In Critical Reading: Should You Read the Passage or Not?

glaudium2
Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:07:07 +0000

everyone does it differently. I recommend trying out different ways (I’ve listed some that I’ve tried) and choosing one that works best for you. If you time yourself, you might pick the way that works and uses the least amount of time :]

**Always mark the passage with citations given in the questions before you start doing anything else. Also read the blurb in italics to get an idea of what the passage is about.


After marking the passage and reading the blurb, go straight to the questions. Try to answer all the ones that gives you citations (line numbers) first. Then, re-use those citations to help you answer the remaining questions that are more broad.
After marking the passage and reading the blurb, start reading (more like skimming) from the beginning. Stop when you get to a marked section and answer the corresponding question. Continue reading and do the same thing when you get to the next marked section. Answer the rest when you finish the passage (or when you finish answering the citation questions)


The key is to read only what is required to answer the questions. There’s no need to go farther than what is required, because then you are prone to being subjective. You need to be objective. Pick the answer choice that is backed up by evidence straight from the passage. This is practically what every good prep book tells you to do. gluck :]