How do you handle a verbal passage if you don't understand it?

[StripedCheetah]

We all know that feeling: time is running short, and you're pondering on a question for a passage that you don't fully understand.

What do you do?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[survivordo]

Truly don't understand it?

Eliminate any answer choices that are clearly wrong.
Eliminate any answer choices that contain words that are definitive like ALWAYS or MUST
Pick the longest answer stem... or C

Survivor DO

 

[Gauss44]

We all know that feeling: time is running short, and you're pondering on a question for a passage that you don't fully understand.

What do you do?

Dealing with passages that make no sense whatsoever:

1. Consider saving it for last. And limit you time on it.

2. Quickly scan the questions for definition questions like, "The author uses the word $%^@#$^ to mean:"

3. Read with this goal: Render your best "main idea" of each paragraph. Record that mentally or on paper in short hand. Try to find the connection to the preceding paragraphs as you go along. (Do not take too long on any paragraph. Read it once, or twice quickly if absolutely necessary, then do your best work. Your general idea, even if foggy or vague, will probably be close enough if you go one paragraph at a time.)

4. Working the questions: Your passage map should indicate where the answer is to most of the questions. Eliminate as many wrong answers as you can, then either quickly choose the best remaining answer from memory, or use your map to quickly reread the part the question is about and pick your best imperfect answer.

THE KEY IS TO MOVE ALONG and not let these sponge up all of your time.

 

[gettheleadout]

Where are these passages that are incomprehensible? The only thing I've ever tried to read that I utterly failed at was a research paper filled with acronyms I didn't know and assuming background knowledge I didn't have. Verbal isn't like that.

 

[texan2414]

Look at the source of the passage - usually written below at the end of the passage!

I use the title of the work from which the passage is taken out of, and I try to formulate a context about who the author is... Basically DO use your instinct and be very spontaneous with the passage even if you don't understand it. Chances are that your instinct is right.

 

[Gauss44]

Where are these passages that are incomprehensible? The only thing I've ever tried to read that I utterly failed at was a research paper filled with acronyms I didn't know and assuming background knowledge I didn't have. Verbal isn't like that.

I think it's possible (for a person with normal learning abilities) to overcome "incomprehensible" passages with the right practice. The amount of work required to develop the skill to read those, I think, is highly variable and depends on the person. Depending on personal circumstances, it might not be possible to spend enough time on that prior to taking the MCAT.

Passages I initially found to be "incomprehensible" in the time provided (SPOILERS are in white below, highlight to read - You probably shouldn't highlight, unless you've already taken the MCAT.):

1. AAMC Self Assessment passage 7: First sentence for identification purposes, "The classical view of concepts is that their members share conditions that are singly necessary and jointly sufficient...."

2. TBR's passage, Thomas Hobbes on the Meanings of Right, Liberty, and Law, which begins, "The RIGHT OF NATURE, which Writers commonly call Jus Naturale, is the Liberty each man hath, to use his own power, as he will himselfe, for the preservation of his own Nature; that is to say, of his own Life; and consequently, of doing any thing, which in his own Judgement, and Reasons, hee shall conceive to be the aptest means thereunto.

By LIBERTY, is understood, according to the proper signification of the word, the absence of externall Impediments: which Impediments, may oft take away part of the mans power to do what hee would; but cannot hinder him from using the power left him, according as his judgement, and reason shall dictate to him...."

3. AAMC practice test 3, VR passage 6 about Confucius and the concept of Li.

I'm might add more later. Please feel free to recommend reading material for me to practice with, if you know of any magazines, or other publications with the sort of writing I'm struggling with. You can PM me. Thanks!

 

[fizzlin]

My actual MCAT exam by the AAMC had the weirdest verbal passage (a little too technical for me) that I read once, read again, and proceeded to try my hardest in POE-ing my way to the right answers. I did feel like I was guessing (and randomly trying to choose an answer) for the last three questions while dealing with a 1-minute time crunch. My attempts to POE were not great at all, and a panic started setting in towards the end.

So..... I think it just depends. This can always happen if you are not so familiar with reading such topics. If you are familiar with reading philosophical books/paper, then those passages (while others may think are hard) may seem easier to you. This would also be the case: If you are familiar with reading literature essays/papers.... if you are familiar with reading research papers... if you are familiar with reading esoteric physics lingo.... etc.

Always try to ignore the mumbo jumbo and look for the basic meaning in the passage. Ignore the fluff and look for the stuff. Then POE your way to the right answer. Practice doing this as much as you can! There's really nothing more you can do with Verbal other than practice. Practice reading, practice passages, practice understanding, practice timing, practice answering Qs/POE.

 

[Person0715]

Where are these passages that are incomprehensible? The only thing I've ever tried to read that I utterly failed at was a research paper filled with acronyms I didn't know and assuming background knowledge I didn't have. Verbal isn't like that.

Stop trivializing others' problems. You may have never stumbled upon a passage that you couldn't understand, but some people may actually have trouble comprehending some passages. If you're going to be condescending, at least offer some helpful advice.

There are so many passages where I'm just like "wtf I just read?!?!?!" In those cases, at the very least, I try to understand the structure or layout of the passage, such as detail X was discussed in paragraph 2, detail Y was in paragraph 4, etc, and then just tackle the questions. Lots of times, even when I only have a vague understanding of the passage, I've gleaned a lot about the passage from the questions.

 

[gettheleadout]

Stop trivializing others' problems. You may have never stumbled upon a passage that you couldn't understand, but some people may actually have trouble comprehending some passages. If you're going to be condescending, at least offer some helpful advice.

There are so many passages where I'm just like "wtf I just read?!?!?!" In those cases, at the very least, I try to understand the structure or layout of the passage, such as detail X was discussed in paragraph 2, detail Y was in paragraph 4, etc, and then just tackle the questions. Lots of times, even when I only have a vague understanding of the passage, I've gleaned a lot about the passage from the questions.

I'm not trivializing the issue, and I didn't intend to appear condescending. Verbal passages are all written in English, and chosen such that background knowledge is not required to understand what they're talking about.

I've read passages that are written in such a way that their sentence structure is difficult to follow, but that only means that it requires more time to understand it. If someone cannot glean the topic and message from a verbal passage then it sounds like a reading or language deficiency.

It's like a post I saw in one of the recent MCAT date threads, where someone said they read a BS passage several times and had literally no idea what it was about. I read that and thought "are you kidding me?"

Understanding the passage should never be the difficult part of verbal. If you can't follow the author's sequence of thoughts or understand their statements grammatically, you've got bigger problems to worry about than getting the questions correct.

 

[Person0715]

I'm not trivializing the issue, and I didn't intend to appear condescending. Verbal passages are all written in English, and chosen such that background knowledge is not required to understand what they're talking about.

I've read passages that are written in such a way that their sentence structure is difficult to follow, but that only means that it requires more time to understand it. If someone cannot glean the topic and message from a verbal passage then it sounds like a reading or language deficiency.

It's like a post I saw in one of the recent MCAT date threads, where someone said they read a BS passage several times and had literally no idea what it was about. I read that and thought "are you kidding me?"

Understanding the passage should never be the difficult part of verbal. If you can't follow the author's sequence of thoughts or understand their statements grammatically, you've got bigger problems to worry about than getting the questions correct.

The fact that you've never stumbled upon a passage that you've never understood means you're either lucky or smart, most likely both. However, to brush off a legitimate struggle that people have as a non-issue is nothing short of trivializing and condescending.

And, to claim that just because someone "can't follow the author's sequence of thoughts or understand their statements grammatically" means they probably have "a reading or language deficiency" is completely ridiculous.

People have deficiencies. For some its in PS, for some its in BS, and for others its in verbal. Having these deficiencies doesn't mean "you've got bigger problems to worry about than getting the questions correct." It just means we're human and it's in threads like these where we share our strengths and weaknesses. Because you may not have any weaknesses, doesn't mean others don't.

 

[gettheleadout]

The fact that you've never stumbled upon a passage that you've never understood means you're either lucky or smart, most likely both. However, to brush off a legitimate struggle that people have as a non-issue is nothing short of trivializing and condescending.

And, to claim that just because someone "can't follow the author's sequence of thoughts or understand their statements grammatically" means they probably have "a reading or language deficiency" is completely ridiculous.

People have deficiencies. For some its in PS, for some its in BS, and for others its in verbal. Having these deficiencies doesn't mean "you've got bigger problems to worry about than getting the questions correct." It just means we're human and it's in threads like these where we share our strengths and weaknesses. Because you may not have any weaknesses, doesn't mean others don't.

I'm not saying it's a non-issue, I'm saying it shouldn't be one. Comprehension of the passage is literally just reading skill, and success in verbal depends fundamentally on that ability.

Also I've experienced difficulty with material like anybody else, I'm no genius. That said, I don't think it's exceptional to be able to decipher any verbal passage thrown at you. Everyone should be able to figure out what the passage is about and what the author is saying. I maintain that if you cannot do that in every case, even if some take longer than others or are more difficult, then that's reflective of a significant problem.

 

[StripedCheetah]

I'm not trivializing the issue, and I didn't intend to appear condescending. Verbal passages are all written in English, and chosen such that background knowledge is not required to understand what they're talking about.

I've read passages that are written in such a way that their sentence structure is difficult to follow, but that only means that it requires more time to understand it. If someone cannot glean the topic and message from a verbal passage then it sounds like a reading or language deficiency.

It's like a post I saw in one of the recent MCAT date threads, where someone said they read a BS passage several times and had literally no idea what it was about. I read that and thought "are you kidding me?"

Understanding the passage should never be the difficult part of verbal. If you can't follow the author's sequence of thoughts or understand their statements grammatically, you've got bigger problems to worry about than getting the questions correct.

Yea, that's my point, you have limited time to understand the passage.

 

[Person0715]

I'm not saying it's a non-issue, I'm saying it shouldn't be one. Comprehension of the passage is literally just reading skill, and success in verbal depends fundamentally on that ability.

Also I've experienced difficulty with material like anybody else, I'm no genius. That said, I don't think it's exceptional to be able to decipher any verbal passage thrown at you. Everyone should be able to figure out what the passage is about and what the author is saying. I maintain that if you cannot do that in every case, even if some take longer than others or are more difficult, then that's reflective of a significant problem.

I'll agree with you on the bolded, but I still disagree that it's, as you say, "reflective of a significant problem," if you can't do so.

 

[gettheleadout]

I'll agree with you on the bolded, but I still disagree that it's, as you say, "reflective of a significant problem," if you can't do so.

Maybe my perception is just skewed, who knows.

 

[testt]

Try actually reading the passage sentence by sentence, paraphrasing each sentence in your mind. Usually the reason you think you don't understand a passage is because you're blankly reading words or misinterpret important sentences by not paying attention and this throws you off of the main idea.

Personally, I find skimming and then going back and forth looking at the question and passage for every question to be a waste of time.

 

[Gauss44]

Personally, I find skimming and then going back and forth looking at the question and passage for every question to be a waste of time.

Actually, that method worked for one of my tutors who scored a 12 on VR. I, on the other hand, can't stand it.

 

[inycepoo]

GTLO is correct in that if you can't understand what the author is saying, you've got bigger issues than just answering questions. This is true when you have ample time. People perform differently (read: weirdly) under time pressure, and all sorts of kooky things happen. Read a passage 3 times without time limit, and there's no reason other than language deficiency to not completely understand what the author is saying, even with complex sentence structures. Give me 10 minutes per passage and set of questions (lol okay maybe 13 min), and I can almost guarantee a consistent 15 is no sweat.

It's the speed that we're expected to do the comprehension at that makes things tricky.

 

[pepperthelaunch]

Truly don't understand it?

Eliminate any answer choices that are clearly wrong.
Eliminate any answer choices that contain words that are definitive like ALWAYS or MUST
Pick the longest answer stem... or C

Survivor DO

I always pick something that I'm not sure about, like if there's two choices left but one of them contains one or more words from the passage. Then the other one it is.

I got a 9

 

[erure]

Ugh I hate that scenario. I just try to skim through the passage as quickly as possible while still making a good effort to understand the passage, and then move on to the questions. Also I try to do the easier questions first and usually I'm going back and forth between the passage and the question and by the time I'm done with the questions, I have a better understanding of the passage. My averages have been 11 on verbal, so I'm no verbal master, but that's what I do.