For you guys who are doing 9+ in verbal... how often do you go back to the passage?

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Cooolguy

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Hey guyys, there are plenty of us still struggling in verbal, For the people doing well, how often do you refer back to the passage for answers to the questions?

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Cooolguy said:
Hey guyys, there are plenty of us still struggling in verbal, For the people doing well, how often do you refer back to the passage for answers to the questions?

I refer back quite often, but I think adding a little note to teh side of the paragraph helps. i don't know how, but I got a 10 on AAMC 8. It was the feeling exactly like examkrackers tells you. You feel like crap when you finish the verbal. I felt like crap, checked my answers and got a 10, lol.

I think that is my biggest flaw in verbal, I go back quite often, but... and this is a big but... if you catch the main idea, you can often feel out the answer choices in verbal. Have you tried the method of reading the questions after each paragraph? I did this for 8 and it was really hard, but it worked, cuz someo f the passages I finished ni 3 minutes.
 
I find that I skim the passage, which enable me to determine the general gist and catch a few details. I make little notes (one or two words) for each paragraph in the margin, then when referring back (I voted for most of the time) I know right where to look. I am taking the Kaplan class and used their methods for a while until I developed this style, which has helped me finish on time for every full length since #1. I was getting way bogged down with the whole mapping thing before. Hope this helps.
 
I skim through the whole passage once before looking at the questions. To answer the questions, if I have no idea, I hone in on the part of the passage that has the answer. If I have a hunch, I still look over the specific part of the passage to confirm my answer. Oftentimes, you can scan for key words to find what you're looking for. Hope this helps.
 
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I usually get an 11 on the AAMC Practice Tests. I got a 10 on AAMC 9, though. I usually go back to the passage when answering questions. I underline a few things that I think will be asked, and also when it looks like an opinion is changing.
 
I went back for pretty much every question (for 1 or 2 on the whole test I would not check back). All of the answers are in the passage, so check back with the passage if you are unsure. The only difficulty is recalling where in the passage the answer lies.
I got a 12 VR when I took the MCAT.
 
I've gotten a 12 and a 13 on my last two practice tests (both Kaplan, haven't done an AAMC yet), and I almost always refer back to the passage. Sometimes it's just a quick check to verify an answer I'm pretty sure is right, sometimes it's a more intensive re-reading of a section.

My strategy is to read the passage thorougly once. Then I'll do the questions, and check back in the passage for the answers. I never do any sort of outlining, underlining, summarizing, etc.
 
DF38 said:
I've gotten a 12 and a 13 on my last two practice tests (both Kaplan, haven't done an AAMC yet), and I almost always refer back to the passage. Sometimes it's just a quick check to verify an answer I'm pretty sure is right, sometimes it's a more intensive re-reading of a section.

My strategy is to read the passage thorougly once. Then I'll do the questions, and check back in the passage for the answers. I never do any sort of outlining, underlining, summarizing, etc.

That is the EK strategy correct? How long does it take you to read a passage on average? It seems to take me near 4 minutes when i read it very thorougly. After I am through reading, I do the questions without referring back to the passage almost 90% of the time. This is the only way I can finish on time. Any ideas to improve from a 7? lol
 
I think that reading the passage all the way through and trying to completely understand it while you are reading (paraphrasing) is the best way to attack verbal. Then, you can answer some of the questions without looking back and if you do have to go back, you have a pretty good idea of where stuff is.
 
witt105 said:
I think that reading the passage all the way through and trying to completely understand it while you are reading (paraphrasing) is the best way to attack verbal. Then, you can answer some of the questions without looking back and if you do have to go back, you have a pretty good idea of where stuff is.

I agree with Witt105. Seeing the forest through the trees is *crucial* for a higher level VR score. You have to able to understand the passage, not just note specific facts found in it.

I use the EK strategy, which is a thorough read through and then critically reading the questions as well. Many questions make themselves obvious just through the possible answers. I rarely go back to the passage after I've read it, and I've never made notes or highlighted anything.

Using this strategy I've also never scored lower than a 12 on a VR practice section.
 
My average on practice tests (6 through Kaplan and a couple AAMC) is an 11 on verbal. I have never scored lower than a 10 since I stopped going back to the passage. Unless it is a question that asks something like "in the passage, the author uses all of these examples except" (ie. a question that is very specific and not at all conceptual) then I don't go back. I find that it only serves to confuse me when I have already carefully read the passage and have a basic understanding of it. Often, one of the wrong choices can be found word-for-word in the passage but even so it doesn't answer the question posed. Hope that helps!
 
I can't stress enough how superior the EK strategy is, which entails not referring back to the passage unless you absolutely have to. I started using Kaplan's strategy and would get 7-8s on EK. I switched to the EK strategy of reading the passage through without mapping. My scores when up to the point where I am consistently getting 10s.

Going back to the passage is, on the whole, a waste of time. If you read through it thoroughly the first time, you'll only need to check back once or twice for more detail oriented questions.

The most important advice I can give, and one that is often overlooked, is MAKE SURE THE ANSWER CHOICE YOU CHOOSE ANSWERS THE QUESTION. This was the result of nearly all my mistakes early on. In nearly every choice there will be an answer choice that is verbatim from the passage, yet does not answer the question. Going back to the passage could, in fact, cause you to choose the answer choice.
 
ADeadLois said:
I can't stress enough how superior the EK strategy is, which entails not referring back to the passage unless you absolutely have to. I started using Kaplan's strategy and would get 7-8s on EK. I switched to the EK strategy of reading the passage through without mapping. My scores when up to the point where I am consistently getting 10s.

Going back to the passage is, on the whole, a waste of time. If you read through it thoroughly the first time, you'll only need to check back once or twice for more detail oriented questions.

The most important advice I can give, and one that is often overlooked, is MAKE SURE THE ANSWER CHOICE YOU CHOOSE ANSWERS THE QUESTION. This was the result of nearly all my mistakes early on. In nearly every choice there will be an answer choice that is verbatim from the passage, yet does not answer the question. Going back to the passage could, in fact, cause you to choose the answer choice.

mmmm. that's some good advice.
 
I think it depends on the person... I'm a fast reader, so I would read through the passage completely w/o mapping or writing notes (occasionally, I underlined..) but then I could go back and skim through if I needed to find something... But I think the best strategy if you're not that fast of a reader is to put a key word or phrase by each of the paragraphs while you read it through and only then look at the questions... I think that it tends to keep you from reading with tunnel vision (ie looking for specific phrases that relate to the questions and missing the big picture of the author's point of view or main argument that will be needed to answer the broader questions...)
 
Cooolguy said:
That is the EK strategy correct? How long does it take you to read a passage on average? It seems to take me near 4 minutes when i read it very thorougly. After I am through reading, I do the questions without referring back to the passage almost 90% of the time. This is the only way I can finish on time. Any ideas to improve from a 7? lol
I don't think it's the EK strategy, I think the EK strategy is to not refer back to the passage. I don't know how long it takes me to read the passage, not that long at all though since I'm a really fast reader. I tend to finish the verbal section with about 20 minutes to spare.

As for improving, I'd say look back and try to figure out why you're not getting questions right. Are you running out of time and not finishing? Finishing, but hurrying and making stupid mistakes? Not reading the question correctly?
 
If you know the answer and have a good feeling (and can eliminate all the stupid answers)...don't look back. But personally, I go back quite often. Hell, the answers are in the paragraph......why not?

I range from 9-11 on Verbal. I am shooting for a 12.
 
I always read to understand the argument and refer back to the passage only for detail questions and/or ones about which I haven't a clue. It really works, as I have gotten at least an 11 on all of the verbal sections that I have taken.
 
Do what works for you. I think the best strategy EK presented was in analyzing the question stems, as they really reveal alot about what the answer may be.

If you need to look back at the passage, do so. I think it's stupid to not go back, since as Jebus said, the answer is IN the passage anyway. You definitely want to read through the passage as if you're reading through a magazine (that you actually enjoy), trying to absorb the information and getting a good feel for what the author is trying to say. If you can some up the passage in a sentence, you're set to answer any questions that come your way.

One more thing that I liked about EK strategy was to paraphrase the answer choices, it really works to put things in your own words. For example:

A) The author expresses muted disdain of polytheistic dogmas

Translation: Author hates religions with more than one god.
 
I hardly ever go back, unless the question is osmething like "the authors use of the word antidisestablishmenterism in line 542 most likely means". Find it to be too tiresome and often misleading towards teh wrong answer.
 
musiclink213 said:
I hardly ever go back, unless the question is osmething like "the authors use of the word antidisestablishmenterism in line 542 most likely means". Find it to be too tiresome and often misleading towards teh wrong answer.


I think there are "clues" like if they say that... from the passage we can induce that "blah blah"

then most likly a direct answer is not in there.

If they said that passage states "blah lbha"

then maybe you should look back?

I am having trouble myself with constantly looking back / and figureing out exactly when. I never annotate the passage either (i've been getting 9-10s so far) but I really want 11-12 :)

Myabe I should try annotating... who knows...
 
Cooolguy said:
Hey guyys, there are plenty of us still struggling in verbal, For the people doing well, how often do you refer back to the passage for answers to the questions?

i got a 10 on last augusts MCATs and my strategy is as follows

i read the passage through once very well, enough to remember details

then i go through the questions, and i try and answer the questions without reading the choices, like it says, "the main purpose of the passage is.." then i will try and answer the question in my head and see if an answer matches

usually this works, and i will only refer back to the passage if the question is asking about specific lines or whatnot.

i hope this helps
 
since january, ive raised my verbal score from a 5 to a 10, and haev scored 10's on the 7R and 8R...my strategy is as follows:

1) regardless of difficulty, i start with the two passages with most questions, i give myself 2 minutes to read through the passage, no more and 1 minute per question...i NEVER worry about getting details, that takes too long for me and hasn't worked at all...i read for the TPR recommended Gist and Tone of the passage (this really helps me a lot, if i know the basics of what the passage is trying to say, and the side the author is taking on the topic, then i can really get a grasp of the questions)

2) then i always go to specific questions first (questions that require you go back to the passage i.e. line references, lead word, etc...) and read 5 or more lines above and 5 or more lines below the reference, this time trying to get more than jsut basics, getting more of a feel for the passages...

3) then, after those, i go to general questions about hte passage becuz now i have a better understanding of everything going on in it...

4) finally, roman numeral questions and weaken/strengthen questions are done last..

yeah, this seems pretty basic, but two things that have really helped me in doing well in Verbal are 1) stating the question in my own words ANNNND (ESPECIALLY!!!) 2) stating hte answer in my own words before i look back at hte answers cuz that way i know what the answer has to deal with

another thing that has really helped is realizing that you have to answer the question itself...a lotta times, the MCAT will put statements in the answer choices that are correct regarding the passage, and since time is of the essence, people will quickly circle that answer and move on without realizing that it doesn't specifically answer the question at hand...i am still working on that, F-CKIN MCAT!! but such is the nature of the game...hope that helped someone at least.
 
alex_shimp said:
I think there are "clues" like if they say that... from the passage we can induce that "blah blah"

then most likly a direct answer is not in there.

If they said that passage states "blah lbha"

then maybe you should look back?

I am having trouble myself with constantly looking back / and figureing out exactly when. I never annotate the passage either (i've been getting 9-10s so far) but I really want 11-12 :)

Myabe I should try annotating... who knows...

I absolutely hate annotating. HATE IT. Takes too much time and interrupts the flow of the passage if you're stopping to write something down. If you must, underline words like but, however, if, always, because those things could come back in the question and seem misleading because the answer choice can come directly out of the passage, but there might be a but before the phrase which you might forget to read.

BTW, this works for me, I had an 11 in August, and have been getting between 11-13 on the practices now. But maybe something different works for you.
 
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