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Reading the Question Correctly - Tips / Good Habits etc?

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Reading the Question Correctly - Tips / Good Habits etc?

by Billy Davey » Thu Mar 27, 2014 1:08 am
Hi guys,

I find that a relatively common reason why I get practice questions wrong is that I fail to read the question properly. When I do so, I give myself a good telling off and tell myself to make sure I read the question carefully and thoroughly in future.

But eventually I slip back into bad habits.

I was wondering if anybody developed any useful habits or "tricks" to help make themselves always read the question carefully? I need to find a way of embedding the habit into my subconscious!

Any tips would be much appreciated!
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by David@VeritasPrep » Thu Mar 27, 2014 6:49 am
I had to respond to this:
I find that a relatively common reason why I get practice questions wrong is that I fail to read the question properly. When I do so, I give myself a good telling off and tell myself to make sure I read the question carefully and thoroughly in future.
You sound like one of my favorite writers, Bill Bryson. I swear that he would write just exactly this "When I do so, I give myself a good telling off..." Perhaps this is best-selling author Bill Bryson? Billy is that you?

In all seriousness I have some things that might just help you out...

1) Remember this, "Amateurs practice until they can do a thing right, professionals practice until they cannot do it wrong."

You need to have a checklist beside you, you need some reminders, you need to slow down and practice the correct procedures until they are so ingrained that you use the proper techniques naturally. It is really like trying to switch from a one-handed backhand to a two-handed backhand in tennis, or change your swing in golf, or alter you shot in basketball.

2) It takes some work to do the new, improved thing WHEN THE PRESSURE IS ON. That is really the only time that it matters and that is the time when people are most likely to slip back to whatever they have done the most. So if you have not practiced that backhand enough when the tennis match is close and the pressure is on you will revert to what you know best.

3) Use your pen. I recently wrote on article called "Think with your pen" about the way that using the pen can help you to take control of the question. This should help point you in the right direction! https://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... f-the-gmat

4) Remember that you need to focus on getting questions right. Even if this means being a little more careful. Here is an article that may help you to do just that. https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2012/10/ ... -handrails

5) If you are talking about reading correctly on verbal questions here are two articles to help you out.

Critical reasoning like an expert https://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2013/0 ... an-expert/

and Reading Comprehension https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2012/08/ ... prehension
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