Stay inside the passage
Treat the text as a closed evidence set. The best answer is supported by the passage, even when outside knowledge suggests something else. Separate statements that are explicitly supported, contradicted, or simply not established.
- Locate the claim and its qualifier.
- Distinguish ‘some’, ‘most’ and ‘all’.
- Reject answers that add a cause, date or scope absent from the text.
Use the time budget deliberately
Thirty-five minutes for 20 questions gives an average of 1 minute 45 seconds. Some passages will be faster; preserve time for denser ones. If two choices remain, compare each word against the source rather than rereading without a question.
- First pass: answer clear evidence matches.
- Second pass: resolve flagged questions.
- Final check: confirm every question has an answer.
Turn mistakes into categories
Label each error: overlooked qualifier, reversed relationship, unsupported inference, rushed reading or vocabulary. A short error journal exposes recurring patterns faster than repeating random sets.
- Practise 28 verbal questions in Discovery Access.
- Repeat weak question types in the full programme.
- Use timed mock cycles only when you are ready to test pacing; mocks are Premium.