Reading the modus operandi

1. Question types          number of questions             question split in all three sections
2. Read the questions to internalize not just to understand
3. Identifying the real test and the corresponding text
4. Size of paragraphs and their potential to have questions
5. Identifying where to read and what to read for
6. Sign posting paragraphs: write the idea in the margin
7. Pull out years, events, names/nouns and jot them down outside
8. Be careful about pithy sentences that begin or end a paragraph.
9. Italics, hyphenation, quoting double or single are indicative.
10. Never every take time from second section to do the first section. 
11. Do it before time, so that tougher areas can have a little more time.
12.  Be aware of typography. White every answer neatly and seriously.

 Check out these tricky areas. these pairs may give tough times, but at times they help you spot an answer.

• Synonyms                              antonyms
• Negatives                               Positives
• Negatives                               Double negatives
• Active                                     passive
• Different text tense                different test tense
• Subordinates                         Mains
• Mains                                      Subordinates
• Singulars                                plurals
• Many                                       All
• All                                            Most of
• Prior to                                   until
• Until                                         Before
• It is believed that                   It is (absolute)
• Sold                                        bought
• Gave                                       was given
• Neither                                    either
• No way it is                            Neither is it
• However                                 Nonetheless
• Still                                          But
• Yet                                           Notwithstanding
• Besides                                  In addition
• By and large                          Generally
• Same                                      More or less same
• Smallest question                 Longest question
• A strange word                      A word that hasn’t appreared
• Capital letters                        Apostrophe
• Articles                                   Nouns/with adjectives
• For                                          Since
• Reading in between              Reading the main sentence
• Conditionals                          Main ideas
• Similar ones                          Meaningless ones
• Eliminating                             reducing

Reading process:

• Visualize the text area that have you an answer
• Identify the concluding part of lead sentences
• Avoid reading the whole text again and again.
• Questions are framed from certain areas
• Look for: For example: it proves a point.
• Read the question audibly to locate the text missing
• Read the left and right of missing space
• Read aloud the given part with beginning missing
• Read along the given part with end missing.
• Some questions and answers give clues to other answers.
• If a question seems to be taking long: ignore it. You can make 10 mistakes
• If you have no other go, just guess. There is no negative marking.
• When multiple choice gives you no other go. Take the longest answer.
• All yes questions are seen to be the shortest.
• All not given questions are seen to be the longest.
• Writers’ attitude, title/type of the topic etc. will be plain.

 ajaypeesdoc. 2.8.012

All the above ways and means are relative and the reader has to have his or her own comfort zones developed out of practice.

1. All good scorers are good readers.
2. All good scores are a perfect blend of a lot of faculties. There is no shortcut, but there are innumerable tools and tips. They differ though from test to test. The common ones are common for all.