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Eliminating stupid mistakes?

Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:45 pm
by kpuc
Almost all of my mistakes in RC (I usually make about 1-3 mistakes), and about half of my mistakes in LR (I usually make about 10-12 mistakes), come from misreading the question or answer in some manner. I usually finish with about 5 minutes to spare on the RC, and a little less than that on the LR, so I feel like I'm needlessly rushing.

I've only taken 4 practice tests so far, so I'm hoping that increased practice will fix these problems, as well as the heightened focus of actual test day.

Mistakes due to misreading, especially when it's not due to being rushed, should be the easiest problems to fix, right?

Re: Eliminating stupid mistakes?

Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:47 pm
by vespertiliovir
Yea, more strictly timed PTs/individual sections is going to be the easiest way to fix that. Slow down and be meticulous.

Re: Eliminating stupid mistakes?

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:11 pm
by yzero1
I sometimes have this problem as well. Do you find that the questions you are least confident about end up being the questions you misread? If so, I find it helpful to notate (ex. circling the question #) the questions that you are unsure about and give them a second run through when you finish the rest of the questions. I can usually pick up 1 or 2 mistakes and correct them this way.

Re: Eliminating stupid mistakes?

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 12:43 am
by apropos
Yeah, this happens to me too. It's been my main struggle on RC and LR. I get anywhere between 0-4 wrong on each section. It's frustrating because almost everytime I review a question I got wrong it's a hit on the forehead. I just misread something. Usually it's not strictly a matter of misreading, but of forgetting the scope of the question. This is especially true for RC. I'll read a question that will ask about, say, the Western Utes and I'll answer with the scope much broader--as if it's about Native Cultures generally. That's just one example, but I've found it hard to fix. I've gotten myself to make fewer such errors by (a) habituating myself to being very meticulous and careful (seems obvious) and (b) not rushing. I often rush the reading of an RC question and just pick out the basic stuff. Doing so can work (the types of questions get repetitive), but the mentality that goes with it is dangerous.
A little advice in there. Maybe it'll help clarify what you're doing wrong too.