Speed reading?

[Guest HSR07]

Does anyone have any advice for people who may be having problems with the time limit on the verbal reasoning section? Tips on how to read faster or scan more efficiently....?

[Guest Lactic Folly]

-write lots of practice exams (timed)

-read challenging material for understanding; people have suggested magazines such as the Economist/Atlantic Monthly/New Yorker

-try reading the questions before the passage - then as you read the passage, underline/circle/whatever sections are pertinent to those questions - will save you time

-focus on topic sentences and transition words when you see them as they will guide the structure and meaning

[Guest LaGriega]

Verbal is a matter of finding out what works for you specifically.

 

My problem was that I read too fast, and I missed the content and found myself at the questions without remembering anything about the passage. I use a combination of the Kaplan and ExamKrackers strategies:

- read carefully, make minimal notes in margin

- mentally summarize passage after reading

- read questions only after reading passage

- try to answer question without going back to passage (saves a lot of time, usually successful)

- if I have to go back, know what I am looking for when I go back

 

I avoid transition words etc. since this is a distraction and takes the focus off the main ideas (also, real MCAT passages often do not have many of those handy transition words).

 

I tried underlining etc. and found that it did not save me any time - when I went back, all I had was a bunch of underlined and circled words, which meant nothing.

 

I tried reading questions before the passage and found it was not successful - all it did was use up time. (Both K and EK recommend against it.)

 

I have also tried reading New Yorker for practice - I find that their passages are not good for MCAT practice because they are written quite differently. I think the time is better spent doing more MCAT verbal practice passages and exams.