RC Forum

[Shakawkaw]

Hi TLS,

How do you guys tackle RC review? It's my lowest scoring section because I appear to be illiterate. I go anywhere from -2 to -8, and it's really pulling my score down.

Any advice would be super appreciated.

For reference, veteran circa Sept 2014 (first take). Third take this Sept. because life got in the way.

xoxo,
Shaka

[Giro423]

I have found doing passages over and over again to be the most helpful thing, even if I did them perfectly. On questions I miss, I try to drink in every detail of it, and ask myself exactly what it was in my process that caused me to miss the question. I don't know if anything helps more than just doing lots and lots of passages. Through this I discovered that annotating was slowing me down, and that strengthening my working memory was the most helpful thing.

[Blueprint Mithun]

Hi TLS,

How do you guys tackle RC review? It's my lowest scoring section because I appear to be illiterate. I go anywhere from -2 to -8, and it's really pulling my score down.

Any advice would be super appreciated.

For reference, veteran circa Sept 2014 (first take). Third take this Sept. because life got in the way.

xoxo,
Shaka

What is your approach to RC, currently? Do you actively search for certain things as you read the passages, like main point, author attitude, major perspectives? If not, I think doing so is really the key to mastering RC. The passages are dense with information, but these are the "keys" that relate to the most questions. If you practice identifying them during your first read-through, then you'll be pretty well-prepared to tackle the questions, and that should minimize the amount of time you'll spend going back and forth scanning for information.

Are there any particular question types that you struggle with? I used to have a tough time with RC questions that asked to infer what a certain person would most likely believe or agree with. With these questions, you sometimes need to make a small leap beyond what's explicitly stated in the passage.

[Shakawkaw]

Hi TLS,

How do you guys tackle RC review? It's my lowest scoring section because I appear to be illiterate. I go anywhere from -2 to -8, and it's really pulling my score down.

Any advice would be super appreciated.

For reference, veteran circa Sept 2014 (first take). Third take this Sept. because life got in the way.

xoxo,
Shaka

What is your approach to RC, currently? Do you actively search for certain things as you read the passages, like main point, author attitude, major perspectives? If not, I think doing so is really the key to mastering RC. The passages are dense with information, but these are the "keys" that relate to the most questions. If you practice identifying them during your first read-through, then you'll be pretty well-prepared to tackle the questions, and that should minimize the amount of time you'll spend going back and forth scanning for information.

Are there any particular question types that you struggle with? I used to have a tough time with RC questions that asked to infer what a certain person would most likely believe or agree with. With these questions, you sometimes need to make a small leap beyond what's explicitly stated in the passage.

Giro - thanks for the advice.

BP Mithun -

Currently, I'll annotate, and box certain words and circle POVs that are being talked about that aren't the author's. I'll also underline words that describe an opinion. I would say that my weakness is definitely in the inference questions. For questions that reference a part in the passage, I'll always go back and skim it just to be sure, and answer the question with very little difficulty. My issue is also being engaged with a passage that is very detailed and boring (yeah, yeah, I know - they can't all be interesting haha).

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[Blueprint Mithun]

Giro - thanks for the advice.

BP Mithun -

Currently, I'll annotate, and box certain words and circle POVs that are being talked about that aren't the author's. I'll also underline words that describe an opinion. I would say that my weakness is definitely in the inference questions. For questions that reference a part in the passage, I'll always go back and skim it just to be sure, and answer the question with very little difficulty. My issue is also being engaged with a passage that is very detailed and boring (yeah, yeah, I know - they can't all be interesting haha).

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Gotcha. Staying engaged with boring passages is actually one of the most common RC issues. You've probably already heard people say "try and make yourself interested" or something to that effect, and it sounds corny, I know, but it's actually really good advice. Even if, or especially if, the passage seems boring, pretend to be interested in it - tell yourself that it's really important, or fascinating, and you might find that it's less laborious to go through.

It ties together with what I was saying about reading "actively." When you're engaged with the material, it's a LOT easier to stay focused and to understand the passage. It becomes much less of an uphill battle. I think this is partially why students tend to do well with passages on subjects that they already have a background in, the other reason being that they're familiar with the language and modes of argumentation. If you have a literature/art background, then those type of passages will probably feel more relevant to you, and you might even *gasp* enjoy reading them. But when it comes to a topic where you have no background or interest, the passage is made more difficult by the fact that feels totally irrelevant. So for the sake of the test, practice being engaged with the subject, even if it's about types of grains or obscure trade regulations.