Pattern for mistakes made on reading?

Question

Hi, I am preparing for the march by doing practice tests. I usually make 4-6 mistakes on the reading section and was wondering how I can reduce these to 1-2. For example, if I miss some of the main idea or the paired passage questions, what advice would you give? Thanks

Answer 1

Hi there!

While there is a lot I would want to dig into with you in a tutoring lesson, the best piece of general advice I can give you on Main Point questions is to make sure the answer you choose answers the question why did the author write this?, not just what did the author talk about?

The more main point questions you attempt, the more you'll notice that the test writers feed you the same types of incorrect answers. Most fall into one of two camps:

1. Inaccurate - the answer choice includes a word or phrase that knocks it out because it is factually inaccurate. For example, the passage might support the conclusion that "some dog breeds shed," but it doesn't support that "all dog breeds shed."
2. Too Narrow - the answer choice covers one topic the author mentioned, but doesn't connect that topic to the overall point of writing the piece. The author has a goal in writing this piece. So for example if the author's main point was proposing a solution to global warming, a common incorrect answer would be "discusses the problems caused by global warming." If an author proposes a solution, the main point needs to go beyond just talking about the problem.

On main point questions, I start at (A) and ask myself if it makes either of those two critical errors. If it doesn't, I leave it open and move on to (B). You don't need to fall in love with an answer if you can knock out the 3 wrongs answers easily!