Reading Comprehension

Hi, I am looking for RC sources other than OG material (OG-10,11,12,Review). Could anyone please tell me the reference for other sources.

1.) I have heard LSAT RCs are better (tougher) but not sure about their representation/mapping to actual GMAT question types ?

2.) 1000 RC are official GMAT questions but the problem is with their explanations which aren't readily available ?

3.) Any other reliable source which I could refer to ? Please guide ?


Thanks a lot in advance!

well other than those
i think
kaplan 800 has got some good tests for your RC skills.
Somebody has colleted all questions of gmatprep google it
Kaplan GRE workbook has some good Science passages...

and this forum has also got many...

thanks

Thanks Frank for the suggestion.

But actually I wanted to know after OG material what should I start with next, LSAT RC or 1000 RC or the the other sources that you mentioned ? As I am not sure whether to start LSAT RC (which are not truly representative of GMAT) or 1000RC (which do not have documented explanations)

Thanks!

I am just working on a series of posts on using the LSAT to study for the GMAT so I am in a good position to reply to your question.

Unlike critical reasoning LSAT problems, which can be a little bit "hit and miss" as in some are great to study others are not and it is hard to tell the difference sometimes - LSAT Reading Comp is good to study for the GMAT.

The real problem with most reading comp that is not part of an official test, you mentioned some unofficial sources in your posting, these are usually not edited as well as official questions that have appeared on the LSAT or the GMAT. So using LSAT questions is good because they are very well-written and edited.

As you mentioned LSAT passages are generally longer and the questions can be tougher. This is not a problem, so long as it does not frustrate you. I will say that LSAT questions are not that much tougher given the time standards on the GMAT. Much of what makes the LSAT so tough is the short amount of time. Only 35 minutes for 28 questions! When you practice 28 LSAT questions, give yourself the standard 2 minutes per question so you get 56 minutes instead of 35!

There is one type of LSAT question that is more recent that does not translate to the GMAT and that is the comparative passages, which has two reading passages on similar topics. To avoid this you can go to any LSAT tests before 2007. You might as well get some from the late 1990s or early 2000s as these will be cheap. Probably 5- 10$ for used copies. The books are the "10 official LSAT" series and there are several books.

In short, I do recommend using the LSAT over the other sources you have mentioned - just as long as you have studied the GMAT first! For that I of course recommend the official guide - but also some type of a strategy guide, such as the Veritas Reading Comprehension book. Once you know what to do with GMAT passages and what they look like studying from the LSAT should help.

Good luck!

Thanks a ton David for sharing such a comprehensive insight. I got the point, its better to stick to standardized sources such as LSAT RCs rather than looking for 1000RCs, Kaplan, etc.

Let me just clarify one aspect... I am in no way saying that you should avoid unofficial sources such as Kaplan, MGMAT, or our own Veritas books. What I am saying is that after you have looked at some good material to develop your strategy for Reading Comprehension (like the STOP strategy from Veritas or strategy from another company) then LSAT reading comp is a good way to get the right type of practice. Everything has its place. I would say, for example, that the OG 12th edition can lack some difficulty and length of passages that you can make up for with other sources, but the 12th edition will give you a good idea of the types of questions you will face on the test. LSAT questions can provide difficulty, but not strategy. Materials from test companies can fill in the strategy gap. Since it seemed like you had moved on to the practice stage, I thought the LSAT might be a good fit for you.

Happy Studying!

1000RC is a bad source.

I always prefer to practice from good source such as OG, Manhattan, Veritas etc.

Veritas RC is very good book.


Aristotle Prep RC-99 has 99 passage but I have not practiced.

akhpad wrote:

Aristotle Prep RC-99 has 99 passage but I have not practiced.

Aristotle RC 99 is actually a very good book. I used it for my prep and found it to be an excellent representation of the actual thing. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers!