Typical time allocated for RC

[LiquidFireAK]

Hi All,

For RC, how much time do you allocate to read through the entire passage?

How much time after do you allocate for each question after?

[[email protected]]

Hi LiquidFireAK,

One of the variables in pacing your way through the 4 RC passages and accompanying questions is the length of the prompt. Longer passages, by definition, take longer to read. When you factor in the difficulty level of the language, the amount of time that you spend reading can also be affected.

Advice will vary on this subject, so here's what we teach: You're not just reading through the prompt, you're reading AND taking notes. You DON'T need to understand every word and you DON'T need to take notes on every little detail. For this phase on the process, you should expect to spend 4-5 minutes ON AVERAGE. Shorter passages take less time, longer passages take more.

This will give you about 1 to 1.5 minutes for each of the questions. With the notes that you've taken, and the ability to refer back to the passage as needed, you'll be able to find the correct answer faster than if you just went straight to the questions and tried to "backtrack" your way through the prompt.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

We (at GMAT Prep Now) suggest that you allot your time as follows:
- Short passages: 2.5 minutes reading/summarizing and 3 minutes answering 3 questions.
- Long passages: 3.5 minutes reading/summarizing and 4 minutes answering 4 questions.

Of course, for students who aren't native English speakers, these timeframes may be unrealistic. So, rather than read faster (and drastically reduce your comprehension), you may need to spend some time experimenting with different strategies to see which one best suits your memory, reading speed and English proficiency. For example, you may need to look for questions in the Verbal section where you immediately guess and then use that extra time to ensure better RC accuracy. For example, some CR questions have incredibly long passages and very long answer choices. This might be an excellent candidate for guessing.
Keep in mind that this is a Plan B strategy. Of course, it's best to answer every question. I'm just talking about situations in which it's really hard for students to complete the Verbal section in 75 minutes.

For more information about our RC strategies, you can watch our complete (and free) video module here: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... prehension

Cheers,
Brent