RC comparative strategy that totally dominates.... Forum

[longdaysjourney]

Ok...so I started doing this with the comparative passages on my PTs and I think it really works. I get the whole done in under 5 min...-0 always...piece of cake.

I did it on the test today and I think it really helped.

Step 1). Scan questions stems to see if there are more "...author of passage B..." or "...author of passage A..." questions
Step 2) Read the section first that has the most questions associated with it
Step 3) Answer all the questions that solely relate to the passages you have just read
Step 4) Eliminate obviously wrong answers from questions like: "the authors both think", "both authors are most likely to agree", "the way that the passages relate is..." etc. I have found that on 1/3 to 2/3 of these questions you can get them right after reading just 1 of the 2 comparative passages.
Step 5) Blow through the second at top speed....you already know the questions you will be asked. You should be able to read it in 1 min. and answer the rest on the questions in another min.
Step 6) Do the c-walk

Does anybody else do this. It makes the comparative passages so easy 4-5 min on the most difficult comparative passages.

[3|ink]

Comparative reading passages are always easy anyway. I seriously think they included those to help us.

[voltage88]

Ok...so I started doing this with the comparative passages on my PTs and I think it really works. I get the whole done in under 5 min...-0 always...piece of cake.

I did it on the test today and I think it really helped.

Step 1). Scan questions stems to see if there are more "...author of passage B..." or "...author of passage A..." questions
Step 2) Read the section first that has the most questions associated with it
Step 3) Answer all the questions that solely relate to the passages you have just read
Step 4) Eliminate obviously wrong answers from questions like: "the authors both think", "both authors are most likely to agree", "the way that the passages relate is..." etc. I have found that on 1/3 to 2/3 of these questions you can get them right after reading just 1 of the 2 comparative passages.
Step 5) Blow through the second at top speed....you already know the questions you will be asked. You should be able to read it in 1 min. and answer the rest on the questions in another min.
Step 6) Do the c-walk

Does anybody else do this. It makes the comparative passages so easy 4-5 min on the most difficult comparative passages.

wow. thanks. i'll see how it goes as i study for the december one.

[longdaysjourney]

Comparative reading passages are always easy anyway. I seriously think they included those to help us.

Yea they are easiest....but there is no reason not to use a strategy to get through them faster.

[The Gentleman]

Ok...so I started doing this with the comparative passages on my PTs and I think it really works. I get the whole done in under 5 min...-0 always...piece of cake.

Damn, where was this three weeks ago?

[am060459]

this would of helped a lot.

[tazmolover]

Step 4 is iffy.

Eliminate obvious answers? What's this? Base answers on hunches?

[fosterp]

Step 4 is iffy.

Eliminate obvious answers? What's this? Base answers on hunches?

You can eliminate the wrong answers "both authors would agree" after reading one passage if the answer has information that isn't supported by the passage you read. If one author can't agree, then both couldn't possibly agree.

That said, the method posted above looks like it might have some advantages to the traditional approach, namely that you won't have to remember which passage had which viewpoint

But I have yet to do any comparative reading Q's since I am prepping for dec

[tazmolover]

Step 4 is iffy.

Eliminate obvious answers? What's this? Base answers on hunches?

You can eliminate the wrong answers "both authors would agree" after reading one passage if the answer has information that isn't supported by the passage you read. If one author can't agree, then both couldn't possibly agree.

That said, the method posted above looks like it might have some advantages to the traditional approach, namely that you won't have to remember which passage had which viewpoint

But I have yet to do any comparative reading Q's since I am prepping for dec

Oh. Yeh. I'm stupid.

This strat sounds risky though. There aren't many comparative passages to practice with and reading comp is one of those sections for me where a minute or two is more crucial than any other section (other than LG).

[longdaysjourney]

Step 4 is iffy.

Eliminate obvious answers? What's this? Base answers on hunches?

You can eliminate the wrong answers "both authors would agree" after reading one passage if the answer has information that isn't supported by the passage you read. If one author can't agree, then both couldn't possibly agree.

That said, the method posted above looks like it might have some advantages to the traditional approach, namely that you won't have to remember which passage had which viewpoint

But I have yet to do any comparative reading Q's since I am prepping for dec

Oh. Yeh. I'm stupid.

This strat sounds risky though. There aren't many comparative passages to practice with and reading comp is one of those sections for me where a minute or two is more crucial than any other section (other than LG).

I know it sounds risky, the first time I tried it I didn't have high hopes. But it is amazing how much it "unlocks" the passage. Especially with whichever passage that you choose to do second; having read through the questions before approaching it gives you such a precise context that you can really blow through it. After I perfected this strategy I've never taken more than 5 min and never gotten anything other than a -0 on a comparative passage.

[cowgirl_bebop]

Ok...so I started doing this with the comparative passages on my PTs and I think it really works. I get the whole done in under 5 min...-0 always...piece of cake.

I did it on the test today and I think it really helped.

Step 1). Scan questions stems to see if there are more "...author of passage B..." or "...author of passage A..." questions
Step 2) Read the section first that has the most questions associated with it
Step 3) Answer all the questions that solely relate to the passages you have just read
Step 4) Eliminate obviously wrong answers from questions like: "the authors both think", "both authors are most likely to agree", "the way that the passages relate is..." etc. I have found that on 1/3 to 2/3 of these questions you can get them right after reading just 1 of the 2 comparative passages.
Step 5) Blow through the second at top speed....you already know the questions you will be asked. You should be able to read it in 1 min. and answer the rest on the questions in another min.
Step 6) Do the c-walk

Does anybody else do this. It makes the comparative passages so easy 4-5 min on the most difficult comparative passages.

I do everything except for 4 (I can usually remember) and I go through the 2nd passage quickly but not at breakneck speed. There are sometimes nuances that I want to make sure I get right.

But 1-3 are DEFINITELY essential. Its much easier to answer questions about just passage A when you have not read passage B to confuse you. I used to spend so much time double-checking which passage said what on those questions until I started using this method. Thank you Princeton Review!

[rso11]

totally going to try this for my Dec prep. Thanks for sharing!

[longdaysjourney]

Thank you Princeton Review!

Oh, so Princeton Review advocates something similar to this?

[cowgirl_bebop]

Thank you Princeton Review!

Oh, so Princeton Review advocates something similar to this?

Honestly, I dont think it was a part of the class, but we had a substitute instructor for the day we covered comparative passages and thats what he told us to do. I dont quite remember what the book said. But it was a good course, and Im glad I took it.

[JamMasterJ]

Glad I saw this. I think I missed 3-4 questions on comparative in Feb. I would have been close to 170 without that.

[notaznguy]

I will try this. Thanks for posting.