How to improve CR

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jasonlu1981: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 5; Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:34 pm; Location: Shanghai, CN

by jasonlu1981 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:50 am

I am a non-native English speaker.

I have read through the PowerScore CR Bible. It is helpful to systemize the CR tests knowledge. I've just finished OG 12 CR section practices. But I found I only hit about 58% correct. I went back to each of the wrong problems, and I found that the biggest problem I have is that once it comes to a difficult CR (let's say the last 25 CR problems in OG 12 CR), I have a hard time to figure out the logic the author put in the stimulus, and it took me long time to comprehend the explanations so to grasp the logics inside the stimulus. Sometime the worst thing even happens that even after I read the explanation I still was not able to understand the logic. I believe it is a problem with my critical reasoning ability otherwiese I would figure out the answer quite easily with the explanations.

I'm struggled... Can teachers here advise me on how should I do to improve based on my current situation? Shall I just keep on practising more (500 sets or 1000 sets) CR problems or shall I stop and read some logic books then go on with GMAT CR?

Thanks.

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:50 am

Osirus@VeritasPrep: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 1578; Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 8:02 amFollowed by: 34 members; Thanked: 128 times; GMAT Score:760

by Osirus@VeritasPrep » Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:00 am

I don't think you need to read logic books. If you were taking the LSAT maybe, but not for the GMAT. I would recommend before you attempt to even answer the question identify which question type the question is. After you identify the question type, make sure you memorize the various scenarios for how to answer those questions. Go back through the Powerscore CR bible and make flash cards. This helped me immensely.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/the-retake-o ... 51414.html

Brandon Dorsey
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep

Buy any Veritas Prep book(s) and receive access to 5 Practice Cats for free! Learn More.

jasonlu1981: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 5; Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:34 pm; Location: Shanghai, CN

by jasonlu1981 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:11 am

Thank you osirus0830. Yes, this is a piece of valuable tip! I will go back to the book again (I haven't pick up on it after read it throughly 1 time)

My problem seems to be worse than identify the types. Take assumption question as an example, there are 2 sub-types: bring in new information and defend. Usually I can identify it is an defend type or new information type. And I was trying to think how to find the reasoning errors in the stimulus using the methods mentioned in the PS CR bible. But I just could not pre-phrase the answer so a lot of times after I went through the 5 answers I still picked the wrong answer. This drag me down significantly. Any good suggestions on this?

Osirus@VeritasPrep: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 1578; Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 8:02 amFollowed by: 34 members; Thanked: 128 times; GMAT Score:760

by Osirus@VeritasPrep » Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:34 am

jasonlu1981 wrote:Thank you osirus0830. Yes, this is a piece of valuable tip! I will go back to the book again (I haven't pick up on it after read it throughly 1 time)

My problem seems to be worse than identify the types. Take assumption question as an example, there are 2 sub-types: bring in new information and defend. Usually I can identify it is an defend type or new information type. And I was trying to think how to find the reasoning errors in the stimulus using the methods mentioned in the PS CR bible. But I just could not pre-phrase the answer so a lot of times after I went through the 5 answers I still picked the wrong answer. This drag me down significantly. Any good suggestions on this?

Assumption questions give everyone the most difficult time. The way to approach them is to identify the conclusion. Determine if the answer is vital for the conclusion. I would say almost ignore every other bit of information and determine if an answer choice would make the validity of the conclusion impossible. Once you find the choice that is the most important for the conclusion to be true, you have identified the correct answer.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/the-retake-o ... 51414.html

Brandon Dorsey
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep

Buy any Veritas Prep book(s) and receive access to 5 Practice Cats for free! Learn More.

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