skipping a RC passage completely

Question

I have learned over the months that whatever I do I can NOT complete verbal on time. I'm always hurrying at the end and left with 4/5 questions. So, here is what I tried in Prep tests, skip the 3rd RC passage completely by randomly selecting all the answer choices. Now, all in a sudden I have lot more time to finish up the last 12/15 questions. Just wondering if anyone of you have tried something like this or more importantly what do your take on the idea?

chineseburned · Answer

One of the 4 RC passages is an experimental one - usually not the 4th one. If you are lucky to skip that one, bingo. However, if you are not, then that's at least 3 wrong answers on RC that would count toward your score and RC mistakes are the most damaging. Too much of a gamble in my opinion. I'd rather pick up speed on SC and CR.

navy01 · Answer

you'll be missing some gimmies. SC and CR are a lot harder than RC.

kidderek · Answer

Master SC, you can do some of the short ones in 15-20 seconds.

Also, all RC passages have general questions which are pretty easy, especially if you can get the hang of them. Do those, guess on the tougher inference questions.

chineseburned · Answer

I was under the impression that the tough RC passages have very tricky general questions - very close answers.

kidderek · Answer

I'm going to assume that he won't see the really tough ones.

lsuguy7 · Answer

Are you reading the entire passage? If you are you can go to a system where you only read the first sentence of each paragraph or skim - there are a lot of RC systems out there. I suggest you spend full time on the first 2 and then on the third use your system and on the last one use the shortest system you can get away with. Remember a lot of the RC ?s don't require you to read the passage.

buffdaddy · Answer

this applies to the whole GMAT. Try not to guess more than 1 answer in a row since if you get them both wrong, the CAT will plummet and it will be harder to recover.

Very early on in my GMAT preparation, I did guess my second RC passage and missed the SC right before it. The result, 5 wrong answers in a row. I never recovered in the verbal and posted a V31.

This was in the first GMATPrep i did without any studies and I didn't know any better

marshpa · Answer

I think for RC tips you can do google. Anyways I can post what normally I follows-
Always read first line and last line of the passage carefully. never spend more than 4 minutes on any RC passage. Then try to follow the sequence of events that author is talking rather than getting lost in the events itself. Finally even if you could not understand the RC then also jump to the questions, dont attempt to read entire RC again..Remember tougher RC simpler questions and vice versa..

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skipping a RC passage completely

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