Struggling with 700-level CR Questions

Question

So I'm prepping for my 2nd GMAT Attempt and plan to give it in 4 weeks. I've mostly mastered all topics and can solve even the 700-level questions except CR.
Unlike last time, when I couldn't even understand how I was going wrong, this time is fairly able to Pre-think and understand why I'm wrong. I'm also maintaining an error log with all the wrong answers with explanations and why I got them wrong. I've already finished Powerscore CR Bible and some EGMAT CR videos.

But some 700-level questions especially ones from Verbal Review catch me off guard and I'm just not able to arrive at those answers even after properly thinking those questions through. They just feel impossible to get right and the reasoning they have is something I can never come up with. Also, I've observed that with harder CR questions, it is becoming difficult for me to Pre-think and it's becoming convoluted very quickly. My errors on CR questions have surprisingly piled up even though I thought I was better.

So, are there any strategies or tips I should follow to get better at CR? I'm aiming for a 700+ score and am confident in PS, DS, SC and RC.
CR even after so much practice keeps stumping me for some reason and is hurting my overall confidence.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi aayushkrishnan,

If you are a strong-enough performer in all of the other areas that you have noted, then you do not necessarily need to correctly answer those upper-level CR questions to hit a 700+ Score. That having been said, if you're not close to your Score Goal yet (for example, if you are scoring in the 600s right now on your CATs/mocks), then you could almost certainly pick up those additional points in areas OTHER than CR.

We last discussed your studies approximately 3 months ago. How have you scored on your CATs since then?

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

Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

So, are there any strategies or tips I should follow to get better at CR?

How to get better at Critical Reasoning. Use the negation technique on GMAT assumption questions.

For Assumption questions like the one above learning the Negation technique may be helpful. When it comes to EXCEPTION questions, looking for 4 that work instead of the one that doesn't may be easier, too. There are other things when it comes to Bold Faced and pattern recognizing certain answer choices that may also improve one's CR performance.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi aayushkrishnan.

A you are finding, prethinking is not a great method for answering CR questions, particularly harder questions whose answers you're unlikely to anticipate. So, one thing you can do to get more hard CR questions correct is to stop trying to prethink what type of answer to expect and instead carefully analyze them choice by choice to eliminate choices that don't have the relationship with the passage that the correct answer must have and find the one choice that does.

For an in-depth discussion of how to prepare for CR and get CR questions correct reliably, see this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVKp3TvCWxI

Also, you could get some key insights into how to practice GMAT verbal for best results from this post. Three Key Practice Tips for Mastering GMAT Verbal

ReedArnoldMPREP · Answer

When you say 'the reasoning they have is something I can never come up,' what do you mean? Do you mean the reason for why the right answer is right, or do you mean the reasoning in the argument? Also, regarding the value of 'pre-thinking,' I definitely don't think you should try to predict exactly what the answer will say. But I do think, by reading the argument carefully and seeing what the question is asking for, you should take a moment to specify for yourself what that right answer needs to *achieve*. So, for an example, take a look at this question: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-the-1960s ... 22539.html (I just watched some of Marty's video, and he taught a lesson on this question--his video is great, I recommend watching it). When I was doing the question, before going to the answer choices, I specified what the answer needed to do. "Weaken the argument" is too broad. I had to look at the author's reasoning. The author had concluded that the population of alligators must have increased, because the number of sightings on lawns and golf courses had gone up in recent years (after a hunting ban had ended). So what does it mean to weaken that argument? It would mean showing that the increase in alligator sightings *does not imply an increase in alligator population.* And that means I'm looking for an answer that gives *another possible reason why alligator sightings have increased*. Once I specified that goal, the right answer was obvious. I just ask myself, after reading each answer, "Does this explain why alligator sightings have increased?" I didn't predict exactly what the answer would be, but I did specify what it needed to *do*. With that thought in mind, it was immediately clear which was right.

aayushkrishnan · Answer

The reason for why "that" answer is right

ReedArnoldMPREP · Answer

I edited my post above in a way that might help. But the reason the right answer is right is usually because it answers 'a question within the question' that you need to do some untangling to discover.

Having said *that*, if you feel like you really get to the right 'goal' for an answer choice, something else is happening. Either you're not fully chasing the implications of a right answer to see how it achieves that goal, or, you're getting tempted into saying wrong answers do achieve that goal (usually, by bringing in an assumption to justify the answer).

Look very carefully at what your brain is doing. Here is a video on reviewing CR and RC to pinpoint where things go awry:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xem2vqSyenE

LiamFudge · Answer

It becomes very hard once one is stuck in these types of questions. When I was preparing, for even questions I was a bit close to the correct answers in the 700 level CR questions, I was stuck in 2 options out of which I couldn't decide the answer properly.

So, I would only suggest you take a break from these types of questions and gain confidence in other sections of the test. This will give time to refresh your mind off the obstacle & when you return, you may hit this section differently in was you would be able to crack the questions better.

Practice, Strategize, Excel...
Hope it helps!

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Struggling with 700-level CR Questions

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