RC score not improving.

Hi all, I am looking for advice to improve my RC section. I find myself struggling a lot with RC since I started practicing for gmat month and a half ago. Since then there has still not been a significant imrovement in my accuracy.

I understand that some of the harder and longer passages I tend to loose the passage’s meaning and I feel I am making progress on that front but even with simpler passages, I find myself struggling to get the right answer. I am able to eleminate 3 options easily and the last 2 I mix up and a make a mistake. Most of the times the answer is one of the last 2 that I finalize.

I am not sure how to proceed in terms of my prep for this section. Any advice would be helpful thanks.

Hi. RC is one of the most challenging to improve since it is not just learning a few rules or mastering a few questions. I personally think is that RC can be improved forever and still have room to improve but it may not be worth it since you can improve time, accuracy, understanding, vocab (if you are a non-native speaker), and so on...

Question for you - what strategy are you currently using for RC and whose strategy is it? Is it MGMAT or some other source?
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bb Currently I have been using just the official gmat guides, I do also have magoosh videos that I refer too… I just feel like the other side to not improving in RC is something u pointed out is the lack of certain rules to abide by which kind of let your decision process wander a bit.

Got it. And I have asked because sometimes people have tried the number of things so it’s good to know what do you have tried and what you have done.

I would say as few things as I can to make it more powerful and not to turn this into a reading comprehension passage 😂

1. Reading comprehension can be improved in as little as 30 minutes. I have a literally noticed that kind of transformation going from 50% success rate to 75%. I was shocked but that was my experience.

2. Improving from 75% was a lot a lot harder but 30 minutes for a significant bumping reading comprehension, that was the best day for my GMAT prep.

3. What I did, was following reading comprehension strategy that is basically used by Kaplan, Manhattan GMAT, and most other test prep companies. It’s fairly simple. It is not logical. It looks like it will hurt you. But you have to follow it. I saw it work in 30 minutes:

• to start for the very first time, don’t use a timer but a stopwatch and stat so you have a sense of how long it took you but don’t interrupt the natural process. Look at the clock either let it be a surprise.
  
• read the passage one paragraph at a time. After each paragraph, pause, summarize what you have read and write down some notes. You can check The Manhattans guide or Kaplan verbal workbook for exactly how to take notes. Manhattan has more details. But basically, do you want to spend about 30 seconds to 60 seconds summarizing the passage and writing down some notes about it. This time will improve and go down but for the first time it may take you 30 to 60 seconds.
  
• do not deviate. Do not try to add value or think that you were smarter than everyone else. That’s what I thought and don’t try to cut it out. Do stop, take your time, summarize, and move onto the next paragraph. After every section you stop to summarize it and make some notes.
  
• that’s really it. Next stage will be to start reading for Y and the purpose. It will help bump your score up if you can understand why each paragraph is written. Is it trying to tell you when you concept, is it trying to argue against the concept introducing the previous passage or is it an example or is it something else. But ultimately at this point you are answering questions.
  
• start answering questions. You should be able to answer most of them without having to go back to the text that is kind of the goal is to minimize going back to the text except to check on details that you may not remember exactly.
  

This is really the whole strategy. The most important part of it is summarizing the paragraph and taking notes. You will quickly noticed that you will never go back to reading your notes but the point of taking notes is not to create worlds best notes about the passage but rather help you digest information. This will get you to about 75% accuracy. If it does not, you’re welcome to ask for your money back that you have paid me for this wonderful advice 😂

Posted from my mobile device
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I have looked at the last edition of the couple bucks and I didn’t quite find it written as easily and succinctly as it had been in the old one I used… so here’s a quick screenshot of that.

Instead I would recommend picking up fifth or sixth edition of the Manhattan GMAT reading comprehension guide.

PS. What does Magoosh recommend as they are strategy? Have you applied it?



Posted from my mobile device

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If you want a resource to just practice the reading component, similar articles from The Economist may be helpful.

Reading Comprehension tips
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Hi vatsalcby.

One key move you can make to improve in RC is to practice untimed so that you have time to carefully determine which of those last two answer choices is correct, and which is a trap choice that's written to have the vibe of being correct but isn't really correct.

For some other ideas on how to improve in RC, see this post and video.

GMAT Reading Comprehension Tips: Top 8 DOs and DON’Ts


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Hi vatsalcby,

I have a great article you can check out:

GMAT Reading Comprehension Tips: Top 8 DOs and DON’Ts

Feel free to reach out with any questions.
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