Not getting better at CR

Question

I have just started my GMAT prep. Since I'm generally really good with reading and reasoning, I thought I would do a good job at RC and CR. RC is going fine for now, few silly errors here and there, but I'm not able to wrap my head around CR. I'm getting almost all questions wrong. Preparing using the GMATNinja playlist and solving questions on that playlist itself and questions from the OG guide (like i said I'm pretty new). I do try to list all ideas of the argument and do the elimination method but end up always choosing the wrong choice because that makes the most sense to me. I want to get better at this, what technique or resources do you recommend?

bb · Answer

Hi. Welcome to GMAT club.

I had the same issues you do. The only way I was able to solve most of them was by applying the Kaplan or the Manhattan method where you answer the question in your own words before you see any answer choices. Have you tried this approach?

My problem was that I would get seduced by all these traps and spend way too much time on the questions. However if I answered the question in my own words before seeing any answer choices, the process of elimination was just looking for the answer that was matching mine And I did not have to evaluate every single answer I just had to match it which allowed me to solve critical reasoning questions and about one minute which allowed me to save time for reading comprehension which was my enemy number one.

KarishmaB · Answer

You might want to go through some theoretical discussions on how to solve CR questions. To get you started, here are some YouTube videos: Discussion on Strengthen Questions: https://youtu.be/mB8bm_a4GNk Discussion on Weaken Questions: https://youtu.be/EhZ8FKkfy0k Discussion on Assumption Questions: https://youtu.be/O0ROJfljRLU Discussion on Flaw in Reasoning: https://youtu.be/3s0tWn3tiT8 Discussion on Method Questions: https://youtu.be/uA5aXAZI1Z8 Discussion on Explain paradox: https://youtu.be/7mckzPg-xjo Discussion on Useful to Evaluate Questions: https://youtu.be/1JtHjH1lWZc Discussion on Boldface Questions: https://youtu.be/U57vXdqujkY Discussion on Inference Questions: https://youtu.be/PMnU9ULdSfs Discussion on Mimic Questions: https://youtu.be/dHU17plF2mc

pintukr · Answer

KarishmaB

Grateful for posting the web links...

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi gmatacer2611,

To improve in CR, your first goal is to fully master the individual CR topics: Strengthen the Argument, Weaken the Argument, Resolve the Paradox, etc. As you learn about each question type, do focused practice so you can track your skill in answering each type. If, for example, you get a Weaken question wrong, ask yourself why. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not recognize the specific question type? Were you doing too much analysis in your head? Did you skip over a keyword in an answer choice? You must thoroughly analyze your mistakes and seek to turn weaknesses into strengths by focusing on the question types you dread seeing and the questions you take a long time to answer correctly.

Another major mistake that people make when training for CR is that they answer practice questions too quickly. To correctly answer CR questions, you have to see exactly what is going on in the passages and answer choices, and you likely won't learn to do so by spending a few minutes per question. At this stage of your training, you may need to spend up to fifteen minutes per question, learning to see what there is to see. Here is a way to look at this process: If you get a new job in a field in which you are not experienced, you may not be as fast as the other people working with you, but you know you have a job to do. So, what do you do? You do the job correctly, if not as quickly as those around you, and you make sure that you learn all the angles, so that you do the job well. Rushing through the job and doing it incorrectly would not make sense. As you gain more experience, you learn to do the same job more quickly.

Think of CR questions similarly. Your job is to do what? To get through questions quickly? Not really. Your job is to get correct answers. So, first you have to learn to get correct answers, generally at least 10 to 15 in a row consistently, and more in a row would be better. Doing so is doing your job, and if it takes you fifteen minutes per question to get correct answers consistently, then so be it.

Only after you have learned to get correct answers consistently should you work on speeding up. Remember, working quickly but not doing your job is useless. Better to work slowly and learn to do your job well. You can be sure that with experience, you will learn to speed up, and then you will still be doing your job well, i.e., getting correct answers consistently.

Finally, a crucial aspect of correctly answering CR questions is noticing the key differences between trap choices and correct answers. Trap choices can sound temptingly correct, but they don't get the job done. The logic of what a trap choice says simply doesn't fit what the question is asking you to find. So, to find correct answers, learn to see the key differences between trap choices and correct answers.

Here is an article with more helpful information:

GMAT Critical Reasoning: 8 Essential Tips

bb · Answer

gmatacer2611 - bump - ball in your court

bhargavhhhhhhhh · Answer

Karishma thank you for sharing links

NextstopISB · Answer

Start practicing GMAT Club question

Gmat750aspirant · Answer

Manhattan verbal course would be helpful

bb · Answer

This is a solid recommendation. The only problem MGMAT does not have a verbal course

https://www.kaptest.com/gmat/courses/gm ... ive-online

SarfrazAP · Answer

Adding to the points mentioned earlier, make sure you aren't treating CR questions as "Logic" questions, as I've seen a lot of my students do. Reasoning is not logic. It's how you break down an argument into its key components. You specifically want to focus on pre-thinking the assumptions in arguments. That will take care of some of the more commonly tested questions types - Strengthen, Weaken, Flaw, Evaluate and, of course, the Assumption question itself. Elimination will only work if you know what you are looking for

Good luck.

EducationAisle · Answer

Is there a specific topic that is bothering you the most?

Please DM me your email id and I can send you some relevant stuff on it.

Not getting better at CR

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