Getting worse at CR- PLEASE HELP!

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kanha81: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 431; Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:32 amFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 16 times

by kanha81 » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:28 am

I am having an extremely tough time at CR questions these days. I have become worse at answering CR questions. Earlier my accuracy used to be 60%, but now it is down to 20-30%. I have followed the techniques recommended by Kaplan, Princeton, MGMAT:

I read the question stem first
I break down the sentences and write on separate line as I read
Underline the important EXTREME words that I see
Label the sentences as PREMISE1 (P1), CONCLUSION (C), etc.
Re-Read the question stem
Answer the question

Now-a-days end up getting wrong answer and wasting more time in deciding an answer.

How can I improve? Kindly PLEASE PLEASE help.

Best Regards,
Kanha

Want to Beat GMAT.
Always do what you're afraid to do. Whoooop GMAT

Source: Beat The GMAT — Critical Reasoning | Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:28 am

4meonly: Legendary Member; Posts: 891; Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:21 amFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 27 times; GMAT Score:660(

by 4meonly » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:46 am

I can not make you suggestions about inference questions - I am not good in them.

Your strategy is correct, however, i think it consumes a lot of time.
I would make the following:
- read the question stem first, understand the type of question and imagine most frequent gaps in this type of question
- read the stimulus. find conclusion and premises.
- make a pause, imagine how correct answer can look like
- read the answers
- mark one correct / OR eliminate incorrect

My advice is to think "inside the box" - inside a stimulus only - and not to go too far.
Eliminate half-true-half-false and irrelevant answers.

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ellexay: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 57; Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:45 am; Thanked: 1 times

by ellexay » Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:36 am

If you have a good grasp of Verbal, then you may be able to understand and answer CR questions intuitively rather than strategically (in accordance with Kaplan's teachings...etc.).

I found that when I just did CR based on my own strategies (reading passage, then question, then crossing out irrelevant answers/POE), I did MUCH better.

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