Guys honestly I'm doing pretty well in LR-3-5 and -2LG thanks J.Y....but I just can't get my RC Down to at least -7 or even -8 ... I've tried speed reading doesn't work I've tried notes doesn't work.... I realize it's like a super slow developing skill active reading that is but any concrete tips would really help I'm going to experiment this week before the test... please any thing solid would be appreciated!

Thanks for all the great answers!

Hey everyone,

I think we all face during our LSAT prep a particular dislike for a certain question type or a section. For me it was Necessary Assumption questions. I was doing a couple of Necessary Assumption questions today and I realized how much I have come to enjoy them. So I decided I want to share my journey with you all in the hope that it might help someone as well.

So quick background story. I am sure you guys guessed I hated Necessary Assumption questions and I had a good reason to hate them. They took me forever to do and I usually got them wrong. If you take a look at my Analytics, NA questions are the big red dot on my graph whose color and huge size was neither changing nor decreasing in shape!!!

I first decided to re-do the core-curriculum on NA questions. I did that probably 3 times, I think more; with little benefit. I felt like I got what was being said but somehow I just wasn't able to apply. I now know I got the concept but not the method to achieve it. But back then I didn't know, moreover because I had done those questions so many times, I felt like I had the answers memorized, so each time I was learning less and less. Combined with the factor that I was getting them wrong so much on the practice tests, I just hated seeing NA questions on a PT. I would skip them, come back at the end, and still struggle with them. I was at a point where I just dreaded seeing the NA question stem.

Then, I decided to approach a few mentors. I used their office hours and each time I brought up how to do NA questions, took notes. I also messaged them with any further questions I had. I think asking different mentors the same thing is fine, sometimes depending on where you are, one of them might say something that helps more than the others. When I finally felt like I knew what steps I had to take, I realized I still hated doing the question.

So instead of doing a full drill, I decided each morning to do about 5 NA questions and that's it. This is because I wanted to associate NA questions with something positive. So I only did NA questions when I drank coffee and I put extra marshamllows in it to make the experience even better, and yes I like marshmallows in my coffee :DDD . I think this was important to associate something very positive for me -coffee and marshamallows- with Neccessary Assumption questions.

After two weeks of doing this I have come to realize I have come to enjoy Necessary Assumption questions. I understand them better because of all the help I got and I got rid of the negative feelings I had associated with the question types. Now every morning I can't wait to put a hot steaming cup of coffee with marshmallows on my desk pick up my NA packet and do 5 questions. This honestly brings a smile to my face.

I think the lesson I learned from my experience is to not overdo something you are bad at or hate. We tend to really focus on drilling out our mistakes and we end up overdoing it. Sometimes our mind just needs a bit of time and some help, like marshmallows, to undo all the negative feelings it has.

I think the key to LSAT and life is to enjoy whatever we end up doing. So give yourself time and a little bit of help to learn to enjoy something you don't normally associate with fun.

I hope this helps some of you in future. <3 <3

I have noticed that when I try and switch question types a bunch..i.e. take a practice test, that I do much worse than if i can do 2 or three of the same type then move to the next question type, like in the lesson. Has anyone tried to mark the question types first? I know it would be a time sink though..

PS I timed myself marking the question type and it took me 2:30.

Hello!

I'm taking the Dec 3rd LSAT, and want to ensure I don't make any avoidable mistakes with my Scantron.

More specifically, when practicing PTs I like to put a little dash next to the question number (in the white space between section columns) on the Scantron to indicate the questions I'd like come back to. That being said, will these type of marks impact the scoring of the Scantron? Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

-nick

Hey guys,

I'm Muslim, so I observe the 5 daily prayers. I'm concerned that the LSAT next Saturday will interfere with the midday prayer (Dhuhr), and I can't miss it. The window to pray opens at around 12:15 PM and ends at like 2:00 PM. Do you guys think I'll have time to pray after the exam, assuming it starts at like 9:00 AM, and if not, how would I go about praying during the break? It only takes like 5-7 minutes to pray, but it'll be hard to find a location to pray during the break. Should I just ask one of the proctors to take me somewhere in the building so I don't get in trouble for leaving the vicinity of test area? Has anyone else had a similar concern/experience? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi!

Will all the explanations for PT 79 be available on this website sometime this week (i.e. before December 3rd)? Unfortunately I missed the BR session with JY.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

Upcoming Dec test taker here. A question about stray marks on the answer sheet has troubled me recently.

If I fill in the whole circle, and broader than the circle itself (so it covers the bubble entirely), but not to the extend that the mark touches the edge of bubbles of other answer choices, would that count as a stray mark and thus not admitted?

I originally thought that they only scan answers within the circle and thus as long as no other answers have anything in it, while one answer has everything filled, it will be fine; but I recently read an example of stray mark that worried me. (If someone hand score it, it may appear apparent which answer the test taker chose)

For example, on the right, question 7 and 25, if there is only 1 answer, the one on the right, filled for each question, will it still be a correct mark?

http://www.iitianspace.com/images/OMR-filling-guidline.pdf

Can someone explain the science of OMR and how are machines processed?

Much appreciated!

I read the following (I think on one of the Manhattan prep forums) about weakening questions.

On weakening questions, when the argument posits a causal relationship, we seek an answer choice that does one of the following three things.

1. Provides an alternative cause

2. Provides an example of the presumed cause without the presumed effect

3. Provides an example of the presumed effect without the presumed cause.

I don't understand why/how 3 would weaken the argument, unless we are also assuming that if A causes B, then A is the ONLY thing that would cause B (i.e. A is necessary for B)

Can someone elaborate on this?

Also, on "most seriously weaken" questions, is it correct to think there will really be only one answer choice that weakens the argument? I am asking because of questions 21, section 1, on PT 79. Both answer choice A and E weaken the argumnet (According to the above), but E is clearly better.

I keep doing poorly on the logical reasoning section, especially with weakening questions. What should I do this week to try and help my score? I did really well with the problem sets during the course so I can't figure out why I can't get them right when doing timed practice tests. Any ideas? Thanks!

Silly question, but I'm fairly addicted to caffeine, and was wondering what the best strategy for caffeine intake on test day is. My concern about drinking a large amount of coffee during breakfast is that I'll have to go to the restroom before the built-in break, or that holding it in will literally distract me from the exam. Are you allowed to bring caffeine pills/5 hour energy type drinks into the exam room (in your ziplock bag)? I was thinking that could be a half-way solution.

Thanks for your thoughts.

example; PT79S4Q5

So they are disagreeing each other about what value means: property value vs. value itself has (not necessarily property value)

Is this correct?

I thought it's so rare that they start to ask those questions again...at some point I think they stopped to ask a vocab question.

Do you think they start to incorporate old questions again?

Hi 7sagers

I'm writing this Dec and possibly Feb from how things have been shaped.

I need some advice from those who have overcome similar problems as mine...

I have been battling LR for the past month or so and I have consistently been only getting around 14-16 right. I speed up to 23 questions, I get 7-8 wrong, I slow down to 18 Q's and still make around 3 mistakes. My goal is to hit atleast 20 on LR and I need some advice on how to get more accurate. As this road block has been keeping me back for sometime! I know one week might not be enough, but still I need a game plan; not just for this week but probably also after Dec for Feb.

Any help would be appreciated...

Hello,

I was wondering which is better in terms of:

-sleep well

-no anxiety on the test day

Is it better to stay in a hotel close to the test center for a day or two, or commute from home?

What are you going to do?

Thanks,

I reviewed the PT76 LR section today and can't find the experimental section for LR. I had five sections on my PT76 while the 7sage only have four sections' explanation. Any idea?

so i got a call from the person who is proctoring me for my accomodated lsat and i find out that instead of my test being on the 3rd of next month its on the 6th, still at 8:30. has anyone experienced anything like this? i dont mind a later date though it does change up my schedule. my big question is that with the extra 3 days, would i be getting the same test as everyone else or would i be getting a new one and will it still have the test section

Have anyone done a PT when you were sick..? How did it affect you?

I think sometimes they disagree each other in both premise and conclusion, (different premises and lead to opposite conclusions)

and sometimes they only disagree with either premise or conclusion. (arrive at the same conclusion using different premises or using the same premise but arrive at the different conclusion)

When they have opposite conclusions and different premises, the question can really ask either about premise and concision discrepancy right?

For example, PT79S4Q20.

They disagree with both premises conclusions right?

The conclusions are implied---For Edgar, the conclusion is do NOT shutdown, but for Rafaela, DO shutdown.

As a second time test-taker, I'm experiencing a motivation slump with the core curriculum and can't get through it as efficiently as I'd like to. Everybody's who has successfully completed the CC, how'd you do it? =D

Hi All,

This might be a stupid question to ask but is there a common section where the LSAC places their experimental section in the test? For example, is the experimental section more likely to show up in the first 3 sections as opposed to the last 2? Are there some ways to tell if a section is experimental or not? I was just curious to see if they are always random or if there are some patterns as to where they get placed etc... Thanks!

Hey guys,

A 7Sager sent me an email today and I thought you guys could help out! Here it is:

--------------------

I'm preparing to take the LSAT this December so this message is quite urgent.

I've been practicing and I'm feeling confident but I'm having a hard time with the very basic concept of sufficient and necessary conditions. On the surface I understand it but then I read contradictory information.

My question is, well let me use an example.

If I take the LSAT, I must get into Osgoode.

LSAT (sufficient) -->OS (necessary)

Contrapositive

/OS-->/LSAT

If I didn't get into Osgoode I didn't take the LSAT.

-What can I tell you if I got into Osgoode?

-NOTHING because from the necessary condition alone, I could of taken the LSAT or I could of not.

-I get that the occurrence of the necessary condition does not mean the sufficient must also occur, cool.

But I cannot figure out if when:

1. The sufficient condition occurs does the necessary condition have to occur?

2. Can the sufficient condition occur without the necessary condition?

3. What happens when you satisfy the sufficient condition?

For logic games with conditional rules

ex. If F3-->G2

-Let's say "F" is in 4 so I'm correct to say "G" can be anywhere inclucing spot 2?

Please help me clarify.

Basically, I am taking a cab to staten island and will need my phone to call another cab to get home to Brooklyn. I can't leave my phone in my car if I don't have a car, and if I don't bring it at all, should I just ask someone, like one of the proctors, if I can use their phone at the end of the LSAT, so I can get home? A trivial issue, but I would prefer not to be stranded....

Do you answer those questions by memory or go back to the passage?

Or like...

After you finish reading passage A you go through all questions?

I have always been the type of person to change answers based on a repeating pattern because "there's no way they would put 4 C's in a row, right?!?!", so I just wanted to share a portion of the answer key to of one of my practice exams that I wrote (PT 19, Section 4 LR)

15.C

16.C

17.B

18.C

19.C

20.C

21C

There you have it 6/7 answers were C. Let this be a reminder to see through the mind tricks they throw at you!