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How to review RC errors.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 5:18 pm
by JD=Doctor
I am all over the map on RC. Sometimes when im hitting on all cylinders i get -4 total and then other times i mess up on 2 passages or something and get -9 total.

With LR and LG i know how to review my mistakes. How would i go about it in RC?

Re: How to review RC errors.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 5:55 pm
by JD=Doctor
As well i seem to miss atleast 2 main idea questions within a section... how do i go about MASTERING that question?

Re: How to review RC errors.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:28 pm
by ladybug89
I review RC basically the same as LR. I type out the question and the answer choices, and write an explanation for why the correct answer is correct, along with the specific evidence from the passage (words, phrases, facts, etc) that supports it. Then I write out why each of the other answers is wrong, and try to determine what thought process led me to picking the wrong answer instead of the right answer. Like, am I looking in the wrong place, overlooking certain types of evidence, or ignoring anything? Etc. It has helped me a lot.

I don't really have any advice on the main point stuff though. Are the powerscore/atlas strategies for that type of question not helpful?

Re: How to review RC errors.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:42 pm
by bp shinners
Hey JD,

For a lot of students, I find that, when they can't diagnose the question type they're getting wrong, it's a passage type that they're having difficulty with. English majors suck at science passages. PoliSci majors suck at art passages. Science majors suck at, well, everything but science passages. Have you looked to see if there's a pattern like that at play here?

As far as MP questions go, track the author's voice throughout the passage. The correct answer should be something that the author would agree with AND is reflective of her attitude towards other viewpoints. So just restating her VP is (usually) an incomplete, and thus incorrect, answer, while restating her VP and why she thinks the other VPs are bad would be a correct answer.

Re: How to review RC errors.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:00 pm
by JD=Doctor
Thanks for the responses.

I know its still early, but i just did 3 random passages. got -1 on each one of them (finished the 20 questions in 26:30 mins)

I think the art passages sometime give me problems.