Why “attempt all RC” is bad advice
Coaching rooms like heroic attempt counts. CAT scoring rewards expected value: attempts × accuracy minus time cost elsewhere.
Find your accuracy floor
From mocks, plot accuracy vs number of RC questions attempted. Most aspirants see accuracy cliff beyond a personal threshold. That threshold is your exam-day cap.
Example pattern (illustrative only):
- 12 RC questions → 75% accuracy
- 16 RC questions → 58% accuracy
The extra four questions destroyed expected value.
Passage-level unit
Think in passages, not isolated questions. Partial passage attempts bleed time without delivering full set bonuses.
Rule: if you start a passage, budget to finish all four questions—or park the passage early in triage.
VA time is not free
VARC includes non-RC verbal components in the same sectional clock. Stealing RC minutes for VA feels good until RC traps compound.
Exam-day script
- Triage passages (90 seconds)
- Complete chosen sets with spine discipline
- Park low-confidence stems
- Do not open a new passage in the last eight minutes unless mocks prove you finish cleanly
When to raise attempts
Raise attempts only if both are true for three consecutive mocks:
- Accuracy stays above your floor
- You finish with a buffer ≥ 45 seconds
Otherwise, hold the line.
Social proof trap
Peers brag about attempts. You need marks. Let their story stay their story.
Your attempt strategy is a private contract with mock data. Honour the contract on CAT day.