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For one reason or another, the RC on the DAT often gives people trouble. The RC on the DAT is one of the most FAIR reading comprehension sections out of any graduate entry exam. With the following method anybody should be able to score at least a 20 on this section, even if you are TERRIBLE at reading. The method is simply mapping out the passage, combined with search and destroy when needed. None of this is novel, but I think too many people don't utilize mapping on paper when they should really try it out.
Given that you will read 3 passages and then answer ~16 questions per passage in under 60 minutes, that gives you 20 minutes per passage. You won't even need that much. Read the passage in 8 minutes and while reading create your map. When I say map, I mean write down a few keywords that define each paragraph AFTER you read the paragraph. On your scratch paper, you will write something that looks like this (to account for 16-17 paragraphs). Read through the entire passage in order.
1.
2
3.
4.
Etc.....
Let's look at the following paragraph and make a map for it. It is an excerpt from a piece titled "Hacking An Enzyme's Structure Could Lead to Drugs For Alzheimer's and Schizophrenia" and is taken from Scientific American.
"Dopamine and norepinephrine play key roles in many brain functions such as learning, memory, movement and the fight-or-flight response. Imbalances in the levels of these neurotransmitters—and the role DBH plays in regulating them—have been implicated in a wide range of disorders, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and even cocaine addiction."
My map would simply read----- 1. dopa/norep = brain fxns, DBH regulates them
Writing down these keywords takes literally 5 seconds and when you get lost after reading a question and can't find where the answer is, you can look at your map and immediately find the paragraph that mentions what you're looking for. It ultimately saves time instead of re-reading each passage. Writing down information about each paragraph actually also helps you retain what you read.
Given that you will read 3 passages and then answer ~16 questions per passage in under 60 minutes, that gives you 20 minutes per passage. You won't even need that much. Read the passage in 8 minutes and while reading create your map. When I say map, I mean write down a few keywords that define each paragraph AFTER you read the paragraph. On your scratch paper, you will write something that looks like this (to account for 16-17 paragraphs). Read through the entire passage in order.
1.
2
3.
4.
Etc.....
Let's look at the following paragraph and make a map for it. It is an excerpt from a piece titled "Hacking An Enzyme's Structure Could Lead to Drugs For Alzheimer's and Schizophrenia" and is taken from Scientific American.
"Dopamine and norepinephrine play key roles in many brain functions such as learning, memory, movement and the fight-or-flight response. Imbalances in the levels of these neurotransmitters—and the role DBH plays in regulating them—have been implicated in a wide range of disorders, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and even cocaine addiction."
My map would simply read----- 1. dopa/norep = brain fxns, DBH regulates them
Writing down these keywords takes literally 5 seconds and when you get lost after reading a question and can't find where the answer is, you can look at your map and immediately find the paragraph that mentions what you're looking for. It ultimately saves time instead of re-reading each passage. Writing down information about each paragraph actually also helps you retain what you read.
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