Failing RC Forum

[Nat Sherman]

Currently in the low 40s on PT's and am being destroyed by RC. Currently I'm averaging -3 to -5 on LR per section and it -0 to -1 on LG, which makes it frustrating to see -12 on RC. I don't even know where to start improving on RC. Currently my biggest problem is focusing and retaining information through the passages. Sometimes however it is just basic comprehension problems that cause me to miss a problem. What would be the most practical way going forward in studying that would help me perfect LR and just get RC to an acceptable level.

[RobertGolddust]

Pretty sure that's not a low 140.

[espressocream]

Pretty sure that's not a low 140.

I think he means PT #

Yeah I just took 40 today. RC = -9.
Normally I'm -5/-4
I don't know though, these are the only PTs I haven't seen.

[cc.celina]

Do you annotate? Have you tried any books? I read a little of Manhattan RC (you can get it for 10 books on kindle) and it seemed like a good way to craft a basic strategy. If you're having focus problems, having a structured way to attack each passage and figure out its main points may help you.

[lederhosen]

.

[Systematic1]

Manhattan RC

[cookiejar1]

Pick up the $10 Manhattan RC book on Amazon (Kindle edition). You can read it on a PC, iPad, whatever.

You need to have a strategy when you read RC. Off the top of my head, the Manhattan RC method claims that there are only three types of questions: Identification, Inference, and Synthesis.

For Identification questions you must find a proof text to prove your answer choice. This is ridiculously easy after drilling for days. Automatic correct answer choice.

For Inference questions you must identify a proof text and draw an appropriate conclusion/inference/take-away from the text. This is a little bit harder because you have to know where to find the proof texts and be able to draw proper inferences from it. If you're getting -3 on LR you should be smart enough to understand Must Be True question types. Just apply the same principles here. Your best shot here is just eliminating all the obviously wrong questions.

For Synthesis questions... you take two different pieces of information and combine them together. Wrong answer choices will either infer the wrong thing, infer from one or not the other, or etc. This is where correctly eliminating the wrong answer choices are easier than actually finding the correct answer choice.

The RC guide is also helpful in explaining how to "structure" the argument as you read it and how to identify wrong answers. The book is super short. Just buy it and read it.

Oh and start familiarizing yourself with Comparative Passages. They're in the newer PTs and at least one passage will be a comparative passage in upcoming LSAT. I personally love comparative passages... hopefully you will too. If not, drill baby drill.

[gaud]

Manhattan RC

You could also take a look at Voyager's Guide (free):

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... ading+Comp

[Br3v]

Pick up the $10 Manhattan RC book on Amazon (Kindle edition). You can read it on a PC, iPad, whatever.

You need to have a strategy when you read RC. Off the top of my head, the Manhattan RC method claims that there are only three types of questions: Identification, Inference, and Synthesis.

For Identification questions you must find a proof text to prove your answer choice. This is ridiculously easy after drilling for days. Automatic correct answer choice.

For Inference questions you must identify a proof text and draw an appropriate conclusion/inference/take-away from the text. This is a little bit harder because you have to know where to find the proof texts and be able to draw proper inferences from it. If you're getting -3 on LR you should be smart enough to understand Must Be True question types. Just apply the same principles here. Your best shot here is just eliminating all the obviously wrong questions.

For Synthesis questions... you take two different pieces of information and combine them together. Wrong answer choices will either infer the wrong thing, infer from one or not the other, or etc. This is where correctly eliminating the wrong answer choices are easier than actually finding the correct answer choice.

The RC guide is also helpful in explaining how to "structure" the argument as you read it and how to identify wrong answers. The book is super short. Just buy it and read it.

Oh and start familiarizing yourself with Comparative Passages. They're in the newer PTs and at least one passage will be a comparative passage in upcoming LSAT. I personally love comparative passages... hopefully you will too. If not, drill baby drill.

Thanks! Tag.
RC strategy