CR - Passage or Questions First?

<p>Before I begin, I should my current CR score range is 720+ (though it drops some when I'm really unlucky/tired). </p>

<p>Which should I read first - the questions or the passage? I tend to read the passage first and pay close attention to it because I'm a terrible skimmer. A lot of my friends say this is a terrible habbit, but skimming makes a lot of the ideas I read incoherent, and I tend up reading things over again (wasting time). </p>

<p>A lot of others say that one should skim the questions first and then read the passage. Which method works best for you guys?</p>

<p>I do the questions first. Well, to be more precise, I do the line # questions first. CB usually asks questions on only 70% of the material in the passage anyway, so it's more or less a waste of time trying to read it all. I skim over the rest to do the general idea questions.</p>

<p>^Nicely put.</p>

<p>Ever since I started doing that, my CR scores jumped up. But that's without time limit.... that strategy seems to consume more time, so be careful about that.</p>

<p>Another question....</p>

<p>When you say you look at the questions first, do you look over the questions and then read the passage beginning to end? OR do you look at the questions and only refer to parts of the passages as you need it (Read question, go to passage and answer, read next question, go to passage and answer.. etc).</p>

<p>choice 2 of what you just said</p>

<p>Wow - does everyone think that reading the questions first is better?</p>

<p>I never read the questions first and I've scored 800 several times on my practice exams. You just have to find what works best for you.</p>

<p>I have also scored an 800 and I now read the passage first. I used to read the questions first, but learned that I often ran out of time that way.</p>

<p>It really depends on your speed of reading... i personally don't enjoy reading the passage first because i know i'd have to go back to it a few times (i have to be 100% certain about my answer before i choose it) and i'd rather just read the questions and go to the passage then read the passage 2-3 times (as it wastes a lot of time)</p>

<p>Here's something you can try (recommended by a number of good SAT guides):</p>

<p>1) Read the intro, first and last sentences of the supporting paragraphs, and the concusion.</p>

<p>2) Read (and complete) the questions. When you hit line # questions, look back and read the relevant parts of the passages.</p>

<p>I do both and I seem to do equally well.</p>

<p>If I'm pressed for time, I do the read one paragraph - look for questions method...usually only for science passages.</p>

<p>Fiction is a no/no on question first, since not only are fiction questions about tone, but it also focuses on characterization and setting...things you can't get from one paragraph.</p>

<p>Sociological passages are a bit tricky. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it is not.</p>

<p>I'd been doing passages first for about a year and a half, before I did questions first like once or twice.</p>

<p>I was debating on which one to go with, before I decided to stick to my old method, since I got 770 on the practice tests with it, so it shows that I have the capability to score high with the passages first.</p>

<p>A bit long, and exhaustive...but it was on my mind.</p>

<p>I usually read the passage first. However, I cannot answer all the questions of CR section with two long passages in time. Therefore, in this section, for the passage that has more line # questions, I do questions first.</p>