Self-study
I had been feeling super confident in how things were going. My first PT after core curriculum was a 163. I took a week off for college finals week and came back and did super well. Got a -3 on my first LR section back (-1 after BR) and -5 on my RC section, then i decided to take a full PT (my second PT after core curriculum) and did super poorly, I got -9 on my first LR section which i felt solid about and a -12 on the second section which i did not feel good about at all and a -11 on my RC section. I was shocked to see how I did and it made no sense, I have never done this bad on even isolated questions, after BR i made sense of almost every single one of my mistakes but am still uncertain how I did so poorly. My plan was to take one LR section and do BR and then the next day do an RC section and do the same thing before doing some targeted drilling and taking another full PT sometime next week to see where I really stand and if this was just some sort of fluke. I am trying to get into the 170s for the April test. I was hoping people could let me know if they have experienced anything similar and best way to move forwards, Thanks so much!
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2 comments
There are many reasons why your performance dipped. Were you tired or distracted while taking the exam? Were you overthinking the front half of the section causing you to be starved for time on the latter half? There are many more reasons for this. What is notable is that you are capable of a 163. You cannot guess your way through this exam.
The best way for you to understand the dip is to review your second exam and ask yourself why you selected the incorrect answer and why the correct answer is correct. I recommend doing one section a day so you don’t find yourself rushing through this process. Do not pressure yourself to review it in one sitting or feel the need to complete additional drills—this is the best form of studying you can do right now.
After your review, gather the main takeaways and make note of them under the notes tab. Bookmark that note. When you start drilling again, refer to that note before you begin.
It’s worth noting that this is common at the 160+ range. Progress is nonlinear for this type of exam as it rewards mitigating losses under time constraints. You can perfectly understand every question, but, because of the time limit, receive an average score.
Regarding your plan, it sounds great if you have solid fundamentals which is proven by a 170+ Blind Review score. At this point, you need to sharpen your intuition and time management strategy—sections are perfect for this. If your Blind Review is in the mid-160s, I recommend rereviewing the core curriculum for your weaker question/passage types, coupled with targeted drilling.
Your life will become much easier when you approach each drill and practice test not as a measure of your ability, but as an opportunity to learn. Your confidence should not be shaken by a low PT. You don’t need to question your study schedule every time you scored lower than you would like. You just have to keep doing what you’ve learned. You will reach your target score.