Critique my verbal strategy please

[VBGLL]

I'm not even even sure I have a true strategy.

I read the questions first, to give myself an idea of what the passage will be about, also to give myself a "heads up" and what info will be relevent in the passage, then I read the passage and answer the questions. No notes or mapping.

After the first 4, I look at how much time is left, glance at the next 3 passages, and decide what order I will do those in.

Thats it.
I improved initially, but seem to have plateaued so I'm evaluating my approach.

Here are my scores from practicing with passages:

EK1 : 5
EK2 : 7
EK3 : 6
EK4 : 10
EK5 : 8
EK6 : 8
AAMC 3: VR: 9
EK7 : 8

On EK 5-7 I got 26/40 all 3 times. On AAMC3 I got 27/40. First passage I took on 3-14, last passage I took today 3-28.


I tried to map on one passage, but I did a poor job, it was time consuming (though maybe that could be overcome through practice) and sometimes I felt I didnt need to as I mapped it mentally. I havent tried it since.



Is there anything you suggest I try to break my plateau?
Thanks.

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[MedPR]

If you're satisfied with 7-9 on the real thing I'd say you're doing great. Otherwise, rethink your strategy.

Figuring out the order of passages you are going to do is just a waste of time. Also, reading the questions first is a waste of time because then you are focusing only on what the questions are asking you as opposed to the main idea and all the other things you should be reading for.

 

[mcloaf]

I don't understand why people feel the need to use special strategies on verbal. Unless you have poor reading comprehension or are a notably slow reader you should be able to just read the passage and answer the questions in order. Did you find that the straight forward approach wasn't working? Why are you doing it this way?

 

[Melomare17]

yea don't look at a passage ahead of the one you're on. i just read the first question or two, then read the first paragraph, if i can answer it grreat, if not look at next question and keep reading, keep doing this and soon you'll have read the whole thing to answer any ones you missed. gets me around 10s-11s every time

 

[pfaction]

I don't understand why people feel the need to use special strategies on verbal. Unless you have poor reading comprehension or are a notably slow reader you should be able to just read the passage and answer the questions in order. Did you find that the straight forward approach wasn't working? Why are you doing it this way?

That's me.

OP, I'm doing what you're doing, except I go straight through the passages. 8 mins per passage: take max 30s to look at questions, read the passage straight through, grasping it and mentally putting placemarks where questions are asked (great for retrieval and retrieval-like), and usually I end with 10s to spare, occasionally running over 10s but I do have 4 mins to spare.

Also, reading the questions first is a waste of time because then you are focusing only on what the questions are asking you as opposed to the main idea and all the other things you should be reading for.

It keeps you on your toes regarding what to look out for. If you read some passage and the questions have you looking all over the place, this method helps exact where it is.

Then again. I'm at 7s and 8s myself, so...

 

[MedPR]

That's me.


It keeps you on your toes regarding what to look out for. If you read some passage and the questions have you looking all over the place, this method helps exact where it is.

Then again. I'm at 7s and 8s myself, so...

If you are reading properly you shouldn't have to be looking anywhere for the majority of the questions.