DAT IN 1 WEEK, STRUGGLING IN RC HELP :(((

[bambam123]

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Hey guys! Been reading alot of breakdowns to boost my confidence but currently struggling with RC.
I been averaging 17-18 only for Bootcamp RC, basically half of questions right only. My test is in one week!!!!!!

My method is read half of the passage and answer the questions, but reading the bootcamp passages take forever and cuts my alotted time in half. Thus I have to switch to S and D for the rest of the passage.

I been doing an RC exam everyday since last Friday and plan on doing one everyday until my DAT day. Will the real dat have long passages like bootcamp? Am I screwed?

HELP!!! THANKS GUYS!!

 

[averageasian]

personally i found the Dat bootcamp passages to be really hard. i scored 18-20 on them but pulled a 25 on the real thing. I found my RC section to be fairly easy where i could read half and then start answering, search and destroy the rest. However, every exam is different and in the end it really comes down to what the computer pulls out for you.

Why are you getting these questions wrong? are you not reading close enough or something else? Look at what you are getting wrong and why. dont spend too much time on one question. I think the best part of prepping the RC section is doing all the bootcamp exams but also exposing yourself to science articles through scitineic american. Understand the message of the reading and look for the important details, especially ones that convey the authors opinion. good luck!

 

[Bingwen]

The passages on Bootcamp are similar in length, though of course come test date topic and question style is a bit of a toss up. I would recommend that if you are running out time using that strategy try a different one and see if that works better. For the majority of people that I have seen on SDN and others Bootcamp scores correlate pretty closely with what you can expect on the DAT. Of course that is not a guarantee. There are some strategies on the bootcamp RC page that might help you or try to make your own off of those. The biggest thing is to try and increase your reading speed and pick a strategy that works with your reading style. The last being the most important part with so little time before your exam.

 

[CU2times]

the method that worked best for me was to write down keywords and concepts from each paragraph, using the paragraph numbers to help you quickly find answers when you get to the questions. I read the passage in its entirety, and while it is important to read quickly, there are a fair number of conceptual questions, so I urge you to really comprehend while you read because search and destroy doesn't work for those types of questions. When you get to a paragraph that is highly technical (i.e.: just throwing a bunch of stats/measurements/numbers at you) , I would suggest just jotting down a note about what the facts are about, but don't actually waste time reading it, as any type of question on that paragraph will be a "search and destroy" type question.

I was scoring in the 20-22 range on bootcamp RC and ended up at a 25 on the real DAT. I found the passages on the real exam are similar in length but much less technical, allowing for faster and easier reading. The questions also seemed to be more straightforward and less interpretive.

 

[Gubster]

Real DAT is way easier and, for the most part, in order. Do not worry!

 

[CU2times]

Real DAT is way easier and, for the most part, in order. Do not worry!

My questions were definitely not in order. I remember that my first question on passage 1 came from paragraph 13!! And thought how screwed I would've been if I had assumed they were in order - I know everyone is different but just a caution on this!

 

[Faefly]

Have you tried Qvault RC? It is no use depending on one resource only.
Qvault have 7 RC tests you can buy individually, but they are worth the extra money, You need more practice and exposure.
Best of luck, I hope you get higher on the real thing.