Especially with the MGMAT critical reasoning...my success rate is less than 50%...I've bought CR bible, I've read it and tried to apply the techniques (of which there are so many) and I'm still doing horrendously.
This is very discouraging. I think I am going to give up on CR and focus on strenghthening other areas. Anyone have any idea how much CR counts for on verbal, percentage wise?
Thanks for hearing me vent.
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Why am I a disaster at CR??
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VP_Jim
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Don't give up!
Critical reasoning accounts for roughly 30% of the verbal section, so it is important to give it your best shot. My biggest advice to spend lots of time analyzing each answer choice - right and wrong - on every practice problem you do. Truly understand why every answer is right or wrong. It's perfectly reasonable to spend 10-15 minutes per question at first - it's by doing this type of analysis that you'll begin to show improvement. Also, try to identify conclusions and premises, when questions have them. Once you get good at that, also try to identify assumptions and other errors in reasoning the authors made in their arguments.
Good luck!
Critical reasoning accounts for roughly 30% of the verbal section, so it is important to give it your best shot. My biggest advice to spend lots of time analyzing each answer choice - right and wrong - on every practice problem you do. Truly understand why every answer is right or wrong. It's perfectly reasonable to spend 10-15 minutes per question at first - it's by doing this type of analysis that you'll begin to show improvement. Also, try to identify conclusions and premises, when questions have them. Once you get good at that, also try to identify assumptions and other errors in reasoning the authors made in their arguments.
Good luck!
Jim S. | GMAT Instructor | Veritas Prep
Thanks for the encouragement, I really appreciate it :0)
I realized my main issue is losing interest/focus midway through the passage. Like a lot of people on here, my math skills are significantly stronger than my verbal ones. A lot of words distract me and I tend to lose concentration quickly...information retention is pretty weak...i.e. i'll be reading and i suddenly can't even recall the first sentence.
To calm myself yesterday, I started talking to myself and reading the stimuli out loud. I reasoned everything out loud and found that I surprisingly answered most of the questions right and within the 2 minute time limit. Talking forced me to stay in tune and helped engage me much more. Even when I was reading out answer choices, reasoning out loud did wonders. So I tried doing this instead by very quietly whispering to myself and I got the same results....
Perhaps I have a form of ADD or the passages are truly that uninteresting...but I feel like this technique may be that light at the end of the tunnel.
I will definitely take your advice of going over wrong answers. I have been doing that but spending maybe 1 minute/question max which is nothing next to your recommended 10-15 mins. Perhaps I can reason those out loud too.
Thanks again for all your help!
I realized my main issue is losing interest/focus midway through the passage. Like a lot of people on here, my math skills are significantly stronger than my verbal ones. A lot of words distract me and I tend to lose concentration quickly...information retention is pretty weak...i.e. i'll be reading and i suddenly can't even recall the first sentence.
To calm myself yesterday, I started talking to myself and reading the stimuli out loud. I reasoned everything out loud and found that I surprisingly answered most of the questions right and within the 2 minute time limit. Talking forced me to stay in tune and helped engage me much more. Even when I was reading out answer choices, reasoning out loud did wonders. So I tried doing this instead by very quietly whispering to myself and I got the same results....
Perhaps I have a form of ADD or the passages are truly that uninteresting...but I feel like this technique may be that light at the end of the tunnel.
I will definitely take your advice of going over wrong answers. I have been doing that but spending maybe 1 minute/question max which is nothing next to your recommended 10-15 mins. Perhaps I can reason those out loud too.
Thanks again for all your help!
