Strategy Flashcards
Quantitative Efficiency (4.0)
Skipping
Diagnosing
Continuous Solving
Skipping (4.1)
Prioritize accuracy over efficiency at the beginning of your prep; efficiency will improve organically with consolidation and rehearsal.
If you don’t have a solution after three minutes, make an educated guess based on the work you’ve done thus far, and force yourself to move on.
Skip questions on your first pass through using immediately recognizable features of the problems: paragraphs, multiple answers, and data interpretations.
Strive to answer the efficient 2/3 of un-skipped problems in the first 20 minutes, and the inefficient 1/3 of skipped problems in the final 15 minutes.
Diagnosing (4.2)
When attempting a problem, first look at the answer choices to determine structure diagnosis.
Use the structure diagnosis Punnett square to quickly associate to a general problem-solving strategy applicable to the given question.
Scan the problem for diagnostic signs associated with the 50 content diagnoses, and prime your working memory with the problem-specific content associated with that category.
To solve the majority of quantitative problems, put the content-specific knowledge into the appropriate technique and execute using the values provided by the question.
Continuous Solving (4.3)
It is not necessary to understand a problem in order to solve it.
Shave minutes off of your solutions by solving continuously: read until you can do something, then force yourself to stop reading and do it before continuing.
Solve the vast majority of problems simply by doing the only next thing you can do until you’re done.
This may feel strange in the beginning; however, rehearsal will help you prioritize task effectiveness over emotional coping.
Punnett Square (4.2)
Triangle Problems (6.0-6.2)
Basic Triangles
P = s1+ s2 + s3
A=bh/2
Equilateral Triangles
P = 3x
A = (x2 (√3))/4
Right Triangles
Pythagorean theorem: a2+b2=c2
Pythagorean triplets: 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 6-8-10, 10-24-26, 9-12-15, 15-36-39
Special right triangles: 45°-45°-90° = x-x-x√2, 30°-60°-90° = x-2x-x√3
Circle problems (14.0)
arc / circumference = central angle / 360° = sector / area
A = πr2
C = 2πr = πd
Exponent problems (16.0)
53 = 5∗5∗5 = 125
MADSPM (which is the best I could do with only one vowel). This stands for:
- Multiplying?
- Add the exponents. (ex: 23∗22=25)
- Dividing?
- Subtract the exponents. (ex: 23/22=21)
- Powering?
- Multiply the exponents. (ex: (23)2=26)
Verbal efficiency strategies (84.0)
Skip through each verbal set: answering all vocab-based questions first, and all reading comprehension questions second; save any logical reasoning problems for the very end
Note the number of paragraphs and the number of questions associated with each reading comprehension text on your first pass through, and prioritize low-ratio passages first on your second pass
Aggressively utilize the problem-specific efficiency strategies associated with each verbal question type
Vocab-based questions (85.0)
Sentence Equivelences
Word Search Technique
Perfect Strategy
Text Completion
Backtracking
Sentence equivalences (85.1)
Sentence equivalences will always require you to choose exactly two answer choices
Look at the answer choices first in order to ensure that you know at least half of the words; otherwise, guess and move on
If you know what all the words mean, eliminate those that don’t have a synonym pair
Word search technique (85.2)
Pair words in the answer choices of vocab-based questions together when they are 70% synonyms
Identifying synonym pairs before reading the question collapses the available options for the blank down to only two or three possible words, creating a forced choice
Solve vocab-based questions by using the word search technique: read the text actively in order to identify key words and trigger words
Key words directly relate to the blank, while trigger words reveal the relationship between the key word and the blank
If a same-direction trigger, then the blank is a synonym of the key word; if a change-direction trigger, then the blank is an antonym of the key word
Identify key words quickly by (a) reverse engineering from the trigger word, and (b) parsing the text for words that are the same part of speech as the answer choices
Be mindful of psychological association trap (PAT) answers that are related to the superficial content of the question
Perfect strategy (85.3)
If you know all but one of the answer choices, then the correct answer will either be a synonym pair among the words you do know, or one of the words you know paired with the word that you don’t
Use the three last-ditch strategies to conjure up a plausible definition on the spot: English-language similarities, Romance-language similarities, and cultural context
If you can reduce the number of unknowns to one, then you should be able to answer the question with no reduction in your odds using perfect strategy
Text completions (85.4)
Look at the answer choices first in order to ensure that you know most of the words in every answer bank; otherwise, guess and move on
Identify and eliminate synonym pairs within a given answer bank; since they can’t both be right, they must both be wrong
Redundancy when the key word is plugged into the blank is a good sign, as it suggests that you’re sticking to the intended meaning of the sentence
Backtracking (85.5)
Use backtracking on double- and triple-blank text completion questions where the key word for one blank is another blank
Identify the relationship between the blanks in question by examining the text for trigger words, or testing the direction using simple words
Once the relationship is determined, identify which words in the relevant answer banks reflect this understanding, and reverse engineer the solution as appropriate
Reading comprehension (86.0)
Citation Technique
Elimination Strategies
Detail & Inference Problems
PAW Problems
VIC & Function Problems
Citation technique (86.1)
The verbal section, in general, and the reading comprehension questions, in particular, are not open to interpretation
Resist the urge to re-read the text in order to understand the content of the passage, as most of what is written will be irrelevant to the questions
Solving reading comprehension questions using the citation technique, in which one (crediting) sentence in the text is used to substantiate one of the available answer choices
Elimination strategies (86.2)
Before using the citation technique, get rid of answer choices aggressively using the reading comprehension elimination strategies: spoilers, offensive language, and copy-and-paste
Scan the text for noteworthy words in the question or the remaining answer choices in order to narrow down the likely location of a potential citation
Utilize your emotions to recognize plausible crediting sentences when searching for citations in the text
Think about someone you care about who, in turn, cares about the topic under discussion, and/or read the passage with simulated interest in order to “hack” your attention when reading boring texts
Detail and inference problems (86.3)
Assume a reading comprehension question is a detail problem until you see a diagnostic sign to the contrary
All detail problems can be solved using the one-to-one equivalence rule: one of the available answer choices can always be substantiated by one (and only one) of the sentences in the text
An inference problem (i.e., imply, infer) requires that you cite up to two sentences in defense of a given answer choice
Passage-As-a-Whole (PAW) problems (86.4)
Passage-as-a-whole problems can assess the main idea (what?), primary purpose (why?), or emotional tone (how?) of a given text
Use the gist understanding gleaned from your initial read-through of the passage to help solve PAW problems
According to the Goldilocks technique, the credited response will map onto the entire content of the passage: no more, no less
Vocab-In-Context (VIC) & Function problems (86.5)
The most commonly-known definition of a given word is the trap answer on a vocab-in-context problem
Solve VIC problems by treating the relevant word like the blank in a text completion question, and using the word search technique
The answer choice that summarizes the content indicated by the function problem (i.e., in order to, the purpose of, the function of) is the trap answer
Solve function problems by seeking the solution in either the sentence before or the sentence after the one indicated by the question
Logical reasoning questions (87.0)
Weaken and strengthen problems
Boldfaced problems
Weaken and strengthen problems (87.1)
Attempt logical reasoning questions on your final pass through a verbal section
Read the passage carefully, and then summarize the position (what they believe) and argument (why they believe it) in your own words
For weaken/strengthen problems, evaluate the influence of the answer choices on the passage’s argument (as opposed to its position), and consider indirect effects
An answer choice indirectly weakens by supporting a potential counterargument, and indirectly strengthens by weakening a potential counterargument
Boldfaced problems (87.2)
For boldfaced problems, describe the function of the indicated sentences in your own words first, and then map this description onto the available answer choices
An answer choice that is half right is all wrong – so you can eliminate an option as soon as you understand that it deviates from your description
Don’t stress out about logical reasoning questions: they’re uncommon and unnecessary for a top-percentile score
Issue essay strategies (88.0)
General orientation (88.1)
Grading Rubric (88.2)
Overcoming Overthinking (88.3)
Fabricating Evidence (88.4)
Algorithmic Sentences (88.5)
General orientation (88.1)
The goal on the writing section is to write a well-crafted, thesis-based, five-paragraph essay in response to both the Issue and the Argument prompt
Ideally, a thesis is composed of a position (what you believe) and three mediating arguments (why you believe that)
Examples are concrete manifestations of a given argument and should populate your body paragraphs
Pace yourself properly by committing to a time table
Grading rubric (88.2)
Your essays will be graded by an algorithmic natural language processor, so prioritizing their countable features will be key
Total word count is the most important quantifiable parameter, accounting for approximately 70% of your overall score
Treat the writing section as a text production exercise and strive to write at least 800 words within the time limit
Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or syntax – as these components are not included in the essays’ grading rubric
Overcoming overthinking (88.3)
When you’re thinking, you’re not writing – so you will need to think as little as possible in order to prioritize word count
Overcome perfectionistic tendencies through regular five-minute free-writes of “good enough” content
Block the impulse to search your memory for evidence by making up your examples
Fabricating evidence (88.4)
Fabricate a fake study for each of your body paragraphs using the DRI (describe, report, interpret) rubric, writing at least two sentences for each component
Fabricate a fake authority by writing whatever you want, putting quotes around it, and attributing it to an expert
Write to the grading rubric by providing as much verbiage at the finest resolution of detail as possible
Have fun!
Algorithmic sentences (88.5)
Approximately 15% of your score is based on the algorithm’s ability to identify four types of sentences in your essay responses: thesis, conclusion, evidentiary, and transition
The e-rater uses both the placement of a sentence in the text and key words in the sentence itself to identify the four algorithmic sentences
Practice, practice, practice: you’ll be ready for the test when you can reliably produce at least 800 words – including fabricated evidence and algorithmic sentences – within the time limit
Argument essay strategies (89.0)
Logical Fallicies (89.1)
Response Template (89.2)
Logical fallacies (89.1)
The Argument essay is graded in the exact same way as the Issue essay (i.e., five quantifiable parameters and four algorithmic sentences)
Argument prompts will be flawed (i.e., position) in very predictable ways (i.e., arguments)
Use the acronym ISACC to remember the fallacies: insufficient information, misleading statistics, inappropriate assumptions, correlation confusion, and unjustified comparison
On the Argument essay: don’t fabricate evidence and don’t cross the streams
Response template (89.2)
Open your Argument essay with a comprehensive, non-judgmental summary of the presented argument
Lean heavily on the 7-step body paragraph rubric to create low-effort, high-output content
Grab the low-hanging fruit! Focus on the three most glaring logical fallacies included in the presented argument
