I saw a lot of improvement in RC very quickly. On my diagnostic, I was -14, but since finishing the core curriculum I have been scoring around -3 on my PTs. It's now consistently my best section.

I don't actually use J.Y.'s method. I found that it really slowed me down and didn't help me much in answering the questions. My approach differs depending on what type of passage I'm reading. If it's a science passage with lots of different names, I'll highlight the name of each scientist/theorist mentioned the first time their name appears in text. This helps me for quick reference if I get stuck on a question and to keep each theorist (and their corresponding theory) straight in my head.

For comparative passages, I'll focus on figuring out what the central topic or thesis statement of the first passage is (e.g. role of social norms in regulating comedy vs. legal idea protection). This is because the second passage is usually about an element/piece of content from the first passage or something parallel to the main idea of the first passage (e.g. role of social norms in regulating idea protection for chefs vs. legal protection). That helps me to separate the parallels and argumentation/perspective differences between the two passages in my head.

Overall, as I read, I try to get a sense of the big picture idea of the entire passage (though more so for the science passage since, as a social science grad, I have a weak background in natural sciences). This doesn't necessarily mean the main thesis, but sort of the general structure-- I guess in that sense it's similar to JY's method. At the end of each paragraph I stop and think for a second to almost map the passage as it unfolds. For example (mapped from PT50):

Introduction: X's finding = seemingly contrary to general principle of science

2nd paragraph: X's model analogy

3rd paragraph: details of analogy

4rth paragraph: distinguishing analogy

5th paragraph: impact of X's model on general principle / science

For really difficult science passages, I try to visually picture the information in my head. For example, there is a murderously difficult passage at the end of PT50. The information in each paragraph is ridiculously confusing and dense. Here's how I scored -0 on my first try during a PT:

read and re-read sentences (over and over and over again) that I didn't understand until I could picture it in my head

formed the "big picture" idea of the passage overall (i.e., distinguished details from the main point of the passage)

referred back to the passage and re-read certain passages to answer questions when stuck between answer choices.

Honestly, don't be afraid to re-read confusing/dense sentences, even multiple times. Sometimes it takes a few rounds for the information to sink into my brain and for me to connect it to other related ideas. That's okay! I'd even argue that, since the passage builds on the information contained in previous paragraphs, moving on to the rest of the passage without understanding the previous paragraph or idea will result in further confusion. Focus on understanding each idea/sentence before you move on.

Besides these tips, I would recommend reading more. I read A LOT in my spare time, it's a huge hobby of mine. To be fair, most of what I read is rubbish fiction, but I do read the Economist and the NY Times regularly as well. If you're really struggling, start reading one article or chapter of a a notoriously dense newspaper or book (hello Lord of the Rings) every day. And practice! Figure out what works for you. There's no "wrong way" in my opinion to RC, as long as you get the right answer.

I hope this helps! Best of luck! :smile:

@ said:

Foolproof that game and focus on that game type until you're very comfortable. Think of this as a positive: you've identified a weakness that will no longer be a problem on test day.

This was really helpful and encouraging, thank you :)

@ said:

In the same boat - but got a whole month to nail it down. Definitely some time. Good luck!!

Thanks, you too!

@ said:

@ said:

@ said:

Any guesses on the curve for this one?

If September was a -13, this was -10. Maybe -11 if we’re lucky.

Powerscore predicting -11

What does this mean -11?

The biggest principle that I think will help you is to read for understanding, not for detail. Essentially, it is not necessary (nor helpful) to read to memorize the details of a passage. Don't get lost in the details. Instead, try for read for understanding and then ask yourself critical questions. The best question, I found, is "so what?" When I ask this question, it allows me to let the details fade into white noise so I can get a better understanding of what the author is trying to show or demonstrate or prove in using this detail. Is it an example? Is it an example illustrating a previous premise? Is it a premise in support of a counter-argument? How does the counter-argument play into the author's overall argument? Are they trying to argue that this counter-argument is a better approach than the currently accepted view? Etc.

For example, if the author says "there are 40 billion neurons on the transcranial optic nerve of the fifth lobe of the amydala in the brain of an octopus" (total nonsense, I made this up), forget about it. You do not need to remember how many neurons are in X part of an octupi's brain. If you do need to remember, you can go back and refer back to the passage later. What's important is that you know that the author is discussing the brain of an octopus and why (i.e., what is it's purpose in the argument?).

Now that you know what the author is talking about, ask yourself, "so what?" So what there are 40 billion neurons in X part of an octupi's brain? Oh well, the author says that this is why/because/how blah blah blah. So what? This is not necessarily because you're trying to critique the author's argument, but rather, you're trying to understand where they're going with it.

In terms of reading materials, while books like Explaining Postmodernism are excellent in the sense that they force you to parse dense prose, I do think they will be "harder" to read because they're really fucking boring. I'd recommend reading difficult fiction instead. Lord of the Rings is a good place to start. Tolkein may be a genius but man his prose is thiiick. You could also try The Count of Monte-Cristo by Alexandré Dumas or even Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen if you're feeling frisky. Interspersing these books with articles from news sources or magazines like The Economist or The New York Times would be a good idea as well. No need to read each issue cover to cover, but try and read one or two articles a week. Not only will you gain more confidence in understanding convoluted passages, but you'll also stay informed about current events.

Keep in mind as well, it's not just about reading these books, it's about frequency of exposure. To get the most bang for your buck, you should be reading at least half a chapter per day, in order to allow your brain enough exposure to re-train itself. Remember: practice makes perfect. When I read Pride and Prejudice it took me about two weeks to finish, and the first week was rough. But the more often I read, the easier it became to understand and the faster I was able to get through it.

Here are some other tips that may help you:

If there is a sentence or idea that you don't understand, stop. Go back and read it again, starting from end of the last sentence/idea you did understand. Still confused? Think about what is being said. Picture it in your mind. Think about how this builds/adds to what the author was previously talking about. Repeat these steps until you feel like you understand (or at least, feel not confused).

Try and make use of little strategies that help you keep track of information. For example, when I read a passage that discusses multiple authors of something, I use the highlight tool to mark the name of each author the first time it is mentioned in the passage so that I can easily find it if I need to refer back to the passage. Maybe that tip is not for you, but experiment a little. See what helps you best.

Finally, regarding question types, keep in mind that for specific questions, it is okay to go back and refresh your memory by referring back to the passage. I definitely do and I think that as long as you are getting the questions right, there's no "wrong way" to go about answering them.

I hope this helps you! Good luck :smile:

@ said:

BUT, /N -> K says that any time you don't have N, you have K. In two groups, that's not a problem; the group without N is necessarily the one with K. But if there are three groups, you'll end up with one N and two groups without N, meaning you're going to have to place K in each of those groups according to the rule, which is obviously not correct. In four groups, it's even worse, and so forth.

In three groups, the rule should be K -> /N, because that indicates properly that in the one place where you see K, you won't see N, and the contrapositive says that in the one place that you see N, you won't see K. This is the proper manifestation of "always apart" in 3+ group scenarios.

Hope this helps.

This was super helpful, thanks so much!

For the harder lawgic questions, I have to do it the same way, otherwise I get lost (especially on parallel and flaw method of reasoning questions). Just keep writing it out as quickly as you can and doing PTs over and over and let your brain memorize the patterns-- the more you practice, the better you'll get at doing it in your head.

Hope this helps! Good luck :smile:

@ yes, same! It's such a hard decision to make.

@ I heard the September LSAT was killer on the games, I'm sure you're not the only one who has to retake. I've also heard conflicting advice-- it's so hard to know what the right choice is.

@ that's really good advice. I registered for January and will do everything I can to work on weak spots this week, but if I have to retake it's not the end of the world

@ I definitely want to do at least one more PT this week, but I know my weakest section is the games. I thought I'd try and tackle the hardest ones this week and see if that improves my confidence.

If you're really set on taking it next week, I recommend that you focus on whichever section you're consistently weak in. For me, that's LG (mine is inconsistent) so this week I'm drilling all of the really hard LG games. Do timed sections. Review the core curriculum. Do whatever you need to do to work the problem.

That being said, I don't know if it's possible to increase that much in a week. Of course, everybody is different, but personally I think the chances are low, so I'd recommend considering taking it in January instead.

@ yes that helps so much, thank you :smiley:

Thank you @ that was super helpful! :smiley:

@ said:

LSAC has confirmed that they will release a tutorial, including test preparation material in the future.

We will be providing a free online tool so you can familiarize yourself with all the features and functionality of the tablet test. We are also developing digital test-preparation materials for use on your own device>

Thank Christ, that's such a relief. @ you're a champion, thank you.

Thank you so much for this! Greater familiarity with the system will reduce my anxiety by 1000000 on test day

I changed the names in mine to acceptable basic pseudonyms, such as "Jane Doe," "John Smith" etc. You can also include a footnote as well.

@ thank you so much, that was really helpful info! I will message if I have more questions :)

I like the near instant score release function. Any idea exactly how long it will take for scores to be released on the new system?

In terms of practice tests though, will we be able to complete them using the new digital format (maybe through an app??) or only pen and paper?

To the best of my knowledge, you can't directly translate international grades into a 4.0 scale because what is "counted" as a very high mark is very different between the two. Most likely, the schools will look at your grades as evaluated by LSAC, which tries to explain to the universities what your international grades mean to them. So yes, they might look at the marks, but since they won't understand them (i.e., if you took classes in England and got a 70, which is a 1st class honors but a C on a 4.0), they'll probably rely on the LSAC rating.

> @ said:

> I'm no expert with international stuff so don't quote me on it. But I'm pretty sure that's the case.

Disclaimer: what he said ^

I found it really helpful to track my BR for LR in a Google spreadsheet. That way, I forced myself to review every question, even the ones I felt confident about. Doing this helped me improve a lot on LR (from -6 to -2 ish) because by forcing myself to write out my thought process for each answer choice, I brought to the surface a lot of unconscious assumptions that I made. That way, if I got an answer wrong on a question I was very confident about, I could go back to my spreadsheet and easily identify and learn from the mistake.

@ said:

Does anyone know if 7sage will offer a way to take a full practice test on digital? Or anyone that does? I would like to take at least a few full tests to get a feel for it just in case. I am taking the July one where we do not know if it is paper or digital.

I'm wondering about this too! LSAC said they should be coming out with a platform for digital practice tests soon-ish so hopefully 7Sage will give us access to that or incorporate it into the curriculum somehow.

@ said:

Hmm, I think it a lot of cases it depends on the scores itself. Could you give us a better sense of your timeline and how far along you are in your studying?

I'm studying from mid May all the way through to November (or October depending on which exam date I choose). I'll only be working around 16 hours a week until then.

Yes please!

Also, I appreciate the irony of your screen name.

I don't think there is an LSAT in October, only Sep and Nov. I think 27 PTs is plenty. A lot of people I've spoken to have only done 5-10 if that, so that should be more than enough, especially if you're blind reviewing.

First of all, your law school application is going to be extremely strong. You have an excellent GPA, a very strong resume, and lots of incredible professional and personal experiences to write about. You should be so proud of yourself!!!

In regard to the LSAT, my professional advice is to chill out bro. It sounds like you've spent the last 5-6 years working harder than the energizer bunny. The burn out you're feeling is a consequence of your hard work these past few years and is completely normal. It is 110% time to take a break-- you've earned it.

Go on vacation. Take a pilgrimage to the Holy City. Binge watch all 10 seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Whatever it is, go and do something that is not academic, career, or work related for a while. You cannot keep going at this pace; without a break, your scores are not going to improve. Come back to reality in a month and then make a decision about whether you want to write in July, September or November, or even if you want to take a year off and do something else (which is what it sounds like you're doing anyway). You have time to think before you decide.

Regarding the joint degree, I'm also considering the same program (JD/MPP) and its going to be a long road. I recommend taking that break ---- 1 week, 2 months, whatever ---- and then trying to decide if you want to do the joint degree or not. Once that decision is made, then you can consider when to write the LSAT and/or the GRE.

The bottom line is you need to chill out and take an extended vacation somewhere. Decisions can wait until you're not courting the edge of burn out and/or a midlife crisis.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

@ said:

@ @ @ @

Thanks for telling us about this, the fix is out now! You may need to Force Refresh to pick up the change.

Thank you!