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So, what is the best RC strategy? All the programs have particular approaches/guides to LG and LR, some more serviceable that others (I like Powerscore and Manhatten), but what about RC...I find that I am just doing RC with little method and mainly chaos. I range -0 to -7. I need something to control my efforts and results! Help!

well.let's.see wrote:So, what is the best RC strategy? All the programs have particular approaches/guides to LG and LR, some more serviceable that others (I like Powerscore and Manhatten), but what about RC...I find that I am just doing RC with little method and mainly chaos. I range -0 to -7. I need something to control my efforts and results! Help!

Unfortunately there's isn't a "best" strategy for RC (I'd probably argue the same for LR and LG to a lesser degree). Consensus on here points to Manhattan as the best, but it's really all about finding what works for you. I personally write out a brief sentence after particularly difficult paragraphs, and make notes as to where the authors tone changes or views become clear (including words like "unfortunately," and "remarkably," etc.) It has helped me go from an inconsistent -4 to -8 to a still somewhat inconsistent, but less so, 0 to -4. Hope this helps.

well.let's.see wrote:So, what is the best RC strategy? All the programs have particular approaches/guides to LG and LR, some more serviceable that others (I like Powerscore and Manhatten), but what about RC...I find that I am just doing RC with little method and mainly chaos. I range -0 to -7. I need something to control my efforts and results! Help!

Welcome to the party.

well.let's.see wrote:So, what is the best RC strategy? All the programs have particular approaches/guides to LG and LR, some more serviceable that others (I like Powerscore and Manhatten), but what about RC...I find that I am just doing RC with little method and mainly chaos. I range -0 to -7. I need something to control my efforts and results! Help!

There's no best strategy for this. It's not a precise science. There are methods that can help, but the key is to develop your reading comprehension skills.

what strategy do you use when reviewing previously completed PTs?

While the Manhattan guide hasn't made me perfect, it did at least provide some tips.

I truly think the best way of tackling RC is to drill twenty to forty passages individually and slowly building from there. Don't do them all at once. You should be able to finish reading the passage in four minutes or less. Some passages take two minutes which gives you anywhere from three to five minutes answer the questions.

Honestly no more than one passage should be occupying more than 9 minutes on a RC section. Keep practicing until you can accurately get at most one wrong on a given passage (five to eight questions).

RIght, I totally understand that RC is far more fluid. But still, are there critical "elements" of the the passages that questions will most likely stem from. Author's tone is obvious, what else? Multiple perspectives, data, examples, etc? Also, does anyone have experience with testmasters? I've heard they have some unique insights...

mvonh001 wrote:what strategy do you use when reviewing previously completed PTs?

I'm more than happy to hearing about various reviewing techniques...