Approaching Figure-and-Table Items

By VeriScorePrep Team · 4 min

Items with figures, tables, ECG strips, or charts require a different reading strategy: ask what the figure is for, then read it for that purpose.

The method

1. Read the call of the question.
2. Then read the figure with the call in mind.
3. Extract only the data the call requires.
4. Answer.

Why order matters

Reading the figure without knowing what's being asked wastes time and primes you toward figural features the test-writer included as distractors (a normal anatomic variant that's irrelevant; a lab that's normal but eye-catching). Knowing the call filters the data.

Tables and trend data

For trend tables (values over time): isolate the row relevant to the call. Trajectory of this value, not absolute values of others.

ECG strips

For ECG items: identify rate, rhythm, and any abnormal intervals — in that order. Don't go scanning for subtle changes you might or might not see; the test is testing the obvious finding.

Pitfalls

• Spending 60+ seconds examining a figure before reading what to do with it.
• Identifying a normal finding as abnormal because it stands out.
• Missing the trend on a multi-column table because you scanned only the last column.

Practice

Drill figure-heavy items in untimed mode first to build the read-question-first habit; then time it. Most candidates find they cut figure-item time by a third under question-first order.