RC of DAT

[Joon1]

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does everyone manage to finish this section in time ??

i've been utilizing the strategy (road mapping) provided by Kaplan, but personally i don't think it sufficiently helps.

i think what i really need to do is scanfast and yet at the same time, be
able to pick up the material (not absorb) as well... because you can (and must, i believe) go back to the passage and look for the details.

does anyone have other good strategy they can share?

what's your take on the RC section?

 

[Nendo21]

does everyone manage to finish this section in time ??

i've been utilizing the strategy (road mapping) provided by Kaplan, but personally i don't think it sufficiently helps.

i think what i really need to do is scanfast and yet at the same time, be
able to pick up the material (not absorb) as well... because you can (and must, i believe) go back to the passage and look for the details.

does anyone have other good strategy they can share?

what's your take on the RC section?

i didn;t get to finish mine i just got through the first two and the beginning of the third one and i ended up with a 19. i read my questions first then the paragraphs also if its question two usually the answer is in paragraph two and so on, if u can read a bit faster than me you could do better

 

[Biogirl361]

I finished and got a 25, and I am not an exceptionally fast reader. Here is what you do. Quickly read the first sentence or two of each paragraph, just enough to get a feel for the topic and organization of the essay. then go to the questions and find each answer based on your brief organizational scan and key words. for example, if is for the date when something was invented, go to the paragraph which seemed to be about background on the topic (usually towards the beginning of the essay), then scan for numbers. This doesn't work in every single question but it works enough of the time to get you through all of the questions with a good rate of accuracy. try in out on a practice test and see how you do.

 

[crazy_sherm]

I actually found RC the easiest section on the DAT because the answers are right there in front of you. I was able to finish with about 10 minutes left. I read the entire passage once through and write down maybe one note about each paragraph, usually a keyword or something. I don't usually understand the passage all that well the first time through, but I get the general gist and use my notes to help me search for answers to questions.

I found that the RC section I had on the actual DAT was easier than the Kaplan tests. What kind of reading are you doing outside of the DAT prep exams? I'm not a very avid reader, but I do read the newspaper and magazines. I was also reading a lot of really dry Fed Register documents for work at the time, searching for vaguely written policy, which helped immensely.

 

[The Godfather]

I finished and got a 25, and I am not an exceptionally fast reader. Here is what you do. Quickly read the first sentence or two of each paragraph, just enough to get a feel for the topic and organization of the essay. then go to the questions and find each answer based on your brief organizational scan and key words. for example, if is for the date when something was invented, go to the paragraph which seemed to be about background on the topic (usually towards the beginning of the essay), then scan for numbers. This doesn't work in every single question but it works enough of the time to get you through all of the questions with a good rate of accuracy. try in out on a practice test and see how you do.

That's basically what I did too. Scored a 24 with about five minutes left. I'm a big reader so that probably helped too. If you aren't, I'd suggest start reading anything to get your speed up. All the interviews I had said something about my score so I think if you do well on this section it looks good (maybe because of the amount of material you're responsible for in d school?). Also, take a big breath before you start and clear your mind (you've just had all the science, and you really have to "switch gears." Like the rest of it, just practice, practice, practice.

 

[JakeMUSC]

I took the DAT 3 times, and each time the RC section was pretty easy for me. Each time I made a 21 on the section. I didnt read any of the readings. I just went to the question and then scanned the article for keywords in the question. That seems like a "ballzy" method, but if you're having trouble with it, then only practice will allow you to find your own comfort level.

 

[PuertoRicanPony]

I took the DAT twice and the first time I got a 27 and then a 24 on the RC part. Take the Godfather's advice and if you're not a big reader start reading different things. I never liked to read but about 3 years before I took the DAT I started to try to read a book a month, and I didn't do it every month but it helped w/ my speed and reading comp. Also when I took the test I just would read the first question and read until I found the answer and then read the second question and keep reading the passage until I got to the next answer. I found that a lot of the questions followed a sequential sequence with the paragraphs in the passage. I finished both times with a few minutes to spare.

 

[r0entgen]

So I haven't taken the DAT yet, but I've notised on some practise computer DATs that it only shows about a paragraph of each passage at a time, and you have to keep scrolling down to view the next part of the passage. Was this a problem for anyone? It seems like it would for me because I cannot see the passage in its entirety, so scanning would be a bit more difficult...how did you guys get around this?

 

[ItsGavinC]

I actually found RC the easiest section on the DAT because the answers are right there in front of you. I was able to finish with about 10 minutes left.

I felt the same way also. I had 20+ minutes left and missed ~three question (I recall getting a 25 or 26 or something).