Best RC Strategy?

BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

This topic has expert replies

Post new topic Post Reply

Previous Topic Next Topic

srfn: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 20; Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 7:22 am

Best RC Strategy?

by srfn » Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:30 pm

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

Quote

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:30 pm

GMAT/MBA Expert

Brent@GMATPrepNow: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 16207; Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm; Location: Vancouver, BC; Thanked: 5254 times; Followed by:1268 members; GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Fri Aug 01, 2014 1:18 pm

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

Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com

Quote

GMAT/MBA Expert

[email protected]: Elite Legendary Member; Posts: 10392; Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm; Location: Palo Alto, CA; Thanked: 2867 times; Followed by:511 members; GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Fri Aug 01, 2014 5:49 pm

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

Contact Rich at [email protected]

Quote

dp26389: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 19; Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:22 pm; Thanked: 3 times; Followed by:1 members; GMAT Score:730

by dp26389 » Thu Aug 07, 2014 9:01 am

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

Hi!
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!!