How to Learn from a RC practice question?

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 216
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:35 am
Location: Pune, India
Thanked: 5 times
GMAT Score:700

How to Learn from a RC practice question?

by ayushiiitm » Sat Jun 12, 2010 3:35 am
HI can anyone tell, how to improve on RC while we practice questions.

Problem with me is that I do different type of mistakes every time i.e on some RC i will do the inference wrong, while on some the logical structure and so on. There is no particular type of question, that i do wrong. It all depends on my understanding of a particular RC.

(I think I lack in vocab a bit, other i times I have not read between the lines)

I would like to know, how to find out takeaways, from a RC question that I do wrong?

My strategy uptil now is " I read the RC aloud as if i am telling/explaining it to some one" and trying to keep in mind what each paragraph meant and why it was written (taken from BTG)

Experts help needed
Success is a journey.....enjoy every moment of it

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 392
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 2:42 am
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 116 times
Followed by:10 members
GMAT Score:770

by albatross86 » Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:06 pm
Initially, I would recommend that you plot out a MAP on your scratch paper of each RC as you read it.

While reading jot down some structural details in each paragraph in short hand. If you are able to get a sense of the Main Idea, Attitude and Purpose, also just right one word versions down on your paper. This will promote a sense of "Active Reading" that will encourage you to take in each detail and not just skim over the paragraph aimlessly.

Practice quality questions, such as from the OG or from the OG Verbal review, as these are as similar to the actual GMAT as you'll get. In RC, rather than trying to take on too many questions, just do a few passages in a day, but really take away something from each of them. Such as if there was an inference question in which you fell into a trap answer, try to read the explanation carefully so that you build the kind of logical reasoning that the GMAC expects, in your own mind.

Good luck!

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 216
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:35 am
Location: Pune, India
Thanked: 5 times
GMAT Score:700

by ayushiiitm » Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:10 am
Thanks Albatross :)
Success is a journey.....enjoy every moment of it