When I reviewed notes taken by high scorers vs low scorers, I noticed something kinda weird.
The people who took FEWER notes....did BETTER!
This is important, so let me rephrase:
The people who do best on Reading Comprehension mark very little, or even not at all!
Maybe you don't believe me, but I've tested this out. It works.
I know you might not be comfortable marking NOTHING at all, so I've developed the following system (borrowed from my LSAT courses):
This is a minimal marking strategy that points out the ONLY things worth marking on the passage.
The nice thing is, it lets you write down *something*, while still keeping you focused on what's most important.
Here's the system:
Mark all letters and numbers in the margins next to the relevant line. (For the Digital LSAT, mark on your scratch paper in a rough order parallel to the passage on the screen.)
Viewpoints - opinions / theories / hypotheses--Mark different viewpoints as V1, V2
Viewpoint 1 = V1
Viewpoint 2 = V2
Evidence - details, supporting examples
--Mark evidence for each viewpoint as E1, E2
Evidence for V1 = E1
Evidence for V2 = E2
Advocates (if any) - people promoting opinions
--Mark advocates for each viewpoint as A1, A2
Advocates of V1 = A1
Advocates of V2 = A2
Author's opinion (if any) - may fit with V1/V2
--place relevant V and # next to lines and circle it.
Now, keep in mind that not every passage will necessarily contain all of these. Some passages won't describe the advocates of each viewpoint, but passages generally contain the other parts of the structure.
(Note: Some passages have more than 2 viewpoints.)
If nothing else, at least make sure you get the viewpoints down.
Identifying viewpoints was key for my student Michela. She even included this strategy in her LSAT Game Plan - the one that helped her increase her score from 149 to 163...not like that's a big deal or anything :)
Til next time,
Steve
P.S. Sometimes it can get boring to just talk about things so abstractly, so in my next article, I'll actually SHOW you how to do this with examples.
Recommended Resources:
1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT materials, with my full curriculum for each section, including video courses, guides, and study plans to keep you on track. You can save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.
2. Reading Comprehension Explanations
The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These don't just fall back on "out of scope," but actually tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer.
3. LSAT Vocabulary Builder
A handbook that guides you through confusing LSAT language, but not by forcing you to memorize hundreds of words. Instead, this comprehensive guide focuses on the LSAT's most commonly-used words and phrases and gives you their meanings on the LSAT.
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