The 11 Most Common Mistakes
As you prepare, keep the following common
mistakes in mind. Some are mistakes to avoid when taking the actual
test; others are mistakes to avoid during your preparation for the
test. Some apply to all item- and passage-types; others are more
specific.
-
Reading long RPs word-for-word/refusing to skim. Maximize
the time you spend on the items. Answering items correctly is what
gets you points.
- Reading
passively. Make margin notes; mark up the passage; have a sense
of what each chunk of the passage, as well as the passage as a whole
is about.
- Looking
at the answer choices without having some idea of what the correct
answer should be. If at all possible, make sure you come up with
your own answer first so you’re not at the mercy of the distractors.
- Spending
too much time (more than a minute or so) on any one item in a set.
- Failing
to practice the step methods on every practice RP set—reading the
book is not enough!
- Refusing
to guess when you’ve eliminated one answer choice.
- Refusing
to fly Bombing Runs on items. That is, refusing to do a passage’s
items out of order based on your judgment of which will be easier
and yield points more quickly.
- Refusing
to fly Bombing Runs on passages. That is, refusing to attempt passage
sets out of order based on your judgment of which will be easier
and yield points more quickly.
- Refusing
to fly Bombing Runs on sections. That is, refusing to work first
on those passage types or item types that will yield points more quickly.
Specifically, do the Sentence Completions first, then short RPs,
and then long RPs/paired RPs.
- In
Paired RPs: Reading both passages and then attempting all the items.
Tackle one passage first. Then tackle that passage’s items. Next,
tackle the other passage. Then tackle that passage’s items. If you
have time, attempt the compare-and-contrast items.
- Not
taking advantage of Backward Strategies when you’re stuck.
