The subject line says it all :/ how can i break out of the 150s? I am doing untimed drills but feel as if NA and Flaw questions get me and a huge chunk of the LR section test on these question types. Also, sometimes the explanations on 7sage do not make sense to me. My goal is literally just to break 160. Getting a 165 would be a dream, but 160 is my goal.
Is there anyone that broke out of the 150s that could offer some advice? I would greatly appreciate anything you might have to offer
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If you're aiming to break 160, it's usually about patching up a couple of recurring weak spots instead of trying to be perfect at every hard question. Since NA and Flaw questions keep tripping you up, I'd hit pause on random drills for now and just focus on those two types for a bit.
For both NA and Flaw, start by figuring out the conclusion, the premises, and where the gap is. For NA, ask yourself what the argument really needs to work, not just what would make it stronger. Try negating an answer choice, if the argument still stands, then that answer isn't necessary. For Flaw, before you even look at the choices, try to put the problem into your own words, like 'the argument assumes ___' or 'it overlooks ___.' Then pick the answer that matches the exact issue you spotted, not just something that sounds like a criticism.
If you read an explanation and it doesn't click, don't just brush past it. Post your confusion in the explanation thread or check out a different explanation. Then, jot down what made your answer tempting, why it wasn't right, and why the correct answer works better. Come back to the question a few days later and try it again from scratch. Once you're getting these right untimed, start mixing in some timed sets and eventually full sections. Getting solid at this kind of argument analysis will also make Strengthen, Weaken, and assumption questions feel a lot more manageable.
@Asma Thanks Asma this is helpful. The MBT test for NA questions works better for me than the negation test. I tend to trip myself up when I'm negating, unfortunately. For flaw questions, I can identify the flaw pretty quickly, it's just translating my logic into the answer choices is where I get stuck. How does your tutoring work? do you do a diagnostic test for folks? how much do you charge? feel free to dm me