How to score well on the Reading part of the DAT

[jh58698n]

I have been tring hard to improve my RC score. my score ranges 14-18. Those passages are so long and very hard to refer back. I was told the following strategies



The first method is to read the passage completely through before answering any of the questions. This however may be a little time consuming. It will definitely allow you to be very familiar with the passage, and if you comprehend well and can remember what you read easily, this may be your best bet.

The second method is to simply read the fist line of each paragraph and make a note on the topic of the paragraph. Once an outline of the passage has been made you will be familiar with the passage and can then attack the questions. The questions will have key words in them that should correspond to the topics you have outlined. At this point it is a matter of referring to the correct paragraph number and searching for the answer. This will help to save time because you dont read the entire passage, but will still recognize where the answers will be found.

The final method that we will present is the hunt and peck method. In this method you attack the questions from the start. Look for key words and numbers in the question and then hunt for them in the passage. Once the key words are found in the passage the answer is usually found. This technique can save you a lot of time IF you are able to locate the key words quickly.


Which one is more efficient? Please advise!

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[gatszu]

how about read one or two paragraphs, look at some questions, then read another one or two questions and a few more questions? this way, you don't have to remember everything that you read. focusing on 1 or 2 paragraphs a time is much more efficient than 18 or 20 paragraphs.

 

[shy_guy]

I've come accross a very interesting way to tackle this secton of the DAT. I think I may use it. It requires A LOT of practice, trust me, A LOT! The first time I used this method, I laughed at myself, threw in the towel, and thought about returning to my old method (search and hunt). But then I realized, If I had the origonal method 'down' and perfected, I think I can answer EVERY question on the RC, and more importantly, answer every (or most) correctly with confidence. Warning, this method requires a lot of practice, so if you have less then two weeks to go for the DAT, forget about it! Just stick to your own method. If you have time, however, use my method. I have seen someone here on SDN with a 29 on the RC. I truly believe that this person used my method. I cannot think of any other way. It's fool proof - as long as you PRACTICE it with PERFECTION! Skill is not an inate ability, it's an ability that needs to be nurtured and developed. PRACTICE truly does make PERFECT. And for the RC, aim for nothing less than PERFECT.