Hi mriaz1:

Providing advice about RC is very difficult because--as you had said--there is no universal strategy for all people. Some people prefer to skim, while others (like myself) prefer to read more thoroughly.

Try doing this: don't worry about timing for now, but read through a few RC passages at your own comfortable pace. While you are reading--or perhaps after you finish reading--write out an outline of the passage you had just read. Try to extract the key ideas and argument structure (an good way of doing this is noting transition words, like 'however', and 'therefore').

Practice active reading. Don't just read the passage and hope that you will understand everything at the end. Instead, take a note when you hit a big idea, or when you notice a transition word that shifts the direction of the passage.

Once you feel like you have a sense of how to read reading comprehension passages strategically (as I described above), try doing a few RCs with a skimming tactic and a few RCs with thorough-read tactic. It will be up to you to decide which method you are more comfortable.

There is no easy way to improve RC, other than a TON of practice. With significant practice, you will begin to notice patterns, and breaking down passages will become easier and easier. You will improve, but it will be slow.

I hope this advice helps--practice, practice, practice! Best of luck!