For those who know the TRICK

[xDent09]

Listen guys I have been trying to do the kaplan method for reading, and i dont even get to answer 1/2 the questions, what is the best way to do this please help????

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[dentalplan]

Listen guys I have been trying to do the kaplan method for reading, and i dont even get to answer 1/2 the questions, what is the best way to do this please help????

There is only one trick, and I think a lot of people will back me up on this.
You have to do an incredible amount of practice problems, so when you get to the test you feel confident, and you will be able to finish on time.

By doing many practice problems, you will increase your reading skills (yes, this ability can increase in a short time), you will gain confidence doing these types of problems so you're ready for the real thing, and lastly, you will discover new ways to answer certain types of questions, so you don’t waste time trying to figure out how to do them on the real thing.

Problem is, you have to have to set aside some time before you take your exam to practice and actually do the practice problems....to the point were you will be confident. Even if you don't believe me, if you just do practice problems over and over again (like do most of the reading passages from examcrackers 101), then even subconsciously, you will approach this section on the real DAT with confidence, and most likely you will get a very good score. But remember, when you're doing the practice problems, always THINK – and for the ones you got wrong, go back to the passage and SEE why you got those wrong, and do that one you got wrong over and over again. And over again. A month later do those same passages and see if you're getting those same types of questions wrong again. If you are...then you still haven't learned your lesson, and do those questions you got wrong over and over again. Until you get them right every time.

By practicing, you will develop your own tricks, and you will see what works for you and what doesn't. Do 5 passages by reading the passage first, then answering the questions. Time your self. Then do another 5 passages by not reading the passage first and going straight to the questions. And time yourself for that. Pick the strategy that works for you, and exploit it. If you’re getting more questions correct, faster by looking up the questions first, then stick with that method and exploit it. If you like reading the passage first, and you get most of the questions right like that...then continue with that method, to practice on reducing the time it takes for you to complete the passage.

You basically got to try a few methods, and pick the way you’re finding is the fastest and giving the most correct answers....and exploit it.

 

[xDent09]

thanks for your reply, i will sure do what you said!

 

[hoss19]

i generally spend 5-7 minutes "reading" each passage. i quote "reading" becasue i dont actually read from begining to end, word for word. i generally read the first paragraph and sometimes the second to get a feel for the passage. next i read the first / last line of each subsequent paragraph and skim for words, phrases, numbers, etc. that stick out. I jot down on my dry erase board the key items listed by paragraph number. finally i read the last paragraph.

the next step is to attack the questions. If i come across factual / verbatim type questions, i can usually rely on my memory / notes to find the answers. if i get an "what is the authors tone" question early on, or any type of questions that seems realy out of whack or unfamiliar, i mark it and come back to it at the end. this is critical becasue it saves tons of valubale time. there is a good chance that you will come across the answer to the question as you progress through the rest of the questons.

generally i finish right around the one-hour mark; sometimes a few minutes early. i think that "speed reading" is not nearly as important of a skill to have for this section as is honing your organization, technique, and patience (ie dont freak out if you have no idea what they are asking about...maintain composure and move the hell on....its only 1 question!)

 

[jay47]

The way I attacked to reading section on the actual DAT was to skim the passage, read the first 4-5 questions looking for keywords and phrases, and then finding that while reading through the actual passage. Then I would go and skim over the next question, try and find it in the passage, go to next, etc... If I couldn't find an asnwer right away I would skip it, but that was only a last resort. Only skip it if you have no clue because you will be able to answer the question best right after you have read the passage. Don't simply rely on a method anyone else tells you, do what works best for you. Jay

 

[phraud]

I tried to the whole Kaplan method of outlining and found it too time consuming. After practicing that method time and time again, I realized that I would spend all this time outlining but never used my outline to answer the questions. I would still go back to the passage to answer questions.

On the real DAT, I found the passages to be pretty straight forward. I would spend about 6-7 minutes thoroughly reading the entire passage. Then I would just hit the questions, going back the passage to get needed details. I noticed that once I thoroughly read the passages, it was pretty easy remembering what paragraphs certain topics were in.

I would spend about 15 minutes total on a passage. If I came across a question that looked like it would take a while to answer, I would choose C, mark it, and move on to the next question. If I had time left in my 15 minutes, I would work on the skipped questions. Once my 15 minutes were up, I just moved on to the next passage. There's no point in working on a hard question if you're probably going to get it wrong anyway, so you might as well spend that time getting easy questions right.

I had a habit of having my mind wander while reading a passage. I would finish reading a paragraph and then realize I had no idea what I just read. I practiced reading with my girlfriend's JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association... I think that's what it stands for) magazines. Would sit down and read a paragraph, close the magazine, and then summarize what I just read in my head. I would keep doing that, and then work up to 2 paragraphs at a time, and then to 3, etc.

This method worked for me. It may not work for you. Everyone has their own way of doing the RC section. I consider my reading skills very average. I have a horrible vocabulary, and have a hard time understanding dense material. I found the passages very... doable.

Oh yeah, I scored a 21 on my real DAT. I hope this helps!

 

[dvduplex]

I had a habit of having my mind wander while reading a passage. I would finish reading a paragraph and then realize I had no idea what I just read. I practiced reading with my girlfriend's JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association... I think that's what it stands for) magazines. Would sit down and read a paragraph, close the magazine, and then summarize what I just read in my head. I would keep doing that, and then work up to 2 paragraphs at a time, and then to 3, etc.

This method worked for me. It may not work for you. Everyone has their own way of doing the RC section. I consider my reading skills very average. I have a horrible vocabulary, and have a hard time understanding dense material. I found the passages very... doable.

Oh yeah, I scored a 21 on my real DAT. I hope this helps!

hey phraud, how long did it take you to practice reading the JAMA before you actually took the DAT? The reason why I asked is because when I read my mind would also wander and I would have no idea on what I am reading and starting coming up with b.s. on what I think the story is about.

Your technique sound good, I will start practicing now, but the only problem is that I have less than 2 month to practice before I take the DAT. Do you think it is do-able?

Thank you!

 

[Artful Dodger]

In my world, there is no such thing as a trick for RC. You either understand it or not understand it. As everyone suggested, with more practice you'll improve.

 

[allstardentist]

just go straight to the questions.