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One week for GMAT--- Verbal Accuracy (esp RC) going down

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anukrati Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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One week for GMAT--- Verbal Accuracy (esp RC) going down Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:15 am
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    Hi

    My Verbal score had improved form the day I started preparing for GMAT but in recent Practice Tests ( around 3-4). I can see my accuracy in solving Verbal questions especially in Reading Comprehension going down.
    I just solved MGMAT question Bank on Reading Comprehension and got less than 50% accuracy.
    I used to make one mistakes per RC but now its more than that..

    I just have one more week to go for my GMAT exam..I am really worried..

    Please help how can I come back to my previous Verbal RC Accuracy Level.
    What can be done in just one more week to go.

    Thanks in advance

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    VivianKerr GMAT Instructor
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    Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:47 am
    If your RC is around 50% that is a BIG clue that you don't have a strategy in place that is working for you.

    What is your strategy for passages? How do you make sense of them? How do you approach the Q's? What is your process of elimination for the A choices?

    These links might help:

    http://grockit.com/blog/gmat/2011/03/21/gmat-example-note-taking/
    http://grockit.com/blog/gmat/category/gmat/verbal/reading-comprehension/

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    anukrati Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:07 pm
    Strategy for my passages is to go through them and understand those as I go through the passages.

    Then I attempt the questions and if needed I go through the passage again after questions.

    For answering questions I do them by elimination.

    The only problem what I realized after analysis is that while solving those question I narrow down to two options and then I select the incorrect answer.

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    VivianKerr GMAT Instructor
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    Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:17 pm
    When you say "understand those" do you write them down? Can you show me an example of your passage notes? What template do you follow?

    HOW do you "attempt" the questions? Can you write out your strategy in steps, 1,2,3? I think you might be under-doing it a bit.

    When you select the incorrect choice, it's like to do with a lack of understanding the scope of the question. You need to rephrase the question in your own words and WRITE DOWN a prediction in your own words before you even read the answer choices.

    Don't try to approach RC in your head. Get it all down on paper.

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    anukrati Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:35 pm
    I used to write them while practicing earlier. But while doing tests I am not following the writing down notes and then solving the question as it cost lot of time which is not there when I am solving Practice Tests.

    While attempting the questions I follow the following strategy:

    1) Read the question and categorize what is it --- whether it is main idea question, inference, support or except questions.
    2) For main Idea passage I mostly look for the answers in First or Last Paragraph.
    3) If its inference question then I look to those lines to which it refers then go about those lines in the paragraphs.
    4) If its support or except question I do it by answer choices...

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    VivianKerr GMAT Instructor
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    Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:15 pm
    Okay, so you really HAVE to take notes while you read the passages.

    "Notes" does NOT mean summarize, write full sentences, take forever, etc.

    "Notes" DOES mean writing down PREDICTIONS to anticipated questions, forcing yourself to find the UNSTATED concepts that questions will ask about later.

    I recommend writing down the Topic, Scope, Function for each Paragraph, Author's POV, and Purpose. If you do that, you will more than likely never have to go back and re-read anything again. You can find examples on BTG of how I do this: http://www.beatthegmat.com/rc-99-passage-39-t81093.html

    When you practice the point is to SLOW DOWN and be thorough. Runners don't run every practice race at the speed they plan to run the marathon. They slow down and work on their form so that later on they can speed up.

    If you break down the passage and understand it the first time, everything you need to answer Main Idea, Inference, and Detail questions will be in your passage map.

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    anukrati Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:15 pm
    Can you please also tell me how should I go about with my Verbal practice in this last week. Which can also help in bringing the accuracy level back to 80%.

    And also taking test daily do help if I am able to analyze them on the same day...

    anukrati Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:19 pm
    Thanks a lot Vivian. I will go ahead with that practice.

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