by Chris (MGMAT) Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:34 am
It is the case that ManhattanGMAT recommends writing and summarizing various elements of the Reading Comprehension passages in order to encourage active reading and comprehension.
However, you should integrate this approach into your own individual constraints where time management is concerned.
Another way of looking at it is that most people have a natural tendency to simply read a passage and then begin answering the questions. This passive approach is the starting point.
The MGMAT approach could be considered the opposite - that is, writing an extensive amount about the passage as you go to help facilitate understanding. However, this may be too time-consuming for some students.
Your final approach will, in most cases, be a synthesis of these two approaches. That is, you will write more than you would naturally do, but perhaps a bit less than the MGMAT approach dictates. A composite approach has been effective for many students, in my experience, and practice helps each individual hone the best way to diagram.
I hope that this is somewhat helpful. Let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist.
Chris Ryan