The Economist tutor suggests doing an "initial" reading of the text, and then either just answering the question with that, or searching further for the specific answer, but never actually reading the entire texts.
Has anyone had experience using the "initial reading" method successfully? Or are there other methods/tips that people recommend? I like pretty much everything that Economist teaches, but this one strategy seems especially weird to me.
Thanks
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Best RC Strategy?
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Brent@GMATPrepNow
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I don't believe that there's one specific Reading Comprehension strategy that works best for everyone. I always recommend that students spend some time experimenting with different strategies to see which one best suits their memory, reading speed and English proficiency.
Having said that, when reading ANY Reading Comprehension passage, it's crucial that you engage 100% in the passage. So, rather than approach a new passage with dread ("yeesh, this is going to be a killer"), try to feign interest ("Excellent! This passage is about protozoa!!"). The greater your engagement, the better your results.
You'll find additional tips to help you better engage with the passage in this free video: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... on?id=1123
If you're interested, we have a complete set of free videos covering all sorts of Reading Comprehension strategies: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... prehension
Cheers,
Brent
Having said that, when reading ANY Reading Comprehension passage, it's crucial that you engage 100% in the passage. So, rather than approach a new passage with dread ("yeesh, this is going to be a killer"), try to feign interest ("Excellent! This passage is about protozoa!!"). The greater your engagement, the better your results.
You'll find additional tips to help you better engage with the passage in this free video: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... on?id=1123
If you're interested, we have a complete set of free videos covering all sorts of Reading Comprehension strategies: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... prehension
Cheers,
Brent
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Hi srfn,
RC prompts (and the questions that accompany them) can be dealt with in a variety of ways. Many Test Takers are concerned about RC, but much like the other major categories on the GMAT, RC is written in a consistent fashion and the questions fall into a handful of categories (even the wrong answers fall into patterns).
Engage in the reading and note-taking process. You don't have to understand every word that your read and you don't need to take tons of notes, but you can't afford to skimp on either task. When answering questions, force yourself to predict the correct answer before you look at the 5 options.
RC is a big block of points, so you can't afford to be "weak" in this area. Keep working hard and trying different techniques. Realize that it takes time to develop this skill, so you won't become an expert at any method overnight.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
RC prompts (and the questions that accompany them) can be dealt with in a variety of ways. Many Test Takers are concerned about RC, but much like the other major categories on the GMAT, RC is written in a consistent fashion and the questions fall into a handful of categories (even the wrong answers fall into patterns).
Engage in the reading and note-taking process. You don't have to understand every word that your read and you don't need to take tons of notes, but you can't afford to skimp on either task. When answering questions, force yourself to predict the correct answer before you look at the 5 options.
RC is a big block of points, so you can't afford to be "weak" in this area. Keep working hard and trying different techniques. Realize that it takes time to develop this skill, so you won't become an expert at any method overnight.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Hi!srfn wrote:The Economist tutor suggests doing an "initial" reading of the text, and then either just answering the question with that, or searching further for the specific answer, but never actually reading the entire texts.
Has anyone had experience using the "initial reading" method successfully? Or are there other methods/tips that people recommend? I like pretty much everything that Economist teaches, but this one strategy seems especially weird to me.
Thanks
Here are some tips using which I was able to improve my accuracy to more than 80% :
1) Don't read the intro para in a hurry. Get a feel of the topic that is about to be discussed.
2) Summarize each para in your own words. Just a mental note.
3) Don't spend too much time on reading examples. Understand the purpose of using a particular example, not its details. Just remember the rough location of examples so that you can quickly spot them in case you face questions related to a specific example.
4) As soon as you are done reading the passage, make a short summary or main point of the passage using the para summaries. You don't need to write the summaries, just take a mental note. Do this irrespective of whether or not main point question is asked because making your own main point will further solidify your understanding of the passage.
Hope this helps!!
