I had the EXACT same problem. I've noticed that underlining that much tends to slow me down during the read and keeps me from deciphering main points (especially in the later PTs with tricky question wording).

Now I try not to underline or mark anything until I am finished with the individual paragraph. Also I don't mark what I think is the main point (or a new opposing/affirming point) until I am done with the paragraph.

Also I would advise not underlining/circling anything that's over two words. Instead (if it's a main point you're marking) I would write MP (or whatever other indicator you want) to remind your self where the info is, and make a "]" around the lines in the paragraph.

Most questions are in regard to the passage Reading Structure. i.e.- the main points and the authors position.

So think about any new presented information as "how does this related to the main point / structure of the passage"

This is a list of what I mark now:

-the Main point(s)- only AFTER you read the paragraph

-Authors position -DONT UNDERLINE, put a "!" or something, but it's probably worth the mark if the author is not presenting someone else's information

- Indicator words: *But

*Although

*However

These I circle to mark transitions into the authors view/ opposing view

*first

*second

these sometimes indicated specific instances brought up in questions (not fool proof though)

Ohh and I noticed that doing timed BRs with a highlighter (just for the passage) helped me realize what type of extraneous information I would focus on. (to avoid it later)

Also (for passages giving you the most trouble) I would reprint the section and read/answer the questions, then mark where in the passage the answers are. Doing that gave me more or less of an idea where the important information was located and how the questions and main points related to each other.

I am an Accounting major, so I know what you mean about having ZERO practice with theses subjects :/ I hope this helps!!

I did a week of intense FLAW work that significantly helped me:

I typed up descriptions for approx. 20 flaw types.

Using the 5 most recent PTs, I labeled each Flaw Q (as 1 of the 20 flaw types).

I grouped the Qs together by Flaw type, and typed out the correct AC for each Flaw Q.

—Ie, all the “correlation=/=causation” correct ACs together; all the “hasty generalization” correct ACs together; all the “sampling error” correct ACs together... you get the idea.

I wrote out “key indicators” that generally occur in the stimulus for each Flaw Type.

EX:

---- Temporal Error = A shift in language denoting past/present/future.

---- Sample too Small = MUST EXPLICITLY state (with description words/ #s) that the sample is too small to be representative.

I put the 20 FLAW types into 1 of 4 groups (Perspective Flaws, Causation Flaws, Analogies Analogous Enough Flaws, Phenomenon—Hypothesis Flaws)

This SERIOUSLY helped my speed and accuracy in answering Flaw Qs; it also helped with identifying weaknesses/connections in Weakening, Strengthening & RRE questions.

Ohh, I also did some MSS work that helped using the MSS PT--70-79 set; I labeled each MSS Q based on the following:

What is presented in the Stimulus

----Conditional Logic

----Correlation

----Phenomenon

----Comparison

What the ✔AC does

----Combines Statements

----Makes Reasonable Assumptions (I wrote out the reasonable assumption)

----Focuses on One Statement

----Emphasis on "price is right" rules

@ Thank you! :)

I think what makes this question difficult is the unconventional Q stem: Of the following claims, which one can most justifiably be rejected on the basis of the statements above?

In my opinion, it helps to think of this question _kind of like_ a "MSS, except" Q type (I.e., "When negated, which of the following claims is most strongly supported by the statements above?")

OR

a "NA, except" Q type (I.e., "When negated, which of the following claims is most reasonably required by the statements above?")

ANSWER CHOICES:

(A) TRANSLATION: In ancient Greek plays, if characters are presumed as illiterate, then their illiteracy is specifically mentioned.

(A) NEGATED— In ancient Greek plays, IT IS NOT THE CASE THAT, if characters are presumed as illiterate, then their illiteracy is specifically mentioned.

(A) NEGATED TRANSLATION— In ancient Greek plays, at least one character may be presumed as illiterate, without their illiteracy being specifically mentioned.

Does the stimulus most strongly support this negated translation of (A)?

Does the stimulus (reasonably) require this negated translation of (A) to be true?

No and No. Just because Demo's friends didn't read the tablet themselves doesn't mean they are illiterate. Maybe they are just too lazy to walk two feet to read the tablet themselves. Maybe they are visually impaired and can read Braille, but that damn oracle doesn't care about accommodating the blind. Maybe they fell off a tree trying to knock down a bee hive—even though they're clearly allergic to bees—and they lost their glasses in the fall, and they can't see without their glasses :'(.

(D) NEGATED TRANSLATION— In ancient Greece, some people did read silently to themselves.

Does the stimulus most strongly support this negated translation of (D)?

Does the stimulus (reasonably) require this negated translation of (D) to be true?

Yes and Yes.

FACTS: Demo looked at the tablet while expressing his amazement. The stimulus indicates "whereupon" Demo starts explaining the contents of the tablet to his friends: he explains AFTER his friends press him for info, his friends press him for info AFTER he looks at the tablet.

We can reasonably assume that he at least started to read the tablet silently to himself—the dumb look on his face whilst staring at the tablet leads us to believe he was reading. Therefore he was reading to himself in a scene in an ancient greek play. Therefore its likely that some people in Ancient Greece did read silently to themselves.

Now, I know you mentioned "If we assume the play was performed at least once in ancient Greece (reasonable commonsense assumption), then we might say that because in the performing of the play the actor read silently to themselves AC D can be rejected. I think this is a ridiculous way to go about it. You're assuming the actor that played Demosthenes could read (most people in ancient Greece couldn't read). You're assuming the actor that played Demosthenes actually read something during the performance of the play."

But, (insert @'s Hamburger explanation/analogy here). Plus, considering all the prepositional phrases the stimulus used to emphasize that he was reading—as dumb as it may be in its assumptions—this is definitely the best and the only correct crappy answer choice of the bunch.

@ said:

Does anyone remember one with echolocation and wales? Was that real or experimental?

I had 2 LG—99.99% sure the whales question is experimental

@ said:

I had 3 LR -- "It was all a dream..." that lyric has never been more relevant!

One of my sections had a question about ivy and building and another about B2 (or some kind of vitamin)... another section had a disagree question something about journalism/newspaper articles... and then the last section included a question maaaaaybe about election candidates???

I had LG LR LG RC LR

The disagree question about journalism/newspaper articles is real.

Did the B2 vitamin question you're referring to talk about adults absorbing less of the vitamin as they age? (I think it was it was near the end of the section? not 100% where though)

If so it was real.

@ said:

There was also a LR question about forging an authors handwriting because the pressure applied was even or something like that. I’m not sure what section that was though

I had LG LR LG RC LR

I remember a question that talked about "changing handwriting" and "changes in personality" it ... not the same thing I know lol Sorry if that's not helpful.

@ said:

Can someone tell me which of the following LR is experimental? I had LR Lg Lr lr RC. The first LR had (ivy and building construction), maybe (foreshock and earthquake). Second had (blame malice moral wrong) , maybe (possum dietary). Third one i don’t remember for sure, it might have (deep ethical issues). Thanks a bunch!!

I had LG LR LG RC LR

The 1st LR was definitely real (ivy and building construction), (foreshock and earthquake).

This may not be helpful BUT, I sort-of recall deep ethical issues—although I believe the specific question used the term "morals."

I don't recall anything about possums lol

Please add me to the group too (tag and all). Thanks!!

@ said:

@ said:

Important Distinction. There were 2 tests with the same format but different Q#s.

LR25, RC, LR25, LR26, LG

AND

LR25, RC, LR26, LR26, LG

If you had two LR26s then the 3rd section was experimental.

If you had two LR25 then the 1st section was experimental.

I had 2 LR25 and I couldve sworn I saw the mayoral question in the first LR section. Are you sure this is definitive?

I was wondering the same thing.

I had two LR26s (LR25, RC, LR26, LR26, LG) and I am pretty sure I had the Tilapia question in the 3rd section—the second LR section.

Well... I just scored 5 points lower than my December score (it was lower than my past 15 PTs actually) :'(

ohh and 7points lower than my very last PT—the WEEK before 2/10. Screw it.

To everyone that scored 170+, I salute you.

To everyone who didn't score as well as they hoped, its okay! you're not alone, and it's not over!

You can still grab life my the Testys!!!

(50% LSAC joke. 50% sac joke)

I started using what I like to call "G-PIMP" (mostly because it's fun to say) a method in which I go through each paragraph of a passage, like so:

1st read—thorough read (vocalization) and identify what it is doing in General (i.e., background info or context, introducing a viewpoint, introducing a traditional and new viewpoint)

2nd read—quick read (little to no vocalization) and identify players (those holding a view point) AND identify indications (NOTE: this is subtle stuff—could be anything from a term or idea that is repeated, to the author indicating how she feels about a view/issue with a word or sentence)

3rd read—lightning speed read (really more of a recap) and identify the main point of the paragraph.

Just to be clear, if there are 3 paragraphs, this is what I would do:

-- P1 (1st read, 2nd read, 3rd read)

-- P2 (1st read, 2nd read, 3rd read)

-- P3 (1st read, 2nd read, 3rd read)

After that I review the main points of each paragraph and get a Main Point pre-phrase.

Ohh and full disclosure, I went from scoring -10 to a -5 average in RC (not amazing, but I did see an improvement)

So this is a rough synopsis of real LR Qs listed by section (25Qs v. 26Qs)—for those of you that also had 3 LR sections.

I used forums from reddit and powerscore, and this thread to make this list.

LR 25Q Section:

FIRST QUESTION—Mayor Getting Re-Elected (prodevelopment)

Movie Review, misunderstanding

Nuclear Fusion of Atoms/Heat

Roman emperor Caligula… inaccurate

Used vs new cars; 5k vs 18k

Black/White Camoflage

Copper Tools and Canoes (birch bark canoes)

LR 26Q Section:

FIRST QUESTION—Tilapia Fish

Indian Spice/Alzheimer's Disease

Sensing Tornadoes

Ancient Greek Character Reading Oracle's Tablet… reject a statement

Vacuuming an uncarpeted area

Herbal Medicines that Become Harmful

Global warming/reducing fossil fuel dependence (#25 or 26)

7pm and 6pm "Quorum"

REAL LR Qs, Section undetermined:

T. Rex

Poems and paraphrasing

Two towns with different temps and utility bills

Herniated Disks

Dolphin Habitat

Raising Prices by 25 Cents

Ted/Tatiana (supervisor and employee pay/replacement)

Fish with Fingers.. Not unsusal to have diverse qualities

Firemen putting out forest fires

Prehistoric humans with spears/tools (Hammer v Spear?)

EXPERIMENTAL LR Qs

Bank Employees being innocent b/c they completed their projects

Caffeine (coffee v tea)

Coding computers

TMAO and supplements (meat eaters vs vegetarians)

So, I hope this makes everyone feel a little better:

I got so inebriated two nights ago (from the sheer torture of applying to law school) I changed my username to “Oldest Trick In da Book” and forgot about it until this afternoon.

I’m just glad I didn’t go with my first option: “Meth_Head_of_Reasoning”

(a core curriculum pun)

Lolz. Anywho, I hope everyone’s score is amazing! And remember: whether scores are released in an hour, on Monday, or after the 8th, your username could be a lot worse.