Breaking down the RC

[swara_ms]

Hi Stacey/Ron,

Firstly thank you Stacey, i have read all your guided articles to begin with my preparation and following the timed approach. I can see an improvement over my previous performances.

Today i have a specific question regarding RC. I have read Stacey's RC notes to begin with and have been doing the OG 12th edition RC. I need some direction to pace myself up.

My observations on my RC Performance are as below:
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1. As i start reading a small passage (200 words) i am taking approximately 30-40 sec more than the expected 2 mins.
The same holds good when i am doing the Longer ones with 400 words. I end up taking additional 30-40 secs.

From the articles mentioned what i have seen is that i just need to skim through the paragraphs reading superficially, meaning not getting to the detail but making sure to read the main points.

What i have realized is that this time lapse might be because i am reading through few lines and not skimming through.

My Query:
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1.) Could you please help me create one direction as to how to improve on timing.(does it just come by practice?)

2.) Also after we skim through and do the "Know where" and form a basic idea about the passage, on each question what is the permissible time to be spent.

3.) I have seen Ron's video on RC. Please provide me some tips on how to distinguish the details i need to say is important and mark some things as "blah blah".
Are there any key words etc.; some blind method that could become a behavior up on practice?

4.) Can a doubtful OG 12th edition RC problem be posted for discussion?

Should you require any further details please let me know.

TIA, Awaiting your reply :)

Warm Regards,
MS

[StaceyKoprince]

It's okay to take up to 30 seconds longer (2.5 instead of 2 or 3.5 instead of 3) as long as that doesn't generally cause you to run out of time at the end of the test. There will be other things that you answer a little bit faster than the average - so up to an extra 30 seconds on a few questions or read-throughs will likely be offset be going up to about 30 seconds faster on some other questions.

If you do find, though, that you're paying too much attention to detail, then that's something you want to fix. How do you know? Go back after doing a passage and ask yourself: what in my notes is a "big idea" and what is detail? How much detail is there and how much detail did I read / understand before I even got to the first question?

A main idea might be that there are two theories about why bees have been dying off. I would certainly read and would probably write down the fact that one theory has to do with pesticides used by farmers and the other has to do with a fungus. (I'm just making this up - I don't really know why bees have been dying recently!) The fact that there are two theories is still big idea... but it's approaching detail. And when they next start telling me how some pesticide affects the nervous system of bees... that's just detail now. I already know the big idea.

So as you're reading, you ask yourself: is this a big idea or is this detail? If it's a big idea, pay attention. As soon as you realize it's detail, start skimming the rest of that sentence, looking for words that indicate a change of direction (but, yet, however, so-and-so disagrees...). If you've seen two "detail" sentences in a row, you can start being more aggressive about skimming the rest of that paragraph, while still looking for change of direction (see above) or high-level language (in summary, therefore, etc). Unless you find that kind of language, you just keep skimming till you get to the next paragraph.

Try it with some passages that you've already done. Classify the different sentences and then ask yourself how you know that they're detail vs. big idea. You'll be training yourself to spot the clues and, as you practice, you'll be better able to make that decision quickly and accurately on future passages.

For the questions, in general we should spend about 1 minute on main idea questions and about 1.5 to 2 minutes on specific detail questions. Specific Detail questions should be more towards 1.5 minutes unless there's something that justifies spending more time, such as an EXCEPT question or a question that requires us to look at more than one part of the passage.

We can't, unfortunately, host OG questions here. We are looking at adding that support for our course and self study package students, but it will be several months at least before that launches. In the meantime, I would suggest posting OG questions on Beat the GMAT, or (if you're in a class right now) asking your teacher before or after class.

[swara_ms]

Thank you Stacey, Your methods are always of help. Would work on few more passages and do my analysis.

Warm Regards,
MS

[swara_ms]

Hi Stacey,

I have worked on few more RCs. What i have observed is that GMAT RCs have well laid structure. :) With practice as you said i am able to pick what are main points and details and examples etc.; It is helping me. Thanks a lot.

Warm Regards,
MS

[StaceyKoprince]

Great, glad to hear it. Keep up the great work!