Tactics on Passage-Reading?

OBrienUM97
Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:00:25 +0000

here’s my method, i’ve posted it here a few times, and it really does work- i went from 570 cr psat in october to 710 january sat cr without killing myself (i know which vocab questions i got wrong and can say with fair certainty all my errors were in the vocab section)

"go the questions first and bracket in the passage every line in each question…(if the question says lines 22-28, bracket them, etc)…that should cover all but like two-three questions…then begin reading…really focus while reading bracketed lines and once you’re done reading them (and maybe 1-3 lines past), go right to the question. this way you know exactly where the answer is and can support it with the text. you cannot be thrown off by knowledge later in the passage because at this point you dont have any. some say read first then answer, some say just search for the answers. this method is answer while reading. by the end of the line referenced questions you will have read the whole passage while really focusing on what they consider the important parts, and then you will have enough info the non-line referenced questions like tone or theme… also make sure your answer choice isn’t too extreme or potentially offensive to any ethnic group or organization…

good luck.