I do not know why many people keep repeating the same tired old verbal tricks over and over again, given the fact everybody knows about it and constitute the majority of the people who fall victim to the MCATs.
A speedreading course is not worth it because it lets you pay for something they assume to be complex (i.e., that it requires a course). Let me give you another one of my highly anticipated and potentially time-honored secrets. I bet I can score better in Verbal than the combined pool of Kaplanian/Princetonian instructors.
If you are one of the UNFORTUNATE people who were lazy to read and therefore never acquired that comprehension speed reading, then do two things:
1. Improve recognition by writing a list of words. Preferably difficult-looking words from a dictionary (or from the passages). Glance at them and in another sheet of paper rewrite them again, with the correct spelling... everything... be photographic. Start with 4 and work your way up. I can replicate about 18 unfamiliar words each time, no problem. This exercise will improve your "speed" without loss of "recognition"
2. Improve your vocabulary and word usage by reading materials you do not like. For words you do not understand, make a list, do no. 1 and use the dictionary. What materials? Newsweek? Mags? Unless you have all the time in the world, these are CRAP. Get your hands onto any, preferably ALL VERBAL EXAMS... AAMC, Kaplan, Princeton, SAT, LSAT, anything with questions and answers. Make PHOTOCOPIES of these passages and read these instead of other things.
The point is to get to the point. Use materials closest to the exam. Practice your "skills" there. And you need not rely on some fancy course to help you because there is nothing COMPLEX about improving reading and comprehension. Just do the two things I told you and everything will be easy. Look at that, you spent NOTHING for these tips. All you need now is discipline.
