Hello, I have been studying for many months, slowly getting an understanding of the test and going through the curriculum. I have my first LSAT coming up soon and can't seem to close the gap between my PT score and my blind review. I will regularly get in the 150s on PTs but do way better on the BR. I know that when I am taking the practice tests I don't feel like I have enough time to get through all of the questions, however if i try to speed up I end up getting more questions wrong. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to close this gap between my practice tests and blind reviews?
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I'm in the exact same boat right now. My score is high-150s, but I can routinely arrive within the -3 to -4 range on untimed sections. I consistently get through the first 18-20Qs on LR but am forced to guess on the remaining questions; on RC, I usually cap out after finishing the third passage. However, prioritizing accuracy in this active range brought me up 9 points from my diagnostic. I notice that I struggle to retain 75-80% accuracy as I extend this range. Perhaps the answer isn't simply to prioritize accuracy on a fixed bracket (i.e. Q1-18) but rather take a more flexible approach; for example, skip any hard Qs early on (if you can identify them) and plan on fishing for an easier one towards the back of the section.
As for the Blind Review feature, I feel like it isn't as helpful as just reviewing the test in full after the fact. It removes the AC you found most convincing, which can create a false sense of accomplishment. When I started out, I used the BR feature and it was a helpful tool to point me in the right direction. As I've progressed, however, I like to submit my full take and promptly review each question regardless of a hit or miss. This has made me more adept at knocking out trap ACs quicker, and my speed has gotten better as I wade through the reasoning, assumptions, etc. I think as long as you can retain the headspace you were in when choosing a specific AC, you can knock out a quality review session and learn from your mistakes.
Also pro tip--don't forget to get familiar with the 150 series PTs...I was floored by how different the LR was, and they do a much better job prepping you for the modern test.
Ya I can see how the blind review might be a little misleading, but i'll definitely start reviewing all the questions regardless of if i got the right or wrong, and hopefully get better at identifying hard questions quicker.
Its great to see a solid BR! My advice for the LR section which helped me was start practicing sections with a bit extra time. I was guessing on the last 3-5 questions so I added 10 minutes to my section and slowly tried to figure out what I could do to reduce my time. Whether it was realizing, I was not immediately going with the prephrased answer I saw, maybe not taking my time to understand the stimuli or not dissecting the differences between the last two answers I was left with. The only catch is you start noticing your LR score isn't improving, to stop and think if your still rushing.
I think its a big confidence boost too cause when you first do it, you'll be surprised how much your score improves and how this really a mental game.
DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW WRONG ANSWERS THOUGH!
Also, use it as a time to practice using the strategies and methodical approach to questions during sections. That way you will apply that when the section starts and even practice remaining calm and cool if your running low on time.
This also helps with RC, but I myself have to get my time down a bit more so I would mainly use it for LR.
Thanks for that, i'll definitely try adding a little more time to the end of practice sections. Maybe that'll help boost confidence a little. But I am definitely doing more review of my answers so we'll see how that helps!
I was in a somewhat similar boat as you (able to get an untimed 180 but timed 165).
In my experience, you want to break up the LR section into parts. Work on timing for specific question types in isolated drills (I personally focused on argument parts and main conclusion questions first as I felt getting good at those helped a lot with spotting flaws in all the other question types), and then once you've made significant timing progress on a few different question types while maintaining / improving accuracy, you put it together.
It makes a massive difference on not only section timing but on saved energy throughout the test, as spinning your wheels on questions depletes you greatly.
BONUS TIP: Use the 7Sage games to build speed with skills. I found Logic Blitz and Stimulus X-Ray especially helpful.
Thanks for the tips, I actually just started using some of the games when i'm a little tapped out and it definitely helps keep the practice going without density of a study session!