Reading Comprehension

[MBAeyes]

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Anyone out there that has taken the OAT already, do you find it more helpful on the Reading Comprehension section to read the passage in detail and then move on to the questions? Or would you suggest to skip reading the passage and go straight to the questions and search through the article to find the answer?

Thanks!!

 

[wolfsto1028]

Don't skip the passage, but don't read it trying to remember all the details. A lot of the info in the passages are just filler. They try to trick you by throwing out specific dates and numbers, when the topic of each paragraph is usually clearly stated in the first sentence. Just be prepared to give yourself enough time for 3 passages. I took my OAT the first time and did well overall but had a 290 on the RC because I tried to focus on details, the 2nd time around I focused on the main topics and taking my time, and rocked it with an RC of 400. Good luck!!

 

[nc2tarheels]

I took the OAT the first time and got a 300 on RC, however, I'm retaking and my practice scores suck. I was thinking about reading 2 passages is GREAT detail and spending my ENTIRE time on those two passages (aka: getting every question right on those two sections of questions). Anyone attempted this?

 

[outsidechance]

I took the OAT the first time and got a 300 on RC, however, I'm retaking and my practice scores suck. I was thinking about reading 2 passages is GREAT detail and spending my ENTIRE time on those two passages (aka: getting every question right on those two sections of questions). Anyone attempted this?

I think just focusing on skimming the passages and understanding what you read is key. As your reading, look for important facts/opinions/statements that you woudl imagine they would ask a q about. (be proactive to a sense). Then answer the questions one at a time, remembering that all questions are worth the same so dont get hung up and waste too much time on a hard one.

 

[DellGirl]

I agree with wolfsto and outside chance. Definitely don't skip the passages altogether, and definitely don't commit all your time to two out of three! Read them quickly, without being anxious, and focus on the topics! Then answer the questions one at a time, searching for the details. You may even remember some details if you jotted down proper keywords. Try to give yourself 16 minutes for each passage!

 

[MBAeyes]

Thank you so much everyone! One more question...when taking the OAT, are you able to read the question and go back to the passage if you can quite remember some of the details? Or is it once you've read the passage you move on to another screen and can't go back? And sorry if these are dumb questions!!!

 

[DellGirl]

Thank you so much everyone! One more question...when taking the OAT, are you able to read the question and go back to the passage if you can quite remember some of the details? Or is it once you've read the passage you move on to another screen and can't go back? And sorry if these are dumb questions!!!

no it's not a dumb question! actually, your screen is split so you're looking at one question on half the screen, and the passage on the other half, so you can look at both at the same time. you don't lose access to the passage - they don't expect you to memorize the whole thing!

 

[MXbookworm]

I was so happy when I started the RC section and saw that the screen was split between questions and the passage! My advice is to skip to the first question and start reading. A lot of the questions came chronologically, so I was able to read to a point at which I could answer a question, and then move onto the next question while continuing to read. This made me very efficient time-wise. I got through all of the passages and answered all of the questions with 15 minutes to spare! Then I was able to go back to the passage that made me feel iffy, and I basically got to reread the whole thing and double check all my answers! I got a 400 on the RC so I think that this technique is really useful 🙂 Good luck!!

 

[MBAeyes]

Wow MXbookworm! That's great! Congrats on getting 400! So if I understand you correctly, you didn't read through the passage at all before going to the questions correct? You went straight to question one and found the answer in the first or second paragraph of the passage?

 

[MXbookworm]

Thanks! I didn't really practice RC and did much better on it than any other section, so I guess I should thank my lucky stars that the format seemed to work for me.

I did feel like I came across the first answer within the first few paragraphs of the passage. The questions weren't ALWAYS chronological, but by just reading along until I came to the answer, I was able to move very quickly. Then, if I moved to the next question and the material looked familiar, I knew that I'd already read it and could either answer it or have a very good idea of where to find it (especially for the first half of the passage!). Then I would go back to where I left off.

It is also worth noting that the paragraphs are very well-organized. The subjects tended to flow from broad to specific, and each one was numbered. So, if you wanted, you could always write a 1-3 word summary about each paragraph for easy referencing later (eg, #2 - history, #3 - common misconceptions, #4 - current studies, etc). I did that for the one passage that did throw me off a little bit, and it helped me organize my thoughts.