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How do i reduce the time I take on a short RC passage?

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How do i reduce the time I take on a short RC passage?

by Pdgmat2010 » Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:45 am
Hey guys,
Need some help.
I have just started preparing for the RC section and i found that i take about 6-7 minutes for reading a short passage +
briefly writing a 'Headline list' + answering all the questions.
My accuracy so far on a sample set of 5 passages is 21/24 ( 21 correct answers out of 24).

I started out with tackling the Short passages ( roughly < 35 lines) in the OG 11th ed.

I have the following ammunition that i will use for my RC prep ( i have not started reading through it fully yet)
1. MGMAT RC guide
2. OG 12th ed
3. Verbal Review
4. OG 11th ed for additional practise

My Real problem is the time I took to answer the 24 questions spending about 6-8 mins on each passage.
Could someone provide practical tips that you yourself found useful in reducing the overall time you took in solving the passages?
OR
Did loads and loads of practise work well for you in reducing time?
AND / OR
How do i make sure i dont 'slip out' of speed with RC once i start my Quant studies and how do i keep myself in touch with the Verbal section whilst preparing for Quant?

I know these are a lot of questions crammed into one post, but i guess they just reflect my desperation!

Thanks in advance guys.

Cheers,
Pd
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by Pdgmat2010 » Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:28 am
Could someone help pls?

Cheers,
pd
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by rockeyb » Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:41 pm
Mate , I can understand your desperation but believe me there is no substitute for practice. And you dont want to read fast .Perhaps you can use your pen less and make a mental note after each paragraph while making a summery of each paragraph.

I know many people will disagree with me , but believe me the less you touch the paper while reading the passage the less time you will take completing it .

Also analyze where you are taking more time is it reading the passage or answering the questions .

A passage should be completed in 2-2.5 mins and each question should be completed in 1 3/4 mins . Analyze these timings if you are spending more time answering the questions then it shows that your understanding of the passage is not proper and hence you are not able to eliminate answers easily .

Believe me this time spent in analyzing will pay huge dividends. Also I would suggest you try out LSAT passages they are tough , lengthy but after solving LSAT passages GMAT passages will be a cakewalk .

Hope this helps .
"Know thyself" and "Nothing in excess"
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by moatazyousif » Tue Mar 30, 2010 12:23 pm
I hope you will find the attached document useful. It is about general RC Strategies, concise and to the point.

Regards,
Moataz
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by FC » Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:19 pm
Pdgmat2010, I had the same problem and I gave up on the headline list. Now I simply "recap" the idea of each paragraph at the end of it, saying to myself in my own language the idea of the paragraph and how it relates to the other paragraps. This way I was able to stay within the limit of 2 minutes per question, including the reading, and with an accuracy rate around 75%.
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by Pdgmat2010 » Tue Apr 20, 2010 4:57 am
thanks a lot guys..
now i have a new problem and that is the Inference questions on the RC
i have done a couple of online and paper tests and found myself doing consistently bad on the Inference questions.
Earlier, i had a similar problem with CR inference questions , but with a few resources, i was able to improve my CR inference accuracy to close to 80%.
but RC inference is a diff story altogether.
Could someone help me pls?
i know i am asking for vague kind of help, but small tips have also helped me here.
like for example,
1. not penning down lots of stuff ( helped me save on time) thanks RockeyB
2. Reading every passage and mentally paraphrasing what it was about ( haven't tried it but will do so soon). thanks FC
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