Hello!
I have a question regarding my score per passage. This may seem obvious, but whenever I understand a passage, and understand the main idea of the passage, I get 90% of the questions correct. I have looked at some other tactics such as elimination etc, and I have found that I assume way too much beyond the passage, so I am definitely more aware of that now which has increased my score a little bit. I am also bad for eliminating too many answer choices because I "think" that they are wrong but the majority of the time I am eliminating correct answer choices. Back to the point regarding understanding the passage, do you have any tips about comprehension other than doing lots of reading? I understand that CARS passages can be difficult and hard to understand but I am wondering if there is any other tactic out there that I can use to get the main idea without fully understanding the passage.

Thank you!!

Really focusing on your post-mortem analysis will help you with tackling future passages. Dissecting the arguments and seeing how each paragraph relates to the one preceeding it and the one that comes after it, so you can pick out these key phrases and points of argument the next time you work on a passage. It is something that can take a lot of practice. Also, look at repetitive ideas the author is making in the passage, the major things that stand out for you as you were reading. This is all part of the mental map you can make - within each paragraph, thinking of the concept the author is trying to convey, then relating it to the big idea in the next paragraph. Remember, try to imagine that the author is sitting with you as you are answering the questions and guiding you to choosing the answer choice that THEY would choose.