doing well on some passages and horribly on others!

[rachue]

I've noticed that during RC I generally do well on 3 passages (missing 0-1) and then will miss up to 4-5 in usually the third or fourth passage. Usually it's the passage that I least like and find the least interesting subject-wise. At this point in the section I'm probably also a bit tired. I know I need to just be able to get over the fact that the topic is boring but it is very hard for me to focus on these passages! Would you have any advice on this? It's really bring down my RC score overall as I'm averaging about 7 wrong out of the 25 or so.

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi,

Thanks for the question. Indeed, boredom and fatigue are common problems on the RC section, and it does not help that you leave the most "boring" passage(s) for the end - when you tend to be the most tired.

The key to optimal performance on the RC section is focus: you need to have an active approach towards the material, which sometimes requires convincing yourself that what you are reading is fun and enjoyable. I know this may sound funny (or strange), but try this: imagine you are the author, and that you are at the final stages of editing an extremely important article that will either make or break your academic career. Do whatever it takes to get into the passage in an active, engaging way. Read for structure, not content, and avoid getting bogged down in boring (and often superfluous) details. Focus on the things that matter: competing viewpoints, arguments, structure, main point.

And remember - being bored is the worst excuse for missing a few easy questions on the RC section of the test. There is nothing boring about getting a perfect score on the test!

Good luck!

[rachue]

Thanks! I'll try that. I was also thinking of skipping forward to do the passages with the most questions first, so even if I do get tired towards the end, I'll have fewer questions that I might miss out of fatigue.