I also struggled a lot with timing. I think RC timing can feel super inconsistent, especially in the beginning.
Instead of speeding up, I actually slowed down. Once you keep practicing RC sections, you can start to develop your own personal pace and I think that comes naturally over time as you just keep repeating practice.
I used to keep a small goals (like finish the first passage in 7 minutes, second in 8, etc.)
But, once I abandoned that and started focusing on untimed section drills, I found my pace to come forward naturally. It seems pretty consistent now, and although I still check the clock to make sure I'm keeping my goals, I worry a lot less.
Keep practicing and find your own pace :-) Good luck!
I'm in the same timezone! I've finished the core curriculum but I would love to collaborate :)
Would it be possible to have analytics on timing?
I struggle a lot with timing, so I would love a way to know which questions types I should strategically skip on the first run based on how much time I spend on it, and still get it wrong.
E.g. I tend to spend 50 seconds over target time on Match the Flaw questions, and still have a 10% accuracy. Maybe an average on over-target time for specific question types mentioned beside the accuracy, only on timed drills/PTs.
With the new LSAT changes, which PTs are being used for question drills, and which ones are completely clean for full PTs?
I've seen that 7sage recommends taking old PTs first, but I've already done a lot of drills that uses questions from all the old PTs. Should I still do a full PT for tests I know a few answers to?
@ BIG OHHHH MOMENT for me. TYSM; this was extremely helpful!
Don't stress -- you already have a baseline of 165, which is great! Not to mention everything else you said (your GPA, resume, background etc.). It doesn't hurt to retake, since they take the highest score anyways and since you have until the end of the year to do so, do what you can and try your best.
Take it step by step: start by studying the LSAT when you can, retaking when you can, and applying when you can. You already have a solid start. You got this! :-)
I know we're supposed to use the negation test to confirm the right answer for a necessary assumption question but....
If we negate trap answers -- aka sufficient assumption answer choices -- doesn't it still pass the test?
Example:
"Because we locked the door, no one can break into our house."
necessary assumption: one cannot break into the house going through the chimney.
sufficient assumption: the door is the only way in and out of the house, and the lock is impenetrable.
negate the necessary: one can break into the house going through the chimney (great, this wrecks the argument and passes the negation test!)
negate the sufficient: the door isn't the only way in and out of the house, and the lock is penetrable (great? this also wrecks the argument and passes the negation test...)
So... how can I reliably use the negation test as a tool for confirming a necessary assumption, and NOT a sufficient one?
@ Oh interesting, yeah that sounds pretty similar to me actually! Agreed, the low-res summaries can easily be an excuse for half-assing the understanding of a passage.
I used to BR in an hour or so, relying pretty much only on my low-res summaries instead of rigorously understanding each passage 1000%. Now, I take a lot more time to BR (spaced out within two days) and I think it'll help me too. Seems like a more detail-oriented approach helped you so I'll be trying that! Thanks for the input!
@ I think I see what you are saying. A review in the foundations would probably be helpful, but I am skeptical to think that I am always scoring in the lower range. I have more -4 and -5s than -10, and -11 (though it does happen).
@ Thank you! Will definitely incorporate those tips into my studying plan.
Hey! I posted something similar a while back. My scores still vary from time to time (there might be a brutal Science passage now and then), but for the most part, I'm a lot more consistent now and getting -2 to -5s in RC. I totally get your situation and here's what worked for me:
1. Slowing down
You know when you start an RC section and you feel your heart pounding on the first passage? You just hear the time ticking away, eating at your soul...
A bit of an exaggeration maybe, but not for me. I was rushing through the first two to have enough time for the harder, last two. That's not a bad strategy overall, but it was causing me a lot of time anxiety and I was rushing through without actually understanding what I was reading.
It's alright. Force yourself to be OK with the fact that time is running out. Relax. Even if I have to "rush" through the last passage, I find that's better for me than rushing through ALL the passages.
2. Dealing with flagged questions
I used to flag questions and return to them at the end of the whole section. Which, is probably also why I rushed through passages, because I wanted time at the end to go back to marked questions.
Now, if I flag a question, I go back to it at the end of that passage. Again, you'll be worried and wondering if you have time for this -- try it out and really calibrate how much time you have for this and how many reruns you can afford. A lot of RC sections, I don't have time to even revisit some questions. So you really have to measure your speed and see what you can fit in.
3. Skip questions
Just like LR, if you see a question stem and you know maybe you don't have the capacity to answer it right now, just skip it and return when you're done with all the other questions for that passage.
E.g. an analogy question that will not only suck all of my time up, but requires a more thorough understanding.
While you're answering the other questions, you are able to learn more about the passage! Learn as much as you can using the other questions as a tool and come back to the hardest ones.
Overall, RC gave me the most timing anxiety and forcing myself to relax helped the most. I think RC inconsistency is not uncommon, and doing more practice should just help you too. Figure out your own timing benchmarks too. That helped me :-) That kind of stuff is different person-to-person so keep going, keep practicing, learn about yourself, and find your comfort zone. Good luck!
Also in the area! Interested :)
I'm pretty consistent in my LR sections, but my RC scores seem to fluctuate A LOT. Like, -2 in one PT and then -10 in the next. As a result, my overall PT scores are pretty inconsistent as well.
What is going on? Any tips/tricks to maintaining a more consistent RC score? Anyone else have a similar experience?
You know what, hell yeah.
Honestly, great question -- according to this Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/comments/1b1jyry/new_lsat_conversion_tables_for_august/
It says: "The preptests are mostly intact: For all 58 tests, LSAC took 3 sections from 58 corresponding old tests. Then they broke up 20 old tests to make the experimentals. They're experimentals in name only, they were originally scored sections."
So it sounds like experimental sections used to be real, scored sections. But, the comments above are saying something different? Not sure, I'd like clarity on this as well.
Scoring similarly (164-172 timed scores last few PTs), and struggle with PF questions as well (they are a huge time sink). I could also still use some work on my conditionals.
Taking the April test date! Down to do extra hard questions, as those are the ones I'm trying to lock down to maintain more consistent scores -- lmk if you want to study!
Feel that. This test really challenges our mental fortitude.
If you've just finished CC and only took one PT, then it sounds like you're just starting, so definitely do not worry. You'll see improvement really fast in the beginning, and it'll be encouraging. The true test might be when you start plateauing later (being stuck at a certain score range really tests your sanity) -- also me, currently.
What really helped me is making sure I have some solid break days throughout the week. On the weekends, I go out and spend time with friends and family and try to not think about the test at all.
Longer breaks can be really helpful too. I took week+ long breaks and jumped into a different score range, and felt like my mind cleared. Sometimes we get caught up in all the techniques and overthink everything.
Just take care of yourself, that's number one! Good luck!