Need help with CARS: Reasoning beyond the text

[klingtongs]

Hi! I am wondering, how should I improve on reasoning beyond the text? I generally struggle with application of new information or implication questions. What are your approaches to these types of questions? I spend about 3-4 minutes reading the passage, but the answer typically hinges around one word or phrase that I might've overlooked or not taken into consideration.

For example, on some of the new information questions that ask how the argument would be affected, I see that the correct answer will more than often (based on experience) not affect the argument at all, despite how much of a decent fit that I thought a strengthen/weaken answer would give. The answer key's reasoning for this appears to consider a nuanced view/aspect of the information in question that I didn't think about at all. How can I change my thinking to encompass this?

Besides reasoning beyond the text, I have about a 75% accuracy rate with inferences when it comes to reasoning within the text. For these questions (and other comprehension/reasoning within the text), my success depends largely on how well I can understand what the author is trying to say.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

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[Kochanie]

Tips that Kaplan gives us for CARS: 1. Practice, practice, practice. 2. Do the passages you find interesting first. 3. Outline as you read. I was very opposed to this in the beginning, but it definitely helps with focusing and reading/comprehending all the information

 

[StudyLater]

"Approaches?" Oh no no no you misunderstood. See we just wing it, and some just happen to be better than others.

But to humor you, map the passage, review each paragraph to make sure you got the point it was trying to make, highlight any contrasting diction or key vocab, and...