To be successful in both the paper and pencil and CAT versions of the PC subtest, you will need to read the passages in an effective and efficient manner. Keep in mind that your goal in this section is not to learn the subject matter of the passages but simply to answer the questions correctly. Therefore, your focus should be on understanding each question’s task rather than absorbing every detail in the passage. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to use Kaplan’s approach to PC questions to help you answer each type of question you’ll see on the PC subtest.
Having a consistent and repeatable method will help you quickly and confidently answer questions in this section. Use Kaplan’s 4-Step Method for Paragraph Comprehension Questions to attack every question you see in your practice and on Test Day.
How you read and analyze a passage will vary depending upon the task defined by the question stem, so it’s important to always read the question before you look at the passage. After you read the question stem and identify the specific type of question you’re being asked, it’s time to read the passage strategically. In this chapter, we will cover all the different types of questions you might see on Test Day.
Once you know your task, read as much of the passage as necessary to answer the question. In a question that asks you to identify the main idea of a passage, separate supporting details from opinions and recommendations to determine the author’s overall point. Other PC questions may ask you to identify specific details, or to determine the meaning of a word. The key in this step is to read the passage in the way that is appropriate to answer the specific question that is being asked.
As mentioned earlier, every question in this section can be answered by the information in the passage that precedes it; no outside information is necessary. For each question, take a few seconds to predict what the correct answer will look like. Sometimes you’ll know the answer without even looking at the answer choices. Other times, you’ll have only a general idea of the phrasing of the correct answer. Either way, taking the time to predict will make it easier to find the correct answer.
Once you come up with a prediction of the correct answer, simply find the answer choice that is the closest match. If you are unable to make a prediction, you’ll still have an opportunity to find the correct answer by eliminating answer choices that you know are incorrect. Many will be incorrect because they stray beyond the scope of the subject matter in the passage. Other answer choices are incorrect because they are too extreme, or they distort details in the passage. After you’ve eliminated the wrong answer choices, select the one that remains and move on to the next question.