let me preface by saying honestly 😭 my last few pts have been super erratic i have ranged from 152-159 (i am not the greatest test-taker sadly which is why i have huge gaps between my test scores and BRs). my individual sections are usually anywhere from -2 to -6, but i have def progressed over the past few months! ik some may not be as easy to implement but honestly just give urself some grace!
for LR:
one skill that is now non-negotiable for me is pinning down the conclusion in every single stim, whether i highlight it or just keep repeating it to myself in my head, this helps me keep focus of what part of the argument im actually trying to cater to. ik it sounds kinda obvious, but i have def had moments where i have picked answers that cater more to a premise or another persons argument, bc i got bogged in details
for flaw matching (in a time crunch), i shallow dip answers, but im pretty flexible with if im looking for a matching premise or a matching conclusion, and you have to be very critical with answers. do not give something more leeway than it deserves, if you're trying too hard to make an answer work, flag it and come back
also if you're struggling with a question try and make a choice to skip it and leave within like 45 seconds MAX (id say 30 but it depends how fast u read) - theres no point in wasting time on it if you can pick up an easy answer from a possible level 2 question ahead
i highly rec the game stimulus x-ray on here, any argument part question is just a free point or 2 when you're able to consistently identify what sentence is doing what! i used to have a huge issue with intermediate/sub conclusions, but using this game helped me a lot!
for RC:
ngl my reading times for a passage range between 3:30-4:30, with me consistently being on the earlier half of the curve, this allows me to do my questions faster since i have a better understanding overall. i will try my best to focus on the following while reading:
main points of conflict (if any)
what does author think
what did i learn from reading this passage? what knowledge or opinion has been imparted on me?
ill try and keep a rough idea of other opinions, esp if they are conflicting with authors but i try not to flesh these out too much since sometimes i accidentally mix them together lol...so try and have just a barebones idea of conflicting opinions and where in the passage they are located so you can go back if needed
ik some people also rec this strat of spending all 35 mins on like a certain number of questions (i think its 18 correct per section for a 160) for 100% accuracy and then guessing the rest, i guess that isnt a bad idea if ur just trying to get within the bounds of a certain test score, you can def search it up to see how its implemented. i would just be careful trying to change anything too drastically before ur test. if ur able to consistently finish ur sections on time, try and go back to any questions u flagged and do a mini blind review! that helps me a lot (if i have time lol)
ive been doing all of these techniques and sometimes will get 1/7 or a 8/8 for a RC passage. As for lr, ive been highlighting conclusions on all questions as well as prephrasing (for more difficult question i try to identify the 4 wrong answers). i fear these skills have only gotten me to the high 150 even though my blind reviews are 160-171. i even drill the question types im worst at going from level 1-5 difficulty
yea i get wym, at the end of the day the lsat basically just tests us on how well we can mechanize and do certain cognitive tasks with accuracy, which usually extended practice is one of the best (imo) solutions. other than that, sometimes u can see faster improvements from changing more niche habits maybe? like being on very high alert when you see quantifiers, even in questions where you may think they arent a main focus (i used to mainly focus on quantifiers in para flaw) but being more aware of them even in WSE for example, has helped me a lot in narrowing down between 2 answers. just trust in urself, u def have the base to score in the 160s
ts is making me sick...GOOD LUCK OT ANYONE WRITING MWAH
6 comments
How did you break into the 160's? I keep getting 157-159 for sections and PT and its killing me. My test is also saturday
let me preface by saying honestly 😭 my last few pts have been super erratic i have ranged from 152-159 (i am not the greatest test-taker sadly which is why i have huge gaps between my test scores and BRs). my individual sections are usually anywhere from -2 to -6, but i have def progressed over the past few months! ik some may not be as easy to implement but honestly just give urself some grace!
for LR:
one skill that is now non-negotiable for me is pinning down the conclusion in every single stim, whether i highlight it or just keep repeating it to myself in my head, this helps me keep focus of what part of the argument im actually trying to cater to. ik it sounds kinda obvious, but i have def had moments where i have picked answers that cater more to a premise or another persons argument, bc i got bogged in details
for flaw matching (in a time crunch), i shallow dip answers, but im pretty flexible with if im looking for a matching premise or a matching conclusion, and you have to be very critical with answers. do not give something more leeway than it deserves, if you're trying too hard to make an answer work, flag it and come back
also if you're struggling with a question try and make a choice to skip it and leave within like 45 seconds MAX (id say 30 but it depends how fast u read) - theres no point in wasting time on it if you can pick up an easy answer from a possible level 2 question ahead
i highly rec the game stimulus x-ray on here, any argument part question is just a free point or 2 when you're able to consistently identify what sentence is doing what! i used to have a huge issue with intermediate/sub conclusions, but using this game helped me a lot!
for RC:
ngl my reading times for a passage range between 3:30-4:30, with me consistently being on the earlier half of the curve, this allows me to do my questions faster since i have a better understanding overall. i will try my best to focus on the following while reading:
main points of conflict (if any)
what does author think
what did i learn from reading this passage? what knowledge or opinion has been imparted on me?
ill try and keep a rough idea of other opinions, esp if they are conflicting with authors but i try not to flesh these out too much since sometimes i accidentally mix them together lol...so try and have just a barebones idea of conflicting opinions and where in the passage they are located so you can go back if needed
ik some people also rec this strat of spending all 35 mins on like a certain number of questions (i think its 18 correct per section for a 160) for 100% accuracy and then guessing the rest, i guess that isnt a bad idea if ur just trying to get within the bounds of a certain test score, you can def search it up to see how its implemented. i would just be careful trying to change anything too drastically before ur test. if ur able to consistently finish ur sections on time, try and go back to any questions u flagged and do a mini blind review! that helps me a lot (if i have time lol)
Good luck, im rooting for us both!!
so helpful!! thank you so much
ive been doing all of these techniques and sometimes will get 1/7 or a 8/8 for a RC passage. As for lr, ive been highlighting conclusions on all questions as well as prephrasing (for more difficult question i try to identify the 4 wrong answers). i fear these skills have only gotten me to the high 150 even though my blind reviews are 160-171. i even drill the question types im worst at going from level 1-5 difficulty
Forgot to say it earlier but thank you and good luck to you as well!
yea i get wym, at the end of the day the lsat basically just tests us on how well we can mechanize and do certain cognitive tasks with accuracy, which usually extended practice is one of the best (imo) solutions. other than that, sometimes u can see faster improvements from changing more niche habits maybe? like being on very high alert when you see quantifiers, even in questions where you may think they arent a main focus (i used to mainly focus on quantifiers in para flaw) but being more aware of them even in WSE for example, has helped me a lot in narrowing down between 2 answers. just trust in urself, u def have the base to score in the 160s