Passage Order in Sections

[lounalola]

Like many I struggle with time management on the RC sections. I usually have to rush through the last passage I tackle. For people who struggle with time on this section what order do you suggest reading the passages in? Should I do the ones with the most questions first? The comparative passage first? Should I pick based on topic?

[Amber Thomas]

Hi Lounalola!

Many people struggle with reading comprehension, specifically with timing, so know that you are not alone! Here are some tips:

1) If you're skimming passages to determine what order to do them in, you could be losing crucial time that could be used to thoroughly read through each passage and attack the questions. I would suggest taking each passage as it comes, and instead work on your broader approach to cut down on your time. It may be more advantageous to you to instead skip specific time-consuming questions that you encounter, as opposed to passages as a whole. Additionally, it varies from person to person which types of passages (i.e. law, STEM, economics, literature, history, etc.) are the most difficult/time consuming, so if you were to trying to decide which passages to attack first, I would suggest doing so based on your own comfort level with the format or content.

2) Passage diagramming and note-taking can be exceptionally helpful for shaving some time off of your reading comprehension. This can involve using the digital highlighting and underlining tools to emphasize key information, or jotting down notes on your scratch paper. Some important things you may want to notate that will help you answer questions quicker are: a) the viewpoints presented in the passage; b) the main point of each paragraph/the passage as a whole; c) for the comparative passages specifically, the contrasting/aligning opinions; d) definitions or examples of important concepts, etc.. PowerScore offers a very comprehensive guide on what key information you want to track with your annotations/notes, which you can then use as a quick reference guide while you are answering questions, so that you don't have to go back and dig through the passage for each question, which can save you a lot of time.

As always, the best way to get quicker is to practice. One way to approach this may be as simple as running through a number of passages without answering the questions, and just timing yourself and getting a really good handle on your notation style so that you feel confident when approaching the questions. Additionally, take note of when you find yourself circling back on or struggling with certain things in a passage. If you have to read over a section multiple times to understand it fully, make a note of it, and try to figure out what the root of your issue with that given portion is.

I hope this helps!