Reading Comprehension Strategy

[goldcrown17]

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So after a week of studying, I feel like I have a good idea on how to get on the right track for most sections, with the exception of RC. I've read some stratagies on here such as the search and destroy and the modified version by Vicviper's of reading the questions first. I feel like these two strategies would take a really long time though and you risk not finishing.

I have tried the "Key" method of taking notes while reading. Doing this, I am missing around three-four questions per passage and still find myself short on time. I also find myself simply remembering a lot of the information rather than using the key.

What strategy do you think is a good low risk strategy?

 

[FeralisExtremum]

It sounds like you really need to focus on improving your reading speed. Of all the techniques search and destroy should easily be the fastest since you're just scanning the passage for keywords.

I personally read the entire passage first. Any other technique is a bit risky, completely removes context for a lot of the questions, and makes tone/inference questions much more difficult.

 

[BYU4you]

I was getting low 20s on bootcamp and then got a few higher when I made my own strategy and then yesterday using it I got a 28 on actual.

I agree with Feralis about reading the passage because everything else is too risky.

But I also feel like that can be risking by wasting time having to go back and rember what you read at the beginning for a question.

What I did was read the first half very thoroughly then start answering questions MOST of the time your first questions will be there. Then once you hit a question you can't answer read until you hit the next question and then do it again. By this time you've done 6 questions and have read the whole thing and it's easy to search and destroy the rest.

 

[Klin0295]

I scored a 22 on RC. I read all the questions first and wrote down the Key word from each question. There is probably a name for this one already.

Ie What is the characteristic of venomous snake bites?

I would write:

char snake bite

Then I would skim through the passage and look for all those key words.

Since skipping question to question is kind of a pain in the butt, I would just write the paragraph number where the answer to the question was.

Char snake bite 3

Then after I figured out most of the locations of answers for that passage I would go through filling in the answers.

This really worked for me as someone who has struggled with reading comprehension my whole life.

Find out what works for you and stick with it!

 

[goldcrown17]

I was getting low 20s on bootcamp and then got a few higher when I made my own strategy and then yesterday using it I got a 28 on actual.

I agree with Feralis about reading the passage because everything else is too risky.

But I also feel like that can be risking by wasting time having to go back and rember what you read at the beginning for a question.

What I did was read the first half very thoroughly then start answering questions MOST of the time your first questions will be there. Then once you hit a question you can't answer read until you hit the next question and then do it again. By this time you've done 6 questions and have read the whole thing and it's easy to search and destroy the rest.

BYU4you and everyone else,

Thank you so much for the feedback. I'm trying to get some reading in everyday, although reading comprehension has never been my friend. From elementary school to the SAT's it's always been my worst subject. Anyways, using BYU4you's strategy, I went from scoring around 18 and 19 to a 23 on my most recent practice passages. I also had 3 minutes left over! Usually I am reading and answering questions down to the last second. I'm pretty thrilled! Thanks!

 

[BYU4you]

23 was like the highest I ever got on a practice test, I took one the day before and got a 20 and then killed the actual so you are getting there!

 

[virtualmaster999]

It sounds like you really need to focus on improving your reading speed. Of all the techniques search and destroy should easily be the fastest since you're just scanning the passage for keywords.

I personally read the entire passage first. Any other technique is a bit risky, completely removes context for a lot of the questions, and makes tone/inference questions much more difficult.

Using Search and Destroy should get you a decent score though right? Since most of the questions are in the passage? I've only used SAD twice on bootcamp exams, and have gotten 18 and 20. I'm aiming for around there for RC because I need to read very slowly to understand what I read.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Using Search and Destroy should get you a decent score though right? Since most of the questions are in the passage? I've only used SAD twice on bootcamp exams, and have gotten 18 and 20. I'm aiming for around there for RC because I need to read very slowly to understand what I read.

You can probably pull off an 18-20 with just S+D, but I would urge you to aim higher. Some schools put emphasis on the RC score in particular.

 

[flossiraptor863]

I got a 24 on my RC with S+D. I'm a slow reader, and this strategy was very easy on the actual DAT. A lot of the answers were verbatim in the text, and S+D was easier on the actual test than it was on any of my practice tests (where I averaged 19-20 with S+D). Skip the tone questions and come back to them, and you'll do fine.

People worry about the tone questions when you do S+D but after you find all of the answers, you have a very good idea of what the article is trying to say anyway.

 

[StudentDoc1234]

I got a 24 on my RC with S+D. I'm a slow reader, and this strategy was very easy on the actual DAT. A lot of the answers were verbatim in the text, and S+D was easier on the actual test than it was on any of my practice tests (where I averaged 19-20 with S+D). Skip the tone questions and come back to them, and you'll do fine.

People worry about the tone questions when you do S+D but after you find all of the answers, you have a very good idea of what the article is trying to say anyway.

Which practice exams did you use for RC?

 

[flossiraptor863]

Which practice exams did you use for RC?

Only Bootcamp

 

[dental deezle]

I was getting low 20s on bootcamp and then got a few higher when I made my own strategy and then yesterday using it I got a 28 on actual.

I agree with Feralis about reading the passage because everything else is too risky.

But I also feel like that can be risking by wasting time having to go back and rember what you read at the beginning for a question.

What I did was read the first half very thoroughly then start answering questions MOST of the time your first questions will be there. Then once you hit a question you can't answer read until you hit the next question and then do it again. By this time you've done 6 questions and have read the whole thing and it's easy to search and destroy the rest.

I have been looking for a solid strategy for so long, that was literally the best one. I just got a 20 for the first time after getting 17's on reading. Thanks man!