Hi guys, any tips for main point RC questions? Forum

[flash21]

Hey,

Does anyone have tips for main point RC questions? I am improving a lot on RC but consistently miss about 2 of these per RC section. Thought these were supposed to be easy?!

Thanks

[dallas0013]

For sure answer them in your head before looking at any answer choices (this is pretty solid for the majority of RC questions, but particularly so for main point questions.) The hardest part about RC is how good they are at writing incorrect but appetizing answer choices--the more you can turn it into matching (to then answer you already have in your head) as opposed to eliminating, the better.

[flash21]

thanks!

[179orBust]

I absolutely love MP questions. Like SA in LR, you should definitely go into the answer choices with a clear idea of what you're looking for. Like the poster above said, it should be a matching game.
Incorrect answers will usually fall into the following categories:
1) Too narrow in scope. These are a bit tricky b/c they're factually accurate. However, they don't cover the entire passage so it's unlikely the choice will be correct.
2) Factually inaccurate: These are fairly easy to eliminate b/c they aren't true. So how can it be the main point?

I always solve MP questions using the above strategy and they typically take me around 15 seconds. These questions should be automatic; you never want to lose points on this question type.
Hope this helps!

[kangaroo430]

Hi,
I usually approach main point question the same way I approach the LR's main argument question. I try to see the passage as a long LR stimulus and isolate the argument from it. For those early rc passages, i find the main points were usually expressed in the last paragraph, whereas the post-pt60s' mp questions are asking more about the "big-picture"..
I am not very good with rc either, so my experience could be detrimental to your prep..

[Op_Diom]

Think about how each paragraph makes a point(s) to support a given argument (as in the rationale a passage uses). Hence, you can then gain a coherent and general understanding of the whole passage, along with the parts it consists of. Any AC with a scope too far removed or too specific (for instance, a particular aspect of the general argument) compared to your pre-phrase can usually be quickly eliminated. Most of the time one single AC that nearly perfectly fits the scope and aim of the whole argument will be left.

[flash21]

Thanks guys, appreciate the help. Diem - I should really use your advice (duh) its so weird now that I think about it, when I get to MP questions I wasn't really using any type of process, just vaguely looking for scope issues. Thanks