RC Timing contingent upon not referring back? Forum

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sunbai1029

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RC Timing contingent upon not referring back?

Post by sunbai1029 » Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:58 pm

My last three PT's I've gone about -2 up to the last passage, then I go about -4 on the last passage. This is ridiculous and it's in due part to time crunch/pressure and frankly they seem to be harder (on the ones I've most recently taken at least). Does this mean I should just be working harder on getting through without referring so much back to the passage. Sometimes I know I can get the question right if I do so though, so I would hate not being able to do it as much. Anyway, anyone here overcome timing struggles with RC? It's the only section I can't seem to get down as far as timing is concerned.

ilikebaseball

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Re: RC Timing contingent upon not referring back?

Post by ilikebaseball » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:03 pm

it seems like everyone has trouble with RC timing. People usually refer someone to the voyager guide or say something along the lines of "the more you do, the naturally you get faster at it. So keep knocking them out."

I think that you HAVE To refer back otherwise you'll miss problems. -2 isn't bad though until you get to the last passage. IDK if I'd change. But I will say that, for a lot of problems, I already know the answer without looking back. I'll just skim back to check if im right. But if you're having to go back and literally read a whole paragraph for every problem then maybe you arent comprehending as well as you should be.

sunbai1029

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Re: RC Timing contingent upon not referring back?

Post by sunbai1029 » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:23 pm

Thanks. Yeah, sometime I feel as if I mentally slide off the passage sometimes and even doing that for a couple of lines/pargraph probably kills me. I guess I need to be more "active" *sigh*. And yeah, I've done about 200 or so already so 'just keep doing them' won't help me much.

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blueberrycrumble

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Re: RC Timing contingent upon not referring back?

Post by blueberrycrumble » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:46 pm

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Last edited by blueberrycrumble on Wed May 13, 2015 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

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sfoglia

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Re: RC Timing contingent upon not referring back?

Post by sfoglia » Tue Jul 29, 2014 11:08 pm

blueberrycrumble wrote:I may just read very quickly but I refer back to the passage for every question (and find I finish with maybe even 2 minutes left at the end). I don't think I could be absolutely confident about any answers if I don't at least quickly look and confirm. Would not recommend just answering the question. -1 RC on the real thing FWIW
Ditto. I'm usually knocking out three choices, then choosing between two and confirming that choice briefly. I notate as I read so that I know exactly where to look for that confirmation. And I would not feel comfortable doing otherwise.

In the few times that I have found myself rushed at the final passage, it was either because I was overly-cautious in some earlier passage, taking a bit too much care to confirm my answer choices, or because I somehow became distracted during the reading of one of the passages, and lost time because of it.

If you are unsure of exactly what it is that is keeping you from finishing in thirty-five minutes without some last minute panic, maybe try doing a full set of RC, four passages in thirty-five minutes, but skip bubbling in your answers. Instead, use the time you would otherwise spend to add a little dot in the margins at every point in the passage where you found yourself distracted, confused, or having to go back to re-read. The collection of dots you accumulate over each of the four passages will be most telling. Is there a gradual increase of dots through each of the four sections? (Issue of endurance.) Were there twice as many in the science passage as the history? (Issue of subject matter.) Very few in the first passage, but a ton in the final? (Issue of anxiety, likely.) Just a thought.

Caveat: I have not taken the LSAT, but my background is in education, literature, and composition. And, yes, RC is my strongest section, with time to spare.

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dowu

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Re: RC Timing contingent upon not referring back?

Post by dowu » Tue Jul 29, 2014 11:17 pm

I spend about 3 minutes 30 per passage. Makes the questions for me way easier. I'm not scrambling trying to figure out where they talked about it or what they're talking about. I also take notes on the side.

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