Improved RC Strategy for DAT Students

[TheSax]

Hey guys,

I've been a fairly new member and joined about a month ago the day I took the DATs.

I've come up with a RC strategy that I believe is pretty much bulletproof.

Anyways, here's my strategy:

So the RC section is right after the break. With the 15 minutes you get before the RC begins, number your scratch sheet vertically 1-17. Now, when the RC section starts, go through all 17 questions of the first RC passage without reading the passage. Just write down the keywords within. This should take about 8 minutes.

Ex.

1. decreased, rate, mortality, infant
2. receptor proteins, lower legs, irritation
3.
....
...
..



So do this first, then read the passage at a moderate pace and you'll start reading the keywords of the questions in the passage. This is what I feel is the ultimate search and destroy. I know you guys might be wondering what about the questions on authors tone or what the title will be. Honestly, because you are reading at a moderate pace, you'll definitely get an idea on those inference questions. I got a RC of 25, but I know for a fact that for 3-4 questions of the test, I didn't know what they meant when they presented me with a question that had graphs...
Anyways, I hope this helps a struggling SDNer out there. To put this to the test, just get a friends old kaplan book where they give you like 3 RC test sections and try my method. I say for the first time using my method, don't time yourself at all. Go slow. 1. Just number your scratch paper. 2. Write down keywords from the questions onto the scratch paper. 3. Read through the passage at a moderate pace. By doing this strategy you'll know that you only have to read the passage once.

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[DR2009]

Hey guys,

I've been a fairly new member and joined about a month ago the day I took the DATs.

I've come up with a RC strategy that I believe is pretty much bulletproof.

Anyways, here's my strategy:

So the RC section is right after the break. With the 15 minutes you get before the RC begins, number your scratch sheet vertically 1-17. Now, when the RC section starts, go through all 17 questions of the first RC passage without reading the passage. Just write down the keywords within. This should take about 8 minutes.

Thanks for the method. I think it's agood search destroy method. I will try it.
Ex.

1. decreased, rate, mortality, infant
2. receptor proteins, lower legs, irritation
3.
....
...
..



So do this first, then read the passage at a moderate pace and you'll start reading the keywords of the questions in the passage. This is what I feel is the ultimate search and destroy. I know you guys might be wondering what about the questions on authors tone or what the title will be. Honestly, because you are reading at a moderate pace, you'll definitely get an idea on those inference questions. I got a RC of 25, but I know for a fact that for 3-4 questions of the test, I didn't know what they meant when they presented me with a question that had graphs...
Anyways, I hope this helps a struggling SDNer out there. To put this to the test, just get a friends old kaplan book where they give you like 3 RC test sections and try my method. I say for the first time using my method, don't time yourself at all. Go slow. 1. Just number your scratch paper. 2. Write down keywords from the questions onto the scratch paper. 3. Read through the passage at a moderate pace. By doing this strategy you'll know that you only have to read the passage once.

Hey
Thanks for the the method. English is not my first language and I will try your method. How long did it take you to prepare for DAT? What stratedies did you use on The PAT? Please help!!

 

[TheSax]

I studied about 3 months for the DATs. My best advice for PAT is to buy Crack DAT PAT, the test version and do it 20 days before the actual test. So you'll be doing the the tests twice, which means once a day. Most students buy it and do one test a week to practice but I feel like that doesn't make you familiar on how to handle the PAT.

 

[DR2009]

I studied about 3 months for the DATs. My best advice for PAT is to buy Crack DAT PAT, the test version and do it 20 days before the actual test. So you'll be doing the the tests twice, which means once a day. Most students buy it and do one test a week to practice but I feel like that doesn't make you familiar on how to handle the PAT.

Thanks dude for quick reply. I did buy CDP... but am still having hard time with angles.. any tips please. Thanks alot dude/girl.

 

[datstudy1]

What do you guys think of this strategy? Has anyone used it on the real test (besides the guy suggesting it, of course)?

Thanks.

P.S. Any better strategies besides the Kaplan (write key words, then do questions) search and destroy method?

 

[hoylematt]

Hey guys,

I've been a fairly new member and joined about a month ago the day I took the DATs.

I've come up with a RC strategy that I believe is pretty much bulletproof.

Anyways, here's my strategy:

So the RC section is right after the break. With the 15 minutes you get before the RC begins, number your scratch sheet vertically 1-17. Now, when the RC section starts, go through all 17 questions of the first RC passage without reading the passage. Just write down the keywords within. This should take about 8 minutes.

Ex.

1. decreased, rate, mortality, infant
2. receptor proteins, lower legs, irritation
3.
....
...
..



So do this first, then read the passage at a moderate pace and you'll start reading the keywords of the questions in the passage. This is what I feel is the ultimate search and destroy. I know you guys might be wondering what about the questions on authors tone or what the title will be. Honestly, because you are reading at a moderate pace, you'll definitely get an idea on those inference questions. I got a RC of 25, but I know for a fact that for 3-4 questions of the test, I didn't know what they meant when they presented me with a question that had graphs...
Anyways, I hope this helps a struggling SDNer out there. To put this to the test, just get a friends old kaplan book where they give you like 3 RC test sections and try my method. I say for the first time using my method, don't time yourself at all. Go slow. 1. Just number your scratch paper. 2. Write down keywords from the questions onto the scratch paper. 3. Read through the passage at a moderate pace. By doing this strategy you'll know that you only have to read the passage once.

Unfortunately this method is already trademarked: I give you VicViper's RC thread!
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=615852

I used the modified form of his strategy, much like yours: I read all the questions first, writing down key words, then went through the passage. It works!