Time allocation for RC passage - Session 3 assignment

[sri_wcupa]

Hello,

I was just wondering for a passage like the one on page 396 (from OG 13) which has 9 questions, how much time we should be spending? On an average, I am trying to spend about 8 mins on an RC passage. But this seemed much longer especially with 9 questions. Thanks for your help.

Best Regards,
Sri

[RonPurewal]

hi,

* please post in the correct folder, thanks.

* here are some VERY approximate guidelines. the idea is that you can add 1-1.5 min for each of the first few questions, but, for more and more questions, it's more realistic to add only about 1 min per question (because you'll be extremely familiar with the content of the passage by that point).


SHORT PASSAGE + 3 QUESTIONS = 6 min (real guideline for test day)
SHORT PASSAGE + 4 QUESTIONS = 7-7.5 min
SHORT PASSAGE + 5 QUESTIONS = 8-8.5 min
SHORT PASSAGE + 6 QUESTIONS = 10 min
SHORT PASSAGE + 7 QUESTIONS = 11 min


LONG PASSAGE + 4 QUESTIONS = 8 min (real guideline for test day)
LONG PASSAGE + 5 QUESTIONS = 9-9.5 min
LONG PASSAGE + 6 QUESTIONS = 10.5-11 min
LONG PASSAGE + 7 QUESTIONS = 12 min
LONG PASSAGE + 8 QUESTIONS = 13 min
LONG PASSAGE + 9 QUESTIONS = 14 min

again, these guidelines are very, very approximate, but they're ... well, they're something, and something is better than nothing.

[sri_wcupa]

hi,

* please post in the correct folder, thanks.

* here are some VERY approximate guidelines. the idea is that you can add 1-1.5 min for each of the first few questions, but, for more and more questions, it's more realistic to add only about 1 min per question (because you'll be extremely familiar with the content of the passage by that point).


SHORT PASSAGE + 3 QUESTIONS = 6 min (real guideline for test day)
SHORT PASSAGE + 4 QUESTIONS = 7-7.5 min
SHORT PASSAGE + 5 QUESTIONS = 8-8.5 min
SHORT PASSAGE + 6 QUESTIONS = 10 min
SHORT PASSAGE + 7 QUESTIONS = 11 min


LONG PASSAGE + 4 QUESTIONS = 8 min (real guideline for test day)
LONG PASSAGE + 5 QUESTIONS = 9-9.5 min
LONG PASSAGE + 6 QUESTIONS = 10.5-11 min
LONG PASSAGE + 7 QUESTIONS = 12 min
LONG PASSAGE + 8 QUESTIONS = 13 min
LONG PASSAGE + 9 QUESTIONS = 14 min

again, these guidelines are very, very approximate, but they're ... well, they're something, and something is better than nothing.

Hi Ron,

Thanks for the detailed breakdown.

Best Regards,
Sri

[jlucero]

.

[StaceyKoprince]

One more note: if you are actually trying to mimic real test conditions, then don't do more than 4 questions (the max on the real test for one passage). You have an advantage as you answer more questions - you know a lot more about the passage as you go along. But you'll never have that advantage on the real test.

For shorter passages, do 3; for longer, do 4. Then put that passage aside and you can come back to it in a month or two and do 3 or 4 others.

I like to do the odds, then the evens (or vice versa, just to help me keep straight which ones I've already done). :)