HELP! Anyone has any suggestions on how to Prepare for Reading Comp?

[bebi]

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I've been practicing my RC, but I can't improve.
How is Kaplan RC compared to the real DAT?
I keep on getting 15 on my kaplan. I hope the real DAT is easier.

 

[grettlin2]

Hi bebi, check this http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=75222

 

[Hot-n-Aml]

All my strategy went out the window the second I started the actual reading section due to the pressure and stress. All I ended up doing was reading the questions in advance, and scanning the passages for answers. It got me a 20.

Not that I suggest the same thing, but even if you have a strategy, it might not work for you on test day. So my advice is to be flexible in your methods, because any one of them can turn out to be the lucky one when it counts.

Good luck!

Hot-n-Aml

________________________________________________
UPitt, SDM, Class of 2007

 

[bebi]

Thanks for your the help.

 

[salem7]

This is one section where unfortunately you either got it or you don't. Some people can quickly read a passage and then find the answers under stress and others can't.

I would continue reading some sample passages to a certain extent and then really concentrate on the Bio., Chem., Organic sections.

You have a better chance of acceptance with a 15 -16 in RC than you do one of the science sections.

 

[drPheta]

agreed with the above guys. Strategy does not work all the time. I was hitting 20's in my practice exams, but ended up with a 17 on my DAT.

However, it may help to read a lot of boring articles under time constraints (pressure is a big factor on this one), and then try to remember where every topic is within those articles. It'll help you map out the passages.

When I say boring...I mean BORING!!! I may help...it is tedious...but you never know.

On a lighter note. RC is not a big deal with ad-coms (mostly). Like I said..I got a 17 and I'm going to Tufts.

 

[snsethy]

Originally posted by drPheta
agreed with the above guys. Strategy does not work all the time. I was hitting 20's in my practice exams, but ended up with a 17 on my DAT.

However, it may help to read a lot of boring articles under time constraints (pressure is a big factor on this one), and then try to remember where every topic is within those articles. It'll help you map out the passages.

When I say boring...I mean BORING!!! I may help...it is tedious...but you never know.

On a lighter note. RC is not a big deal with ad-coms (mostly). Like I said..I got a 17 and I'm going to Tufts.

On my practice exams I was getting around a 17, but when it came time for the exam I got somewhere in the 20s! (Is it bad that I don't remember?) ! My articles were really interesting, one was on why MSG makes some people sick, and the other was on asteroids or something... not too horribly bad. I used the outline method for taking them (where you make a brief notes outline of each paragraph) it seemed to work.

 

[grettlin2]

I think it would not help too much by asking "if the Reading is important to the committees", "How do they weigh this section", and ....... For people, like myself, who worry about this section, what we want to know is the view from Admission Committees. After asking this question 2 times before, I find there are two OPPOSITE points of views. First, if people get excellent DAT scores, most of them will tell you reading is the key to dental schools. For the other part, people do not get good reading score, they would say it is not the barrier to block you from dental schools.
I would rather ask the admission offices. If I get any response, I will post them.

 

[futuredds]

Hi guys,

I am also looking forward to improve my reading skills. I got a low score on reading section, that's possibly why I am wait-listed at NYU.

For the first DAT, I tried the technique that kaplan taught. I numbered all paragraphs, then write down key words or main idea for each paragraph. This way you could refer back to the paragraph for answer. I think this is a good way, but I didn't have enough time for this.

Anyway, I am studying for the DAT again. For the reading part, I desperate to look for ways to improve my speed. I tried the Evelyn Wood strategies by using HAND PACER as you read on the passage. It helps tremendously and I tend to comprehend better too. However, I am not sure if we can do HAND PACER on the computer screen.

If you are interested, go to library and search for speed reading. I found a book wrote by Franklin J., president of Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamic.

Please share if you have any information.


sincerely,
futuredds

 

[tinker bell]

I still strongly believe that reading score is important eventhough I didn't get a stellar reading score. I would like to think otherwise, but it's not. Especially when u speak english with an accent, people will look at your reading score.

Obviously futuredds knows how important reading score is.

One thing I used to do when I practice:

Read journals online every day. I would get up early in the morning, and find some boring stuff to read. I read mostly Nature, Cell and Neuron online everyday. I found the moving hand method didn't help because the test is a computerized. So, online practicing is very important.

After readings for a few months. You will find your speed increasing greatly.

Do not stop practice reading after your DAT. Obviously it's a skill, and you need to build it up to read faster once you are in dental school.

 

[wimmcs]

Tink - As soon as I read your post, I went to the Nature website and found a pretty cool article. I think I will try your approach, however, I was wondering... you also mentioned another website called "Cell and Neuron". How do I find this website? Thanks for sharing your tips with us.

 

[tinker bell]

Try cell.com and neuron.com. Also, check out science.com

If you have a link to your school library, you should be able to access those journals for free. If your school does not subscribe this, find a friend who works in a lab that subscribes to these journals and bribe them for password.

Cell is the most difficult to read. So, don't feel dumb if you read and ended up not understanding half of what they say.

 

[bebi]

I've been reading the free research papers on science.com.
These articles are extremely boring and hard to read.
When practicing by reading these research paper, the kaplan's passages seem to be a lot easier to read.

 

[lucyzhang]

but I think to just read an article is differentfrom you actually have questions to answer.
unfortunately, even kaplan only has 2 reading comprehension tests
what about MCAT reading comprehension? is it similar? Can I use MCAT prepare for DAT reading? thanks🙂

 

[mcataz]

Tinkerbell is offerring good advice. The reading section on the DAT doesn't incorporate passages from Harry Potter. Lots of people can read quickly if it's something they enjoy. But the passages on the DAT are long and boring. The only way to really prepare for those passages is to become accustomed to reading boring passages so that when you do the real thing, you won't stare into blank space as you try to read those passages.

I would do both. I would read short boring science articles, and practice taking verbal passages.