RC - Time spent reading each passage Forum

[lesak1313]

Just wanted to get some ideas on how much time you spend on your initial reading of each passage. I've been trying about three minutes (12 minutes total reading), but am having difficulty answering all the questions in time. I believe it might be a better strategy to spend more time understanding the passage, which would allow the questions to be answered much quicker.

3 minutes reading each passage = 12 minutes reading = 51 seconds per question
4 minutes reading each passage = 16 minutes reading = 42 seconds per question

What do you guys think? I spend too much time referring back to the passage and believe that is the main reason I cannot finish the section. I'm going to see if the extra minute I spend on the initial reading of each passage eliminates a minute or more of the time I spend referring back to the passage while answering the questions.

[keg411]

I tried taking a bit longer to read the passages last night when I did a section and it helped me answer the questions much quicker (and I had to go back to the passage less). I'm going to try a couple more tonight like this and see what happens.

[charlesxavier]

I missed 17 RC questions on my diagnostic. Now, I am down to between -1 and -4 on every RC section. The only thing I changed was to read slower (~3 minutes) and take in all of the details. As I go along I make sure that I am getting most of the details, and that I am definitely getting the overall structure of the passage. It helps to make sure that I have to turn back to the passage very few times and if I have to I know where to look. For me, spending a little extra reading cut down a lot of time on the questions.

P.S.- Especially on science, don't worry about pronouncing the complex words correctly in your head. It is a waste of time and can mess up your focus. Just make a mental note that the word with 3 X's and a Q is in the first paragraph.

[DarkPhantom]

Basically what they've said above - I'm doing active reading instead of just trying to get through it to the questions - which you should be doing nonetheless. Sometimes I take even 4.5 minutes on a passage which usually puts me in a worry but the questions are easier to answer since I underline/denote key things which the questions usually ask.

To each his own, but tricking yourself into believing that you like what you're about to read REALLY helps!
Just think - if I can remember this passage for the next 7mins, I can get a perfect RC score!
^cliche but it helps.