RC Strategy

[Utes]

Do you guys read the paragraphs or just go right to the questions? I've only done TopScore once and it had the timer on to tell you what question you should be on at that time and it freaked me out, so I started just answering the questions and not reading the paragraph.

What do you folks do?

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[Sprgrover]

My strategy was to quickly read the sections so as to get a feel for where the information was in the passage. Then I would read a question, go to the place in the article where the answer was found, mark it, and so on.

 

[drat]

Didn't read the passages -- just read the topic sentence for each paragraph. Got a 27 on the RC, with about 8-10 min to spare. This was the best strategy for me because I don't retain info well on stuff that I don't care about And I can't say the passages on the DAT were totally stimulating.

 

[1FutureDDS]

damn, you serious? im going to use the kaplan topic sentece method like a pro then

 

[accidental]

RC was my best section (23). I took the Kaplan course and found their strategy to be useless. I figured whether I read the whole passage or not I would still be referring back to the passage to find the answers. So I just browsed the passage as fast as I could to get a rough idea where everything was. Then I read the questions and found the answers as fast as I could. Some of the questions will force you to read certain section of the passage. For exaple, I had a few that said, which of the following sentences is the best conclusion for the closing paragraph. So you have to have an idea of the purpose of the passage - whether its trying to pursuade, inform, oppose, etc. That worked for me.

 

[Typo]

I practiced RC only until I was fairly confident in the system I decided to use, and then focused on the sciences for the rest of my DAT study. Once I had a system, I felt like my studies were much higher yield everywhere else.

I read the paragraphs only in order to make an outline of the structure of the passage on my scratch paper. Since the paragraphs are numbered, I jotted down a few phrases from each paragraph next to its number. When I went through the questions, I could skim my sheet, then jump straight to the paragraph where the info was. My key was to resist writing too much on the scratch paper - I just wrote down key words or a really short phrase.

Doing this got me a 26 with very little practice compared to the other sections. But then again, it could have just been a lucky day.

Also, here's a link to some advice a friend gave me for RC:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=1607291#post1607291

 

[JavadiCavity]

I agree with Typo. I used the same strategy, and I earned a 23. I think it's important to find a strategy that you are comfortable with and then stick to it on test day. Good luck!

 

[RachMSU]

Hey,
I also have a HUGE concern with this section. Reading has always been my weak point (scored horrible on the ACT for example). My problem is I am a VERY slow reader. I know everyone seems to just skim the passage and then search for the answers but does anyone have any other advice for me? I seem to always run out of time and then have to guess on about 5 or so.

 

[Utes]

All were very helpful. I hadn't thought about taking notes on the paragraphs, but that seems like it would make things go faster. I spent a LOT of time in my TopScore 1 just searching through the paragraphs for each question.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Sprgrover]

Hey,
I also have a HUGE concern with this section. Reading has always been my weak point (scored horrible on the ACT for example). My problem is I am a VERY slow reader. I know everyone seems to just skim the passage and then search for the answers but does anyone have any other advice for me? I seem to always run out of time and then have to guess on about 5 or so.

You'll have to develop some sort of strategy - either the skim and answer method or key sentence one. A good strategy will keep you within the time limit. One thing that you may try to build up your speed is go the library and pick a science journal, such as Nature, block out about 10 to 15 paragraphs, give yourself a time limit - say two minutes - and read the passage. When you read, don't read to comprehend, interpret, and then recite the article. Instead focus on quick fact retention and the getting the gist of each paragraph. Scribble down quick notes "spiders, 8 legs" "spin webs" and so on. At the end of your section, wait for a minute to go by, and then read the article more closely. See if you remember any of the fine details or key figures discussed within. I worked this method out myself and used it a few times to try to develop a strategy for the RC portion of the DAT. Others may have experimented with a different approach. I hope that helps.