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I found that one of the things that make passages difficult to understand is concept discussed in passages...sometimes its too abstract and even though I understand its grammar and vocab, I still do not get the idea.
So I'm thinking to focus on the other 3 (relatively easy) passages. And I'm ust wondering...when does the hardest passage usually appear? Or it appears randomly?
Can you tell the passage is going to be the hardest one before you actually start to read it?
What do you do if you do not understand the concept discussed in the passage?

Thanks!

I think it will vary from person to person. Some passages are definitely harder, but you may struggle more with science ones or philosophy ones. Take a few and see what subject type you are getting the most wrong on.

I don't know if fully understanding the concept really matters for most questions, but that will depend on how you define that.

34iplaw wrote:I think it will vary from person to person. Some passages are definitely harder, but you may struggle more with science ones or philosophy ones. Take a few and see what subject type you are getting the most wrong on.

I don't know if fully understanding the concept really matters for most questions, but that will depend on how you define that.

Yeah, which ones are hardest are quite literally subjective. I find certain science ones way harder than any humanities passage, for instance.

So here's how it usually goes for me: long but not so dense passage first, then usually between the last 3 is a comparative and two shorter dense passages.
I know this is super broad but that's the only pattern I could see after taking all of the RCs. But even this isn't always true, as sometimes comparative could be first.

Thanks for the reply guys
I think science and philosophy are def the hardest for me...humanity and law are okay I think.

notsolawful wrote:So here's how it usually goes for me: long but not so dense passage first, then usually between the last 3 is a comparative and two shorter dense passages.
I know this is super broad but that's the only pattern I could see after taking all of the RCs. But even this isn't always true, as sometimes comparative could be first.

Wow you took all of the RCs?
how are old PTs different from recent ones? in terms of the contents of the passages...not questions.
Do they have relatively similar structure/difficulties? I wonder whether I should take all of the RCs but not sure I have enough time.
Would you suggest to do all RCs? (I mean does it help to improve RC sec?)

Thanks!

This is vague and may be totally wrong, just my opinion. I've read in other places that RC difficulty is entirely subjective, but I find that hard to believe. The first or second passage to me is almost invariably going to be the easiest in the set. Every now and then I find a dual passage that appears third or fourth to be the easiest, but I find those easier in general, others may disagree.

I find that, in general, the first two are easier. If one of those is dense, it probably uses straightforward language. Furthermore, if the first or second passage is dense the questions will probably not require you to dig as deep into the passage or make complicated inferences like a later passage would. As for third or fourth, I usually find these the hardest. I took June and I found the third significantly more difficult than the fourth (to the point that I did not have enough time to adequately complete either passage and my test was deemed meaningless ) Once again, that can switch. Fourth could be way harder. Someone posted an important link in a thread titled something like 'Theory Behind Reading Comprehension' that I want to read before I start prepping for the September retake.

etramak wrote:This is vague and may be totally wrong, just my opinion. I've read in other places that RC difficulty is entirely subjective, but I find that hard to believe. The first or second passage to me is almost invariably going to be the easiest in the set. Every now and then I find a dual passage that appears third or fourth to be the easiest, but I find those easier in general, others may disagree.

I find that, in general, the first two are easier. If one of those is dense, it probably uses straightforward language. Furthermore, if the first or second passage is dense the questions will probably not require you to dig as deep into the passage or make complicated inferences like a later passage would. As for third or fourth, I usually find these the hardest. I took June and I found the third significantly more difficult than the fourth (to the point that I did not have enough time to adequately complete either passage and my test was deemed meaningless ) Once again, that can switch. Fourth could be way harder. Someone posted an important link in a thread titled something like 'Theory Behind Reading Comprehension' that I want to read before I start prepping for the September retake.

I definitely think there is truth to this as well! So I was kind of wrong. It is not 100% subjective all the time anyway.

Barack O'Drama wrote:

etramak wrote:This is vague and may be totally wrong, just my opinion. I've read in other places that RC difficulty is entirely subjective, but I find that hard to believe. The first or second passage to me is almost invariably going to be the easiest in the set. Every now and then I find a dual passage that appears third or fourth to be the easiest, but I find those easier in general, others may disagree.

I find that, in general, the first two are easier. If one of those is dense, it probably uses straightforward language. Furthermore, if the first or second passage is dense the questions will probably not require you to dig as deep into the passage or make complicated inferences like a later passage would. As for third or fourth, I usually find these the hardest. I took June and I found the third significantly more difficult than the fourth (to the point that I did not have enough time to adequately complete either passage and my test was deemed meaningless ) Once again, that can switch. Fourth could be way harder. Someone posted an important link in a thread titled something like 'Theory Behind Reading Comprehension' that I want to read before I start prepping for the September retake.

I definitely think there is truth to this as well! So I was kind of wrong. It is not 100% subjective all the time anyway.

What you said earlier about the subject of the passage is true, though. I also find science much more difficult than humanities and dread having to read 60 lines of biology or chemistry during crunchtime of the RC section. I just think in the (rare) case that a science passage appears first, it will most likely be harder than a humanities or law passage that comes third or fourth.

etramak wrote:

Barack O'Drama wrote:

etramak wrote:This is vague and may be totally wrong, just my opinion. I've read in other places that RC difficulty is entirely subjective, but I find that hard to believe. The first or second passage to me is almost invariably going to be the easiest in the set. Every now and then I find a dual passage that appears third or fourth to be the easiest, but I find those easier in general, others may disagree.

I find that, in general, the first two are easier. If one of those is dense, it probably uses straightforward language. Furthermore, if the first or second passage is dense the questions will probably not require you to dig as deep into the passage or make complicated inferences like a later passage would. As for third or fourth, I usually find these the hardest. I took June and I found the third significantly more difficult than the fourth (to the point that I did not have enough time to adequately complete either passage and my test was deemed meaningless ) Once again, that can switch. Fourth could be way harder. Someone posted an important link in a thread titled something like 'Theory Behind Reading Comprehension' that I want to read before I start prepping for the September retake.

I definitely think there is truth to this as well! So I was kind of wrong. It is not 100% subjective all the time anyway.

What you said earlier about the subject of the passage is true, though. I also find science much more difficult than humanities and dread having to read 60 lines of biology or chemistry during crunchtime of the RC section. I just think in the (rare) case that a science passage appears first, it will most likely be harder than a humanities or law passage that comes third or fourth.

Exactly right!

Totally anecdotal but humanities were always easiest for me. I did undergrad and grad in history. The freaking hardest passage I ever did was in history in a subject I felt 100% comfortable in. Was a very sad day (stupid clay tablets).

momoyome wrote:Totally anecdotal but humanities were always easiest for me. I did undergrad and grad in history. The freaking hardest passage I ever did was in history in a subject I felt 100% comfortable in. Was a very sad day (stupid clay tablets).

Is this the June 2016 tokens/cunieform passage? Because if so I agree. Ruined my entire test which otherwise went swimmingly. Not too anxious about getting scores today because I already signed up for September.

etramak wrote:

momoyome wrote:Totally anecdotal but humanities were always easiest for me. I did undergrad and grad in history. The freaking hardest passage I ever did was in history in a subject I felt 100% comfortable in. Was a very sad day (stupid clay tablets).

Is this the June 2016 tokens/cunieform passage? Because if so I agree. Ruined my entire test which otherwise went swimmingly. Not too anxious about getting scores today because I already signed up for September.

Yes! Ugh so much yes. I'm taking in September too but still anxious as hell to get my results

any of you did all of the RCs?
Do you think it's helpful? I mean do they repeat the same topics etc?

etramak wrote:

momoyome wrote:Totally anecdotal but humanities were always easiest for me. I did undergrad and grad in history. The freaking hardest passage I ever did was in history in a subject I felt 100% comfortable in. Was a very sad day (stupid clay tablets).

Is this the June 2016 tokens/cunieform passage? Because if so I agree. Ruined my entire test which otherwise went swimmingly. Not too anxious about getting scores today because I already signed up for September.

Fuck that tokens passage

cocoandcoconuts wrote:any of you did all of the RCs?
Do you think it's helpful? I mean do they repeat the same topics etc?

They love Thurgood Marshall and Native Americans/Canadians. The topics though literally will not help you with the passages though.

TheMikey wrote: Fuck that tokens passage

There I was all excited and shit for it too. Biggest letdown of my life.

momoyome wrote:

TheMikey wrote: Fuck that tokens passage

There I was all excited and shit for it too. Biggest letdown of my life.

Seriously, like, I was dazed out during the whole passage and was like "what" at the end.

TheMikey wrote:

momoyome wrote:

TheMikey wrote: Fuck that tokens passage

There I was all excited and shit for it too. Biggest letdown of my life.

Seriously, like, I was dazed out during the whole passage and was like "what" at the end.

Did you two also have an experimental RC the section before this? There was a break between my two RCs, but it really messed me up having to do a 2nd RC immediately after being relieved I had the first one over with. For some reason I had convinced myself that the Logic Games in the first section were experimental so it really caught me off guard.

etramak wrote:

TheMikey wrote:

momoyome wrote:

TheMikey wrote: Fuck that tokens passage

There I was all excited and shit for it too. Biggest letdown of my life.

Seriously, like, I was dazed out during the whole passage and was like "what" at the end.

Did you two also have an experimental RC the section before this? There was a break between my two RCs, but it really messed me up having to do a 2nd RC immediately after being relieved I had the first one over with. For some reason I had convinced myself that the Logic Games in the first section were experimental so it really caught me off guard.

Yeah my experimental was RC before the break. I did terrible on it and I know it. Although RC is my worst section, I was somewhat glad that it was experimental since I feel like I did worse on it than the real.

etramak wrote:

TheMikey wrote:

momoyome wrote:

TheMikey wrote: Fuck that tokens passage

There I was all excited and shit for it too. Biggest letdown of my life.

Seriously, like, I was dazed out during the whole passage and was like "what" at the end.

Did you two also have an experimental RC the section before this? There was a break between my two RCs, but it really messed me up having to do a 2nd RC immediately after being relieved I had the first one over with. For some reason I had convinced myself that the Logic Games in the first section were experimental so it really caught me off guard.

LG-LR-RC-LR-RC. First RC was experimental (something about rice???). I was lucky and didn't have anything doubled up.