CARS: Always 2 Choices Left...

[JohnWall69]

Everytime I am doing CARS... I narrow it down to 2 possible choices and I can't choose the correct one. This happens to me for like 7-10 questions...so it could really boost my score if I chose the correct ones...

how do I get out of this problem??? I'm always left with the two best choices and end up with the wrong one...

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[theonlytycrane]

Think of the one you would choose, then choose the other one. J/k- try to choose the one most supported by something in the passage if possible. These are tough though and I feel your pain.

Also try to use any POE if possible, eliminating choices with stronger word choices like always or never, unless explicitly stated in the passage. Wishy-washy answers are usually good.

 

[DrHart]

I've had the same issue. I truly believe that this is where CARS is more of an art than a science. After doing a ton of practice, you get a feel for the right answer just because... it feels right. Practice practice practice. Sorry there isn't an easy fix to it. Just do as many passages as you can!

 

[hellobello18]

I agree! When I first started practicing CARS, I was getting literally every question wrong lol. Then I narrowed it down to 2 and kept choosing the wrong answer, like you. I started to see improvement after I kept doing passages..eventually the right answer will feel right. Make sure you know WHY the other answers are wrong. Usually the ones that say "only" "always" "never", etc aren't the right answer (usually!). Once I was doing about 4-6 passages a day, things improved. Good luck!

 

[gattaa]

I do really well in the CARS section and my advice is this: put in NO PERSONAL OPINION! None. Zero. Zip. When you are looking at your CARS questions, pretend you are a robot. You have no feelings, no preferences, and no biases. Only pick answers that are taken from facts right out of the text. Trust me, try it out. It will help!

 

[MCATforsale1]

@JohnWall69

I scored 132 in CARS, above 90th percentile on the LSAT, and teach both MCAT and LSAT.

Do not...I repeat...do not go with "what just feels right". That is lunacy and not supported by any rational basis. What you have to do is try to support the answers by some fact or logic in the passage, or conversely, disprove some aspect of an answer choice through information in the passage or an inference. Usually there will be something in the passage that, if you infer correctly, you will be able to understand what the author meant and the right answer will literally jump out at you. When you're at the "unsure" stage where you can't decide between answer choices, that only means that you do not have a solid comprehension of the passage. Unfortunately, this is based on your reading strength, and the only way to improve that, besides practice, is to concentrate better while reading and to read ACTIVELY. Good scores on CARS do not happen because you just "read and absorb". They happen because you read actively and ask questions while you read. More importantly, also not glossing over sentences you don't fully understand is essential to improving comprehension.

In any event, hope that helps. Goodluck on your exam.

 

[MCATforsale1]

As a side note: @gattaa 's advice is actually not bad. Separating yourself from the passage allows you to view things more objectively, so I would agree that it's a strong way to improve your decision making.

 

[DaAlienist]

@JohnWall69

I scored 132 in CARS, above 90th percentile on the LSAT, and teach both MCAT and LSAT.

Do not...I repeat...do not go with "what just feels right". That is lunacy and not supported by any rational basis. What you have to do is try to support the answers by some fact or logic in the passage, or conversely, disprove some aspect of an answer choice through information in the passage or an inference. Usually there will be something in the passage that, if you infer correctly, you will be able to understand what the author meant and the right answer will literally jump out at you. When you're at the "unsure" stage where you can't decide between answer choices, that only means that you do not have a solid comprehension of the passage. Unfortunately, this is based on your reading strength, and the only way to improve that, besides practice, is to concentrate better while reading and to read ACTIVELY. Good scores on CARS do not happen because you just "read and absorb". They happen because you read actively and ask questions while you read. More importantly, also not glossing over sentences you don't fully understand is essential to improving comprehension.

In any event, hope that helps. Goodluck on your exam.

Any recommendations on the best CARS practice, aside from the few AAMC items?