Longer essays (sometimes
>85 lines) present two additional challenges:
1. They waste your time simply by
taking so long to read.
2. They become much harder to map intuitively.
Skim
The most efficient way to read long essays is to read closely for
the main idea but skim through the details. The amount you skim will
depend on you, but you will hurt yourself by treating each word as
vitally important. (The same principle could apply to short essays,
but because they are much shorter, it is just easier to avoid thinking
about importance and instead read every word.)
Prioritize
Read the paragraphs strategically.
1. Read the first paragraph the most closely (usually
every word), unless it is a backgrounder. If it is a backgrounder,
then the second paragraph takes primary importance. Backgrounders
are one way the GMAT writers make the essays longer.
2. Read the last paragraph with second to highest priority.
3. Skim most of the content of secondary paragraphs (all others).
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