Recent RC section

[premac]

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Hello,
I've been hearing that the recent RC has "changed" in a way that S&D doesn't work well.
Did it resemble Crack Dat Reading?
People have said that CDR contains more tone/inference questions, and it's hard to do well on it by solely utilizing S&D (correct me if I'm wrong).
However, while doing CDR, I skip the tone/inference questions and use S&D on the detail questions. Then, when I go back to the tone/inference questions, I know exactly what the answer is because I've read the passage while doing S&D for the detail questions.
The thing is that I get all the tone/inference questions correct, but do terrible on the detail questions. This is somewhat weird considering that I'm doing S&D.

My question is: If I'm getting these tone/inference questions right on CDR, would it work for me when I go in for the actual DAT RC?
I would appreciate your replies, because I don't know if I should change my RC method or not.

Thank you! 🙂

 

[Member 8586]

i feel like CDR doesnt like you to use S&D lol...they set questions up in a way that if you try search and destroy, you may find a possible "answer" somewhere but it isnt the complete answer or tricks you into thinking you found the right answer....or it may add additional details to the topic in a later paragraph or something....i personally decided to not do S&D and just read the passages because what ive been hearing on S&D not working as much anymore...thats just me though

 

[premac]

i feel like CDR doesnt like you to use S&D lol...they set questions up in a way that if you try search and destroy, you may find a possible "answer" somewhere but it isnt the complete answer or tricks you into thinking you found the right answer....or it may add additional details to the topic in a later paragraph or something....i personally decided to not do S&D and just read the passages because what ive been hearing on S&D not working as much anymore...thats just me though

Yeah. That's why it's weird for me! I use S&D yet the result is as if I'm not using S&D...
It's hard for me to read the passage first, because I lose my focus... Especially when pressured by timing, I feel like I'll try to read it too fast, and not absorb it at all.

 

[DDS Perez]

am worried too.... I am scoring 19 on CDR but i am not doing s and d. I just read it and answer questions. I don't think s and d works at all in CDR, is just impossible. ON the actual DAT am going to read the passage and answer the questions. I think that we cant risk it using S and D. The intentions of reading comprehension is to see how much have you read in your entire life lol. They know all of us don't read three books a week and the hole selection of the lord and the rings. So i will be happy with a 19! 😀 but if you use search and destroy in my opinion you are risking a bad grade... also you are wasting Passages from CDR not practicing what they want you to do. I really don't know how people can do search and destroy and score high 20's, is beyond me. Am sticking to what they want. Good luck in what ever you do. When is your test? I have mine the 28th

 

[premac]

am worried too.... I am scoring 19 on CDR but i am not doing s and d. I just read it and answer questions. I don't think s and d works at all in CDR, is just impossible. ON the actual DAT am going to read the passage and answer the questions. I think that we cant risk it using S and D. The intentions of reading comprehension is to see how much have you read in your entire life lol. They know all of us don't read three books a week and the hole selection of the lord and the rings. So i will be happy with a 19! 😀 but if you use search and destroy in my opinion you are risking a bad grade... also you are wasting Passages from CDR not practicing what they want you to do. I really don't know how people can do search and destroy and score high 20's, is beyond me. Am sticking to what they want. Good luck in what ever you do. When is your test? I have mine the 28th

It puzzles me how S&D works better for me in CDR... I even have more than 10 minutes left after I finish CDR.
Thanks! My test is on the 26th. You can take a look at my breakdown on the 26th and see how I think of the RC section LOL. Hopefully I'll be able to post a breakdown in a very good mood. Good luck to you too.

 

[jhmc]

honestly S&D doesnt work completely, at least for me

First DAT, I did that and ended up wasting time..as the q's were more based on the passage as a whole vs specific things. You'll get some q's like that ofc but not all.

Best method really..as Ive taken the DAT twice this past yr, read the passage first. If theres one thing you can work on is reading at a quick pace w/o letting that ADD kick in where half through, you dont know wtf u just read.

Just read it analytically with expectations that 7/15 of the q's were written to f' with you. Then once you're done reading, you can knock the q's in no time..and the few q's based on specific details, you can use S&D, but at least this time you already have a general idea where to look vs. wasting precious time searching to come to realization its not there.

hope this helps

 

[sweetbitna]

I recently took DAT on June 4th. I used S&D for all three passages. Although I was familar with one of the topics, I still had to go through the passage to answer questions. I guess it really depends on what passages you get. I don't remember getting any tone related questions. Instead, I got a few other applied quesetions (like you have to have a general idea about what your passage is about, then think little big more to arrive at the answer) Also, a few questions like, A is this, B is this, are they all true or false? one true, the other false? I guess for this type of question, you have to use S&D twice in one question.

I honestly thought Topscore reading passages/questions were about the same in terms of difficulty.
I also had CDP reading, but after the first practice exam, I just decided it wasn't worth my time. If you have time and want to practice tho, CDP reading may be a good resource too.

 

[premac]

Coolio. Thanks! 🙂

 

[Saiph]

I used the search and destroy method, and it worked for me. (25 in RC, Tested in Jan 13). I got maybe 3 or 4 questions where the answers were adjectives and you had to describe a sentence or paragraph, or the author's intent etc. For sure do not just "look for an answer choice". But read/skim around the sentences because they might try to trick you! I had 10 minutes left after answering all the questions. And I just moved on to the math section after I had 5 minutes left cause I hate doubting myself.

 

[premac]

I used the search and destroy method, and it worked for me. (25 in RC, Tested in Jan 13). I got maybe 3 or 4 questions where the answers were adjectives and you had to describe a sentence or paragraph, or the author's intent etc. For sure do not just "look for an answer choice". But read/skim around the sentences because they might try to trick you! I had 10 minutes left after answering all the questions. And I just moved on to the math section after I had 5 minutes left cause I hate doubting myself.

Wow, nice RC score!
You didn't get that extra 5 minutes for QR, right? It resets?

 

[Saiph]

Yeah haha. I just moved on to the math section earlier.

 

[Member 8586]

It puzzles me how S&D works better for me in CDR... I even have more than 10 minutes left after I finish CDR.
Thanks! My test is on the 26th. You can take a look at my breakdown on the 26th and see how I think of the RC section LOL. Hopefully I'll be able to post a breakdown in a very good mood. Good luck to you too.

ahh i just took another CDR and another 19 making my scores 18,19,19,19 ...and ive been running out of time lately...last 6 questions or so I had to just put C 🙁 ....the last passage i didnt end up reading and did S&D and ended up with 75% right and in 13 minutes....the first two passages i read and got 52.4% and took ~26 minutes and 88% and took ~21minutes

i only plan on doing one more reading test but now im confused on which method to even use!

i was scoring 24,22,20 and Qvault reading which is mostly s&d and got a 23 on the 1 topscore reading i took and that was all s&d

im almost leaning toward S&D at this point but hearing the recent stories, im afraid to...maybe ill start with reading the passages on my actual test and see how my time is going or something :-/

how are you scoring on CDR?

 

[premac]

ahh i just took another CDR and another 19 making my scores 18,19,19,19 ...and ive been running out of time lately...last 6 questions or so I had to just put C 🙁 ....the last passage i didnt end up reading and did S&D and ended up with 75% right and in 13 minutes....the first two passages i read and got 52.4% and took ~26 minutes and 88% and took ~21minutes

i only plan on doing one more reading test but now im confused on which method to even use!

i was scoring 24,22,20 and Qvault reading which is mostly s&d and got a 23 on the 1 topscore reading i took and that was all s&d

im almost leaning toward S&D at this point but hearing the recent stories, im afraid to...maybe ill start with reading the passages on my actual test and see how my time is going or something :-/

how are you scoring on CDR?

Right? [sigh] So confused!
I've only done 3 CDR so far, and I've gotten 20 22 20. RC is probably the section I'm worried about the most... And it also happens to be a REALLY important section...

 

[Member 8586]

Right? [sigh] So confused!
I've only done 3 CDR so far, and I've gotten 20 22 20. RC is probably the section I'm worried about the most... And it also happens to be a REALLY important section...

is it really THAT important? i really hope not because it feels like my score is gunna be a toss up..im always scared of tanking and panicking through the reading section cuz of time or not being able to find the answer

some good news...after doing some thread searching, it seems like MOST people go up from their RC scores on CDR and down from their RC scores in Topscore, so hopefully we can both at least get 20

 

[yappy]

Just read the whole passage as fast as you can then go back to the pertinent sections as the questions make you. There will be many that are tone and some that will make you go back to make sure you're correct. I finished with 6 min to spare and got a 23. It's not that bad.

I took one practice CDR and got an 18. You will get in the zone during test day lol.

 

[premac]

is it really THAT important? i really hope not because it feels like my score is gunna be a toss up..im always scared of tanking and panicking through the reading section cuz of time or not being able to find the answer

some good news...after doing some thread searching, it seems like MOST people go up from their RC scores on CDR and down from their RC scores in Topscore, so hopefully we can both at least get 20

Yeah. Apparently it's really important. It indicates how well you will do in dental school, because you have to do A LOT of reading in dental school.
I would be scared too... So much pressure during the actual DAT, you know?
I'm seriously considering getting the Royal Flush package so that I can practice more after finishing the ones I have left.
Yes, let us get at least a 20! I'm aiming for 23+ in all the other sections and 21+ on RC. Good luck to both of us!

Just read the whole passage as fast as you can then go back to the pertinent sections as the questions make you. There will be many that are tone and some that will make you go back to make sure you're correct. I finished with 6 min to spare and got a 23. It's not that bad.

I took one practice CDR and got an 18. You will get in the zone during test day lol.

I will try different methods and see if that will work better than S&D...
Awesome job on your RC score! I'm so jealous...!!
I really do hope that I will get "in the zone" during the test day and not freak out. LOL