How to keep focus during RC Test???

[Ocean5]

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Guys,

When I took my DAT and I saw RC, I swear to GOD that my mind stopped working. My eyes were reading the passage, my lips were saying it to me (While I was in a state of shock), and my mind was repeading ohh your screwed,.... you 're screwed and.... unfortunatly,... I was screwed ...
I just couldn't focus the whole time..things got worse when I couldn't find many questions from the first passage. My passages were long and hard... and god is my witness that in the middle when I saw I 'm out of time almost and one whole passage is left ... I was like between muscles of a strong boa, I simply couldn't move my eyes fast, .. I couldn't focus... I couldn't even move on my chair... This is an absolute truth... SO if some one tell me what to do to get a decent enough (not genius) score on this section, I declare now that that person has saved my life and I'll BE UNDER YOUR DEBT FOREVER....
Please help others to get through this section. If you have improved radically tell us how? how much did you practice and how?
The most important thing, what is the best way to be & keep focused during RC?

Any ideas?

 

[Ocean5]

Bump. Any idea?

 

[fancymylotus]

I dont understand when people say they need help focusing on a section of the DAT, or they need help staying awake. Its very simple. FEAR keeps you awake, and FEAR(of fvking up and not getting into d-school) should keep your mind from wandering. Fear as in "If I mess this section up, it could be the difference between getting into school, or having to retake this damn test again!"

 

[s0chon02]

It's important to try to relax and just stay calm and focused. Of course, we tend to freak out when we don't find answers consecutively. I'd just mark it if you find yourself spending more than a minute on a question. Chances are since you just spent the last 1-2 mins looking for "that keyword", when you do come across it, you'd spot it easily. Then write down the number of the paragraph with the found keyword on your noteboard. When you reviews all your marked ones, it could speed things up.

 

[997GT3]

Easy. Just pretend you're reading a regular article and someone you're tutoring needs some help with his/her hw questions.

 

[salaz012]

hm... I had the same experience. The first time I got an 18 by mapping out the paragraphs. Then I tried to figure out a better method for the second time around. So I decided to not read the passages but skim and going straight to the questions. I figured I had ~1.25 secs (dont remember exactly) per question. I was nailing the practice tests, but when I came to the real test I froze midway through when I realized It was taking longer than I anticipated. It was too late to start reading the passages or to even skim anymore while still having more than a passage left. I literally almost "😱" my pants. I ended up with a 17 on my Rc, but thankfully scored much higher in all my other sections. I cant give any advice on this topic bc it happened to me as well. thnx for listening...lol
-Good luck

 

[T DAT]

I would be in Dental school right now, but this section screwed me both times. I am reading a reading comp work book for SAT. It seems there isn’t a lot out there for us that can read, but need to practice more than the other guy. Please anyone I am looking for help as well. The advise I have gotten so far is read some scientific articles!😡

 

[bennijai]

the reading has never been a problem for me. the trick is to never re read the paragraph and never try understand evErYthIng on that screen (its impossible) but to get a general outline of the passage in your head.

ive been averaging anywhere from 20-22 on the reading with my strat and its been pretty successful.

 

[jay47]

Yea man this has happened to me before in other things, but I haven't taken my DAT yet (this Fri) and what I usually do to try and calm myself down is let yourself know that there is an answer to the question, there is always an answer. Start by telling yourself which are wrong and you sometimes have to take an educated guess. Like another guy said, they have turned it into a speed reading test and not an actual "understand what the writer is trying to say" format.