How Much Time Do I Have for Reading Comp on Lsat

How to do LSAT reading comprehension sections faster
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Iv Part Serial: How to get faster
ane. How to become faster on the LSAT
2. How to go faster on Logical Reasoning
3. How to go faster on Reading Comprehension [This Article]
4. How to go faster on Logic Games

"I take really long reading the passages (timed myself 3 to four mins) then I tend to non refer dorsum to the passages thinking there is no fourth dimension. I read the passages intensely and and then end upwards staring at the answer choices. It's the time pressure that really hurts me… what should I do?" – Julie

This is a pretty common question. A lot of students have difficulty finishing all four LSAT reading comprehension passages on fourth dimension. Or y'all may be able to finish all the passages, merely you feel rushed and uncertain well-nigh the answers you're picking.

In the primary speed FAQ, I wrote that the biggest determinant of speed is competence. If you know the material, yous'll go faster. That'south true for reading comprehension also. The more than you practice and larn about LSAT reading comprehension, the faster you'll go. And if you don't know the material, you lot won't go as fast as those who do.

That said, in that location are some techniques you can use to increase speed. Though note that these are really only "doing well at reading comprehension" tips. I've also written a separate commodity on improving reading speed.

one. Know the Passage Structure

Knowing an RC passage's construction lets yous go faster
photo by Mark Spence

LSAT passages aren't like regular texts. They all follow a prepare format. The passages have 3-4 paragraphs. Each paragraph is typically organized effectually a theme. If yous know the bespeak of each paragraph, and so you lot can knowwhereinformation is. This helps you chop-chop locate line references if needed. Knowing the point of each paragraph too helps you recollect about the passage more conspicuously. The single biggest speed mistake on LSAT reading comprehension is moving on to the questions without having understood the passage. Thinking about the theme of each passage helps you avoid this trap.

You tin can tell that the paragraphs are important because the LSAT actually tests this knowledge explicitly. Some questions ask you to identify the structure of the passage. Each of the five answers will have a sentence for each paragraph. Knowing passage structure will plain help with those questions, but the existence of these questions is a strong hint that knowing passage construction will help onallquestions.

To come across my own crude summaries, check out my explanations for LSAT reading comprehension. Annotation that the summaries I've written aren't quite the aforementioned equally what I accept in my caput on a timed section. In timed practice, I know both more and less than the summaries I write. More, considering I retain details from the passage I don't fit into the summaries. Less, because my summaries merely have to brand sense to me, so I can cut out some particular. My written explanations are longer because I have to include enough detail that they brand sense to everyone, not only to me.

2. Spaced repetition and rereading

Spaced repetition is a retention technique. It's incredibly effective for both long term and brusk term memorization. I've personally used it for linguistic communication learning. If you ever used Pimsleur, Duolingo, Memrise, or Supermemo, then yous've been using a spaced repetition algorithm. Spaced repetition tin can as well assist you increase your speed on LSAT reading comprehension by allowing y'all to memorize information quickly.

The gist of spaced repetition is that we remember data better the more times we see it.Severaltimes better. And there are optimal fourth dimension intervals for seeing information once more. Here are the time intervals used in Pimsleur languages courses:5 seconds, 25 seconds, two minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 5 hours, i twenty-four hours, 5 days, 25 days, iv months, and 2 years.

I bolded the first 4 intervals because they roughly match the fourth dimension you spend on a single reading comprehension passage. What do these intervals mean? The thought behind spaced repetition is that yous should see information simply equally you're nearly to forget it. Then you lot'll recall it until the next interval.

So if you've seen information once, so y'all'll forget about of it at the 5 second mark. If you run across it again at that time, yet, you'll recall it longer, up to 25 seconds. If you see the informationagainat the 25 second mark, then y'all'll remember it even longer, up to ii minutes. If y'all see the informationagainat two minutes, and so you will remember information technology for 10 minutes. So finer y'all'll take memorized the information for as long every bit yous're doing the passage. This method really works; I effortlessly learned Portuguese and Italian using spaced repetition.

Now, obviously you tin't reread the material in the passage at precise time intervals. But yous tin can apply the knowledge above to approximate the repetitions. Here's how I mimick the intervals. Basically, I take every chance I can to reread. Rereading ismuchfaster than reading the commencement time.

1. If I don't sympathise a line, I reread information technology (roughly five second marker)
2. If I don't understand a paragraph I read, or if I forgot the paragraph, I'll reread it. (Roughly 25 second mark)
3. Subsequently I end a passage, I skim over everything. I slow down to reread annihilation I've forgotten. (Roughly two minute marker)

I have a bias towards rereading anything I don't understand or I've forgotten. This has the obvious benefit that I understand the passage much improve. But this too has the non-obvious benefit that I more or less effortlessly memorize the passage by following the timing above.

Better understanding and memorization of the passage both dramatically improve speed. Try the rereading approach I outlined to a higher place and run across if you notice a deviation in your speed and understanding.

iii. Returning to the passage

You can learn to return to the passage faster than this guy.
Photo by robertjoseph

Idetestwriting explanations for LSAT reading comprehension. It's the nearly boring department past far. The answers don't require idea. They just require line references. "C is wrong because line 32 says…." "Line 47 straight says D", etc. In that location'due south none of the logical subtleties of LR, or the chains of reasoning from LG. In reading comprehension, you lot can bear witness or disprove well-nigh answers only by pointing to a line.

This is dull when writing explanations, only it'south not bad when doing passages. There'due south no need to afflict over answers. You can just become to the passage to bear witness them correct or wrong. Most incorrect answers are nonsense designed to sound similar something the passage said (just actually didn't say).

I know, I know….yous're thinking "I don't take time to go back to the passage!". That'south just because y'all haven't skillful. I've tested this with my classes. Most students take 30 seconds or and then to find a line reference if they simply get about information technology the normal way. That is indeed to deadening to do regularly.

Only inside a few minutes, I can have students finding line references in 2-5 seconds, about as fast equally I tin can discover them. How? Past using the techniques I described in the earlier sections. If you lot know what'south in each paragraph and you understand the passage, so you know where information is located. Y'all don't need to search the whole passage to find a line. You can just search the paragraph that you know the line would be located in. This is 4-5x faster.

You can do this. Print off two copies of a passage. Read information technology yourself, and have a friend read information technology. So take the friend drill you lot on the passage. They can read out a few words, and you have to notice them as fast as you can. If you exercise this for a fleck you can be as fast as me. It takes me about 2-3 seconds to find most lines. One time you lot master this skill, you can quickly eliminate or prove answer choices.

4. Author's main Point

Always ask why the author says what they say. Why, why are y'all doing this to me?
Annotation: not an actual LSAT author, merely I imagine they await similar this.
Photo by Eduardo Delgado Santana

At that place'southward always a reason that LSAT authors say what they say. If you lot can find this reason, then it becomes much easier to translate what they're saying. The questions are also easier. Some answers may seem tempting, but if y'all know the author'south signal, then it will be obvious that an answer wouldn't have been something the author said.

Pretend the author is a real person. Why are they telling you all this? How does the data in each paragraph back up what they're saying? If yous have a clear view of the author'south indicate, then you lot'll be able to sift through answers much faster.

Y'all can do agreement the writer'due south indicate by discussing passages with a friend. Hold yourselves to a loftier standard. LSAT reading comprehension passages have a lot of depth, andeverythingis said for a reason. If y'all correctly figure out the master point, yous'll exist able to say why the author says each and every affair they say.

A true understanding of the main point will non only assist you go faster, but it will let you go more questions right. Fifty-fifty questions that do not seem like chief indicate questions frequently involve the main indicate somehow.

RC Mastery Seminar

Update: If you need more than assist on reading comprehension, I've created an advanced seminar on how to do better at them: https://lsathacks.com/rc-mastery-seminar/

More LSAT speed tips

Iv Office Serial: How to go faster
1. How to go faster on the LSAT
2. How to go faster on Logical Reasoning
three. How to become faster on Reading Comprehension [This Article]
4. How to go faster on Logic Games

Podcast Episode:LSAT Pros ep. 10, Reading Comprehension Strategies

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I run LSAT Hacks, and got a 177 on the LSAT. The single best matter I've ever made is the set of LSAT Mastery seminars. They show you how to think like a 170+ scorer when doing questions. Go them here: Mastery Seminars

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Source: https://lsathacks.com/guide/faq/how-to-go-faster-reading-comprehension/

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