Hi everyone. I wanted to know how I can improve my comprehension skills for CARS. For some reason, I can't really understand what the passages are saying sometimes. By the time I get to the end of the passage, I don't really retain most of what I have read. So how can I overcome this obstacle? Will I get the hang of it the more I do passages?
How Can I Improve My Comprehension for CARS?
- Thread starter ATM92
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Search around the forums, it's been covered extensively. Check the pinned topic and read the strategies for this section and find one that works for you. The old MCAT Verbal strategies apply to the CARS section as well. Check out this short video series to give you an eye opener on how you're approaching passages. It's helped me greatly.
To keep it short though, I read for main ideas and go from there. I use highlighting tools for italics, phrases, or formal names. Don' get bog down on the details of the passage while reading, get the main idea of each paragraph!
To keep it short though, I read for main ideas and go from there. I use highlighting tools for italics, phrases, or formal names. Don' get bog down on the details of the passage while reading, get the main idea of each paragraph!
Many thanks!!! I'll watch it and apply the concepts while I'm doing the passages. For some reason, I've had a reading comprehension issue since I was a kid. I graduated with a very good gpa last May from Rutgers, yet, I was never able to overcome my comprehension issue unfortunately.
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Sure, it was a 7 on the old scale (124 on new scale according to google), haven't taken the new test yet. I'm only confident to post my advice because I'm hovering around 127+ on all of my FLs 2 months out from the January test, I'm not running out of time during practice, I'm not feeling rushed/anxious, and I feel I've found my groove. I used to panic about timing during the reading portion, but I'm answering questions so fast now that I've really take my time reading. It's not about reading speed at all!
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@popopopop I think that's exactly what many students need to do when they retake. Since each section has passages to read, it's essentially a reading exam. Knowing the content cold is super important. But if you can't read passages for the key points you'll miss a lot of questions.
A lot of students who retake fall under the category of lack of preparation or not doing enough practice problems. If you simply study content for three months and then start doing problems or exams two weeks prior to the real exam, you will most likely need to retake.
A lot of students who retake fall under the category of lack of preparation or not doing enough practice problems. If you simply study content for three months and then start doing problems or exams two weeks prior to the real exam, you will most likely need to retake.
If you find yourself lost in a passage, try writing a sentence summarizing each paragraph and then the whole passage when you REVIEW passages. This may be a waste of time while you actually do the test but forcing yourself to summarize will help train you to quickly transform words on the page into your own words which is a skill that is very important in CARS. By doing this over and over again, you can gradually reduce your time per passage and have greater comprehension and retention.
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I went from a 6 in verbal to a 127 on CARS using Kaplan material and EyeQ advantage speed reading course online.
When I was prepping for the old mcat, this video made something click for me And marked a big turning point in my verbal performance. Applied similar strategy to cars on the new mcat and it worked well.
When I read the passage, I spend about 6 and sometimes 7 of my 10 minutes on the passage but don't allow myself to look back. I read slow and very attentively. In each paragraph, there's usually some statement from the author where his/her personal opinion is given. I try to look for those opinions and build my mental framework of the passage from those opinions. I don't remember all the details when I go to answer questions but having a clear picture of what the author is telling you is almost always enough to eliminate three incorrect answers. Read the question very carefully and start looking for incorrect answers. It's super important to ignore any personal interpretation or logical inferences when choosing an answer. If the answer choice contradicts the authors personal words in any way, if the answer is logical but irrelevant to the passage, or if the answer makes sense but is too extreme(ex: "never" or "always"), it's incorrect. Always did best with cars on days when I was able to really ignore comfort level and avoid second guessing. Kinda felt like I needed to not think and let the technique repetition from practicing every day take over. Hope this is helpful.
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@ATM92 - I think you will "get the hang of it" the more passages you do, but with that said, if you're practicing bad habits, then no, it won't help you. It actually could hurt you if you're building bad habits, such as taking passages untimed. This messes up your intuitions about timing so when you do start to take passages under timed conditions, your pacing is completely off. That's just an example, but the principle applies to many areas. In terms of improving comprehension, I think it comes down to developing the skill of summarizing on the spot. Are you able to read a sentence and summarize it to yourself? Are you able to read a paragraph and summarize it to yourself? This is a skill that most people have to practice in order to develop. Which is a good thing, because it means it's not something you're just born with or you're not. It can be learned, strengthened, and improved over time. Here's a post we wrote about what to do when you' are struggling to understand a difficult CARS passage. I think it applies to call CARS passages, so might be helpful to you.
Best of luck and please let us know if there's anything we can do to help!
