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I'm trying to improve my RC speed and comprehension, but I think I'll find it more beneficial if I knew roughly how many words there are per passage so that I can work on getting my optimum speed and accuracy based on what I need to excel in the LSAT.
1) I've heard 2-3 1/2 mins is about how much time one should spend reading the passage, do you agree on that?
2) How many words per minute should one be able to effectively read and comprehend?
3) What can one do to train their minds to focus, tune out distractions, and improve comprehension?

-Thanks in advance!

1) Depends on the passage, but generally, yes.
2) Don't know/NA
3) Be interested in the subject matter (fake it if needed) and practice.

1. 2-3 minutes is about right.
2. Again, that is something that you would have to research, also knowing that experts will have many different opinions on the matter.
3. I actually used a couple different supplements to help me. DMAE, Brain Essentials, N-Acetyl Cysteine and vitamin B. I was so in the zone on test today that it was crazy. To get the vitamin B, I took a 5 hour energy with the DMAE supplement.

I aim for the low end and refer back more heavily, so I try to aim for 2 minutes for actual reading.


If you want to mark occasionally to make sure you're understand where the main points are, where main transitions are, and that sort of thing, that should be fine as long as it's a fairly minimal amount to keep focused.

Ideally I would say 2.5-3 is best. Less than 2.5, I just don't see most people as being able to read/comprehend the passage effectively. Much more than 3 and you'll probably end up crunched for time on the questions.

Practice in a public place like a library or book store will probably help in improving focus.

seancris wrote:Ideally I would say 2.5-3 is best. Less than 2.5, I just don't see most people as being able to read/comprehend the passage effectively. Much more than 3 and you'll probably end up crunched for time on the questions.

Practice in a public place like a library or book store will probably help in improving focus.

I read the RC passages in under a minute, most of the time. Maybe I don't absorb 100% of the material from that, but it creates a mental image of where most things are located in the passage, so when the question asks something about 'the delegates to the conference' or 'the competing theories of timespace' or whatever, I can usually go right back to those bits and read more carefully around them. (And since I only spent 40 seconds on the first read-through, I have time for plenty of re-reading.)

Granted, RC was my worst section at a -4.

I agree with the 2.5-3 mins as an average per 4 passages, but not as an absolute. I just don't think all passages are created equally, so I'd vary my timing depending on the difficulty of the passage.

For a concrete, single point of view passage on a subject with which I'm familiar, I'll read it very fast, maybe 60-90 seconds mostly just to get the lay of the land. Of course, I'll go back to the passage to prove support for answers to each question. I shoot for 6-7 minutes to complete this kind of passage.

However, for an abstract, multiple points of view passage on a subject with which I'm unfamiliar, I'll spend maybe 4 to 5 minutes reading and annotating before I get to the 1st question. I shoot for 10-11 minutes on this kind of passage.

Also, I'll spend the first 60 seconds of the 35 minutes skimming the first lines of each paragraph in each passage, looking for concrete vs abstract language as well as unfamiliar vocabulary and multiple points of view. Then, I'll do the passages in my own order, fast reads first.

1.) This amount sounds correct. The actual time will vary based on the density of the passage.
2.) The answer to this question depends on the specific individual.
3.) I read the Economist, and those difficult passages increased my exposure to LSAT style writing. In addition, it also helps to summarize each passage in your head while reading. Also if at possible try to force yourself to enjoy the passage. In my experience, I performed a lot better on these passages.

Good luck!

gon09009 reads the RC passage...

It's not very effective!

(Sorry couldn't resist)