700 to 650 to 720! and I really NEED to get a 760! ( ESR ATTACHED !)

Hi, kshitij ghildiyal,

First of all, congrats on scoring as well as you have so far!

Here are a few quick tips for RC and CR to help you get that score boosted closer to where you would like it:

Reading helps more than you can imagine. We're not talking purely educational reading, per se, but good old reading from your favorite newspaper, magazine, or book (I really enjoy The Economist! ha!). As you read, be sure to read actively instead of passively. Most of the time, we're passive readers - we read simply to absorb the information.

For those long RC passages, TAKE NOTES. When doing so, be sure to note answers to the following questions:

- what is the main idea of this passage?
- what is the author's position and tone (neutral? critical? etc.)?
- what is the structure of the argument (e.g. two opposing sides vs. one sided, informational vs. author's opinion)?

As for CR, we recently had a blog post on our GMAT Tutor Blog ("Three tips to improve your GMAT Critical Reasoning performance") that was highly relevant.

The main ideas within that piece are:

- simplify language: take the test makers' sometimes confusing language and think about it in your own words
- use your own words to take notes: take the previous tip one step further and jot down short notes so you don't have to re-read
- understand what is being asked: below is the specific example, pulled straight from the post

"Let’s imagine a simple example in which the conclusion is that Rome is a pleasant city.

A common question would be: “Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above conclusion?”

Option A) There are many great art galleries in Rome.
Option B) Venice has many great restaurants.

Sometimes people are confused as to whether they have to consider if the options are true or not. You don’t have to do this. You can assume all the options are true. You don’t have to ask yourself whether it is actually true that Venice has many great restaurants. It’s clear that Option A would be the right answer, because it's the only answer that actually applies to Rome. When the questions become more difficult, you can save time by remembering that it is not your job to consider whether the options are true or not when the question is worded this way."

Hope this helps! Keep me posted as to your progress and let me know if there's anything else you'd like some help with!

Best,
Katie