Just... Can't... Speed... Up!!!

[Dani]

How do you get faster at reading AND understanding and outlining? Reading lots of passages, I know. Anything else to improve speed?

Thanks!!!

[Steve Stein]

Pacing is certainly intended to be a challenge in the Reading Comprehension section, but it is possible to increase your speed. It would help to know what approach you've taken in your preparations thus far--practice tests, books, classes? Let me know--thanks!

[Dani]

Hi Steve,

I started studying with the official (LSAC) study guide but found it to be too generic to be much help. I purchased the Kaplan study guides and have been making steady progress through those. I've taken several full-length tests as well and of course worked through individual passages as part of the study guides.

I have definitely improved HOW I read, i.e. actively reading, looking for keywords, making an outline, predicting the answer before reading the answer choices, etc. but I am just too slow in getting through the passages themselves.

I'm signed up for the PowerScore weekend course tomorrow and Sunday, I'll be interested to see what tips and tricks they have. But I'm really scratching my head as to how to go faster as I read.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[Steve Stein]

Thanks for your message. I know you've got plenty to keep you occupied over the next couple of days, so I'll keep my response brief and check in after the weekend. For now, though, I'll say that it sound like you've done a lot of things right--active reading and prephrasing in particular--and ask a few very general questions: Do you generally do the passages in order? If you do them out of order, what are your criteria for selection? Do you do the questions within each passage set in order? Do you read the questions before reading the passages?