC Reading tests. To be honest I cant even comprehend what some of those passages are saying. I am freaking out to however I started taking the CDP Reading tests and my scores are around 18 and 19 so I am on the same boat as you however if you did score a 20 last time you took the exam I believe you will do at least that well or a little lower than that 19 which still is not bad. Let me ask you this when did you take your last DAT test. I am certain that the reading test should be of similar difficulty this time too. Do you remember the exam being more search and destroy or was it mostly inference like the BC tests. Also I will tell you this BC tests on reading especially are harder than the real exam I have heard many people claiming this!

The last time I took my DAT was in March 2013, so I don't know if they changed the RC much. However, reading most of the breakdowns people have said that there are more SnD questions on the real DAT. There will still be a lot of those "this statement is correct, and related", "this statement is not correct, and related", "this statement is not correct and not related"....etc type questions as far as what the breakdowns have said. Last time I took it, I did SnD and was able to pull off a 20. I agree that Bootcamps passages are longer and harder, but all RC passages (as stated on ADA website) is ~1500 words, so they are within that range. Keep practicing on RC and you'll get better and better. Don't relax at all during the reading and keep SnD just like @Megazeroxuxm has said above. That advice actually helped a little haha thanks!

 

[mkhan27]

What I did was I read the first half of the essay, if it was an easier essay (even tho I had 3 hard full 14 paragraph essays) I would read a bit more than half and then speed read the rest to get some kind of keyword down, it would usually take me 5-10 minutes to do so. Then I would start answering questions, skip all the ones I didn't know right away, but having read the question I had an idea of what I needed to be looking for. Then after I have finished all the ones that I know for sure, I go back to the essay and finish reading the second half, normal speed. The trick is to do all this in under 20 minutes, so start practicing 1/3 of boot camp test, then slowly increase to full rc test. The main thing for me was I read a lot and so on the second or third essay I started reading casually, as if I was reading a news article or something, and that was bad!! Don't do that, don't relax, keep at it, read as fast as you can, for a whole hour, that was the realization that was critical for me to do well on the rest. Anyways I got a 21 doing this, I did like 2 bootcamp test, not a native English speaker. That's what worked for me. Lmk if that worked for you 😀

Thanks for the advice it helped out!

 

[Megazeroxuxm]

Thanks for the advice it helped out!

NP man don't sweat it, I got a friend who read out loud super fast so I can't imagine what it must be like for him to read in his head, must be at least twice as fas. So for us commoners, we just gotta work up that speed, done people are just born with it.