Query on RC appraoch

[SM]

Hi,

I am currently using the MGMAT RC book and i am finding it very helpful. I have two quick approach realted clarifications

- In the book it is suggested that one should read the question before before starting the passage. My question is - should i read only the question or the 5 given options aslo

- Second question - In the long passage approach, one is supposed to note done the keyword (can u help me with a more elaborate defination of keywords i.e. how to trace the key words and what kind) and again if you have to go back to the passage, should one read the options beforehand or only read them after re-reading the passage

Thanks,
SM

[esledge]

It's great that you are finding the RC strategy guide helpful. Excellent questions.

(1) Preview the questions, but should I preview the answers too?

On general questions, you probably won't go back to the passage/sketch as much, instead relying on your memory or understanding. On those, I would read the question and the choices. Usually, you will be able to eliminate several answers because they obviously contradict the passage.

On specific questions, I think your order should be: Question (note keywords), Passage (read the section related to key words), then finally Choices (one of them will basically say what you just re-read in the passage). If you read the choices before the passage, you might fall prey to the power of suggestion. At best, you would then waste time in the passage trying to "prove" a wrong answer. At worst, you might not bother to prove the answer, and pick the wrong choice simply because it sounded good to you.

(2) What are keywords?

The reasons to write keywords are: (a) to keep you focused and moving as you read, (b) to foster understanding of the passage, and (c) to make it easy to find a topic once you get a question about it. For (a) and (b), it doesn't really matter exactly what you write, as it is the act of writing that is most beneficial. For (c), you are basically creating an index. So, pretend the passage is a page in a textbook, and write down the words that would probably be referenced in the index. A "pretty good" list is just as good as a "perfect" list. Even if you leave a keyword out, chances are you will have the related words, so you'll still be able to find the relevant sentence(s).

[Praveen]

Hi, I have severe weakness in RC and not even able to get 20% right.. What is the best approach and how long will it take.. I have just started my preparation

[StaceyKoprince]

People with severe RC issues usually need longer to get better than people with severe problems in other areas. It's tough to give an amount of time because it does vary so much from person to person, but it will take at least a month of regular study and possibly several to get a lot better if you have severe RC issues.

To start, you should get better at comprehension in general - outside of the GMAT. Here are some good sources for "GMAT-like" reading, courtesy of my fellow instructor Jad:

* http://magazine.uchicago.edu/ - particularly articles in the "Investigations" tab
* http://harvardmagazine.com/
* http://sciam.com/ (This can get a bit too casual for the GMAT, but it's worth including because so people get freaked out by science passages on the GMAT.)

Start by reading a paragraph and then writing down a one-sentence summary of that paragraph's main idea - NOT all of the detail, just the main idea. Write a full sentence first and then go back and think about how you'd write that information down in extreme shorthand during the test - what can you abbreviate or drop entirely? (Remember that, on the test, you only have to remember the information for 6-8 minutes and then you can forget about it forever, so you don't need to write things out as thoroughly as you normally would for notes taken during a class.)

After you get good at that, move on to writing a table of contents for an entire article, paragraph by paragraph. Again, table of contents = big ideas, not all the little details.

At that point, bring GMAT study back into this and start doing the above exercises with some GMAT passages. You may want to order some of the old paper-and-pencil tests and use those problems as drills, so that you can get better before you start to use the more recent material (OG, GMATPrep). Also, at that point, you need to identify what outside prep materials you're going to use. You don't mention whether you've already got materials from a specific company. You can use the time you're doing the non-GMAT exercises to identify which materials you want to use (aside from OG), or even whether you want to take a class or meet with a private tutor.

Then, just follow the study method of whatever materials / class / tutor you decide to use!