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- Dec 21, 2005
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This has been said before but I would like to reiterate; use different verbal strategies and find what works best for you.
my story:
I have been taking EK 101 exams (3 so far) and I scored 8s on the first two exams I took. My method was reading the passage to full comprehension and then answering the questions. I found myself going back and forth between the passage and questions and choosing answers that were horribly incorrect due to the exam writers trying to trick me. I decided to try something different for the third exam.
What I did differently:
I did what some people on these boards have been suggesting for a long time. I skimmed the passage, assigned each paragraph a topic and general phrase/statement. I would then go to the questions. After understanding what the question was asking me, I would go to the passage and sift out the answer. I found myself reading efficiently and with precision...
example... attila the Hun went to battle with a quarter million soldiers... when the sun rose 100,000 men were wounded or killed.
How many people was left in attila's army???
At first glance the answer seems to be 150,000. And I would have chosen that answer using my first strategy. HOWEVER the following sentence in the passage stated something like... both sides lost and equal number of soldiers.... This would mean the answer is 200,000 men...
Now the solution to this example seems obvious when you are reading it on a message board, but think about what you would be thinking when you are taking a simulated exam.
The point:
Reading 2-3 sentences for complete comprehension at a time to answer 1 question is easier than reading 70 lines to answer 6-7 questions at one time.
You are all wondering what I scored on the 3rd exam. Well I scored a
49/60 = a score of 11 (just barely), and this was my first time trying the strategy. I can seriously seeing myself getting up to a 12 or even 13 in a couple weeks of practice.
This is my 2nd time posting as I can recall and I have been reading these boards for a long time. I felt this was important enough for me to get off my ass and tell people who were in the same position I was in and now could potentially be in the same position I am in now.
Try different techniques to find what works for you...
V
my story:
I have been taking EK 101 exams (3 so far) and I scored 8s on the first two exams I took. My method was reading the passage to full comprehension and then answering the questions. I found myself going back and forth between the passage and questions and choosing answers that were horribly incorrect due to the exam writers trying to trick me. I decided to try something different for the third exam.
What I did differently:
I did what some people on these boards have been suggesting for a long time. I skimmed the passage, assigned each paragraph a topic and general phrase/statement. I would then go to the questions. After understanding what the question was asking me, I would go to the passage and sift out the answer. I found myself reading efficiently and with precision...
example... attila the Hun went to battle with a quarter million soldiers... when the sun rose 100,000 men were wounded or killed.
How many people was left in attila's army???
At first glance the answer seems to be 150,000. And I would have chosen that answer using my first strategy. HOWEVER the following sentence in the passage stated something like... both sides lost and equal number of soldiers.... This would mean the answer is 200,000 men...
Now the solution to this example seems obvious when you are reading it on a message board, but think about what you would be thinking when you are taking a simulated exam.
The point:
Reading 2-3 sentences for complete comprehension at a time to answer 1 question is easier than reading 70 lines to answer 6-7 questions at one time.
You are all wondering what I scored on the 3rd exam. Well I scored a
49/60 = a score of 11 (just barely), and this was my first time trying the strategy. I can seriously seeing myself getting up to a 12 or even 13 in a couple weeks of practice.
This is my 2nd time posting as I can recall and I have been reading these boards for a long time. I felt this was important enough for me to get off my ass and tell people who were in the same position I was in and now could potentially be in the same position I am in now.
Try different techniques to find what works for you...
V
