Increasing Verbal Reasoning

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fun8stuff

*hiding from patients*
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Are people able to increase thier verbal score at all? Seems like I have heard people saying it is hard to increase in this.

I've been kinda under the impression that doing well in verbal reasoning is an inate ability that is almost impossible to change.

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yes, it's possible. i increased 3 points, but i don't think it was due to any innate ability. i read a lot after the first exam and increased my reading speed. time is probably the problem for most people.
 
The brain is defined by its plasticity: everything gets batter with practice, if you practice correctly.

"Correctly" is different for each person however. It's hard to get better at verbal because there's nothing to learn - you already know english and studying vocabulary cards or something won't help much. But it is a skill that can be learned, even if it's a bit "fuzzy."

A few things that worked for me: Read challenging books/articles under time pressure. Try to understand the point of each paragraph. Summarize each paragraph in your head. Visualize as you read. With a few weeks dedicated practice you can really improve your abilities - and hence your score.

Good luck!
 
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Run a search. This advice comes highly recommended.
 
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I'm not sure if someone else already said this, but I'd say:

read.

;)

-Ice
 
None of you people are leading fun8stuff in the right direction. You guys should be ashamed of yourself.

fun8stuff,
Don't listen to all the useless advice that people give.

The best way to improve your verbal score is to read. Read a lot and you will get better.
 
Thanks for all of your unique responses! ;) My first diagnostic really wasnt that bad, i dont think: 9. I realize, obviously, that reading helps. But, after a certain point it seems logical that you can only improve so much by just simply reading. Then you have to do lots of passages.

I know all the ways to improve. I am just wondering what techniqques people who have improved (say from <9 to >11) have done. Did they really just read a lot more? What kind of strategies did these people who improved utilize? I'm not that interested in the stratgey of the people who had the natural ability of automatically scoring a 12 their first time.

But yeah, I will work on the reading thing.
 
Originally posted by fun8stuff
I know all the ways to improve. I am just wondering what techniqques people who have improved (say from <9 to >11) have done. Did they really just read a lot more? What kind of strategies did these people who improved utilize? I'm not that interested in the stratgey of the people who had the natural ability of automatically scoring a 12 their first time.

After taking a practice test, carefully study every answer, both RIGHT and WRONG, and eventually, you'll get an idea of what types of answers tend to be correct. Also, when taking the test, unless you have great trouble finishing on time, read somewhat carefully. Fast reading tends to be much like skimming, and you won't get the info you need.

What else ... try to refer back to the passage only for the "detail" type questions. Avoid going back for any of the other types, it usually doesn't lead to any benefit. Some people have the habit of writing notes in margins of each paragraphs, and circling seemingly important things. I have mixed feelings on this one, but it probably works for some people.

As for the "read" advice, I don't know how casually reading magazines and newspapers could really help, unless English isn't your first language. If you want to read, analyze what you're reading -- read scientific papers, articles in the WSJ, and more "serious" material.
 
if you got a 9 on your first diagnostic, you're probably good for at least a 10 on the real thing, especially if you're doing princeton review. i started at an 8 and did nothing special and ended up with a 12.
 
Yes, I think it is highly probable to increase your VR score. I know that since my diagnositic test with Kap, my score has gone up 3 pts, when I took there VR test I last week. I think the trick is to read more carefully, don't get caught up in the details of the passage, find the authors TONE, if there are any quotes from other sources compare these peoples OPINION with the Authors OPINION!!!! Hope that helps, and like the other people have mention READ, READ, READ. It is important to read QUICKLY and EFFICIENTLY on the Mcat.
 
I improved 5 points in verbal. I practiced some passages, but not a lot. I think the biggest change was that I read a lot of books between the first and second time, so my reading speed increased.
 
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