For people who consistently ace reading comprehension

[iwanta170]

What is your strategy? I'm so lost right now and my score keeps fluctuating from one extreme (-1 in a section) to another (-7 in a section).

[TheBigMediocre]

I would consistently go -0 and -1 on my RC sections, and test day went -0.

I think my RC success came from two things: Having a good foundation through avid reading as well as a using a test strategy that works for me.

It's kind of late to create a strong foundation now, but follow the often cited advice of reading dense material like the economist or WSJ. Read a couple of science journals as well.

As for my actual test strategy, I would read through the passage as quickly as I could without sacrificing comprehension and also take the time to write in the margins and underline. "Actively reading" like that helped me to absorb the information on the first go-around so I was able to avoid having to reread passages. If there was a question that I wasn't sure on right away, my margin notes allowed me to quickly find the part of the passage where I would find supporting or contradicting evidence.

I know this reply is pretty general, so I apologize.

[GatorStudent]

While I didn't "consistently ace reading comprehension," I did fairly well on RC sections when I took the LSAT. My scores started improving when I used (for the most part) the method discussed in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7240

Obviously tailor it to your own needs, but hopefully it helps a little.

[dgb87]

I did really well on reading comp as well only missing 2 on the actual test, and I pretty much followed the method in that topic. Just a side note though, for the most part, the strategy that is described in that thread is almost exactly like the Kaplan strategy for reading comp. So if you really need help on reading comp and like that method, might want to consider getting one of their books. Although most of their stuff is crap, people) their reading comp strategy is alright.

[Patriot1208]

I think reading comp is just a skill acquired throughout childhood. I have never studied for a reading comp test and got a 35 on the ACT reading section and on my first LSAT practice test only missed one. Really just if you read a lot and read quickly you should do well.

[pilawpcv]

I read a lot, but it's usually novels, not difficult non fiction. When I started studying for the LSAT, I made a point to read one difficult article every day. I saw improvement very quickly. When I got to an RC passage, it wasn't, "Wow this is so much harder than normal." The higher difficulty level began to feel more normal.

Perhaps it's too late to build a "strong foundation" but you can certainly improve your reading level.

Also, I don't mark passages. It's never helped me, but I think that's just my weirdness and not a tip you should follow.

[kalvano]

I don't think you can really study RC. It's a skill acquired from lots of reading.

[James Bond]

I don't think you can really study RC. It's a skill acquired from lots of reading.

This is it. RC is EASILY my best section (-1 to -0 regularly), but I haven't studied it at all. In contrast, LR and LG fluctuate as my worst, and I study them constantly.

[Mike19]

I agree with everyone before me who say its a skill you slowly pick up throughout your life.

However, if you didn't read as much during your childhood then there are a few things you can do (but they are all unique to each person).

One thing I do is underline everything to keep me focused. I circle the important things, but as I read I underline each word I read so that it really sinks in.

I would just say test out a few ways of making yourself focus (that's key in RC) and determine which works best for you.