Start with Two Perfect Passages

If you're struggling to finish Reading Comprehension, you might think you need to read faster.

But finishing more passages won't help much if you're getting the questions wrong.

The goal isn't to race through all four passages. It's to understand what you're reading and answer the questions accurately. Speed comes with practice.

Understand What You're Reading

Reading Comprehension tests whether you understand a passage, not whether you can skim it quickly.

You should be able to explain the author's main point and why they want readers to care. Knowing the topic of a passage isn't enough.

A passage might discuss tigers, but what is the author saying about tigers? Are they challenging an existing theory? Defending a new explanation? Criticizing previous research?

Those distinctions matter because many RC questions test your understanding of the passage as a whole. If you don't understand the author's argument, you'll struggle with questions about the main point, primary purpose, and author's attitude.

Make sure you have a strong understanding of the passage before you move to the questions.

Start with One Perfect Passage

If you're consistently missing several questions in RC, stop worrying about finishing all four passages.

Start by trying to answer every question correctly in the first passage.

Read carefully. Work through each question. Don't rush to the next passage just because the clock is running.

Once you can consistently answer the questions accurately on the first passage, try to do the same on the next one. Then the third. Eventually, the fourth.

Some passages will take longer than others. On a difficult day, you might finish fewer passages than usual. That's fine.

What matters is your accuracy on the questions you attempt. If you run out of time, guess on the remaining questions rather than sacrificing accuracy to reach them.

You’re Going to Be a Lawyer. Read Like One.

The work you do while reading the passage determines how efficiently you answer its questions.

Don't passively move through the words. Engage with the author. Question their claims. Ask why they're introducing a particular idea, what they're trying to establish, and where their argument might be going.

Read with curiosity and skepticism. When the author introduces a competing theory, think about how they'll respond to it. When they present evidence, consider what that evidence actually proves. Keep asking yourself what the author wants you to believe and why.

A lawyer doesn't skim the words and hope to recognize the important details later. They read carefully, challenge assumptions, and understand exactly what the document says and why it matters.

By the time you finish the passage, you should be the expert on it.

Make a Prediction

That understanding allows you to predict the answers to questions before you look at the answer choices. You know the author's argument, their attitude, and how the details fit together.

Instead of comparing five unfamiliar answers and hoping one sounds right, you already have a clear idea of what you're looking for. Wrong answers stand out because they conflict with your understanding of the passage.

You don't need to conclusively eliminate every wrong answer. You need to understand the passage well enough to recognize the right one.

The time you invest in understanding the passage upfront allows you to move through its questions faster.

Let Accuracy Build Speed

Slowing down might initially mean completing fewer passages. That's not a problem if you're learning to read more carefully and answer more accurately.

As your comprehension improves, you'll spend less time struggling with the questions.

When you understand the author's argument, the correct answers become easier to recognize. Wrong answers become easier to reject because you know what the passage actually says.

Eventually, spending more time reading a passage will save you time on its questions.

That's how you build speed without sacrificing accuracy.

You can't consistently get three passages right before you can consistently get two right. And you can't get two right before you can get one right.

Start with accuracy. Let speed follow.

Want to give it a shot? Sign up for free to try this RC passage. As you read, focus on understanding the author’s argument as much as possible. Don’t worry about how long it takes you. 

 

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