People usually say their first LSAT is harder because it is a newer experience, and August has some of the most first time test takers, so hence the reputation for seeming "hard." Style wise, it was no different in vibe from the PT150s. My August test felt the most like PT155. The biggest thing that helps with testing anxiety or stress is making sure to mentally frame the exam and your expectations before the test.

@kellytello554 This is what I was thinking as well, but "more than the rest of the population combined" implies most :(

@LukeHowey2 They don't, is what I have been told, unless you directly matriculated into a university for a year or so.

I am in the exact same boat (even down to June score). I think that this next leap is all about believing in ourselves and our abilities. I really truly believe that I could teach someone else to a 170+ at this point, so I have to let myself be my own student too lol!

I have implemented an afternoon caffeine bump (have either a coffee around 3-4p at work or a matcha when I get home around 6p), but always make sure I eat something with it. I also try to go for a walk before I get down to studying and I've noticed I can go longer if I take frequent breaks. The killer part is just spending all day looking at a computer only to look at a computer some more!

I am in the same boat. I've learned its about rigorously comparing the 2 answer choices I am getting down to and diving into the stimulus more and more. I would also encourage you to look at the PTs in the 150s because they are a bit different style wise.

This question is actually kind of genius.

if you diagram the stim:

WE --> ~BWLS

~WLS

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

WE

So, we know from this that anything that translates or is a restatement of either premise is NOT the conclusion, and anything that is a restatement of the conclusion is the conclusion.

A. is a restatement of the 2nd premise (~WLS)

B. is a random ass recommendation

C. a restatement of "well equipped to judge reasonableness..." which is our conclusion, DING DING (WE)

D. is the contrapositive of the 1st premise (BWLS --> ~WE)

e. is the first premise (WE --> ~WLS)

I did NOT think about it like this when I first did this question, but unlocking this view kinda changed the way I look at some of these less clear Main Point questions.

@britneyszhang I did the same thing. The whole rests on home (nondescript dwelling) vs. house (usually purchased and owned by who lives there)

@jwn1060 I know this an old comment, but some tutors outside 7sage do teach these as Stn questions! I have had no problem solving them as thus

The impetus to getting this question right is realizing that the two start times are mutually exclusive (aka you can't begin both at 6p and 7p). After that, it is very simple diagramming and following the arrows through. All the other answer choices go against the arrows, aka flip without negating, aka confuse sufficiency with necessity.

We know that these are events are mutually exclusive (aka can only have one and not the other) because you cannot begin at 7p if you already began at 6p. We are also able to assume that this is the same general assembly.

permissible assumption (aka allowing for mutual exclusivity): 6p --> ~7p, and 7p --> ~6p

Premise 1: SCQ --> 6p --> ~7p --> ~ACQ

Premise 2: ACQ --> 7p --> ~6p --> ~SCQ

A: ~6p --> ACQ (goes against premise 2 arrows)

B: ~SCQ --> ACQ (goes against premise 2 arrows)

C: 6p --> SCQ (easiest to elim bc don't need to assume mutual exclusivity, basic false contrapositive of premise 1)

D: ~7p --> SCQ (goes against premise 1 arrows)

E: SCQ --> ~ACQ (correct, follows arrows of premise 1 perfectly through)

I think the easiest way to understand this is to translate "no guarantee of success" to "not sufficient for success". Fremont states a background in oil is a necessary condition (viable candidate --> background in oil) and then the error of Galindo becomes apparently because he is legitimately misinterpreting Fremont's placement. Trying to diagram Galindo's arg was proving to be a Herculanean effort for me, but seeing that "no guarantee" is a reference to sufficiency cleared this up quickly for me. I will keep looking for more equivalencies like these as I solve.

@Bobby68 i am not sure and that's why i asked bc i would really hate to become reliant on it and then not have it on test day and that to create a minor panic lol, i am guessing that we prob will have it if its available, but idk if i want to waste the time changing it

@Bobby68 does anyone know if even those of us without accesibility accomodations will be able to change the color on test day? i really like it just because it makes it more interesting to my brain, but i don't want to study this way only to have it be different (& thus boring) on test day

the TLDR on explaining D is that we're trading on the concept of tearing down the concert hall, and D makes a reality in which the respondents already know that the hall isn't going to be torn down bc they already know a new one is being built. The concert goers don't want it to be torn down, but they don't care about it being moved + improved.

Deepak Chopra's abundance meditation on Spotify = lifechanging

@zunair Non-auditory learners rise up

i got the same exact passages as an earlier drill so this what somewhat useless because i remembered all the answers

@Gregmjr Interesting observation! My goal score is a 175 and both of my suggested passages are 5 star passages with above 3 star questions. I also have been acing all the other sections so far so maybe that is a part of it. Didn't do as hot on this one though...

the easiest way to eliminate D is that that particular rock being from the Moon instead of Mars doesn't necessarily mean that the LHB was only confined to the Earth-Moon system. It is already described as being rare to have that kind of sample and doesn't say that the only way the rock got to Earth was through the LHB. Even if the rock was re-classified to have come from the Moon, that still doesn't mean the rock came from the result of the LHB, and there is still a chance that the LHB impacted other internal solar system bodies. Essentially, the rock actually being from the Moon doesn't preclude the LHB from impacting other bodies.

D, in comparison, shows quite strong proof of similar "test subject" experiencing different results. Mars is a similar size, relatively close to Earth, has moons etc. D is obviously not a perfect answer, but it is a lot stronger answer.

No way i got a 5/5 on these after getting like ever single NA question wrong before this

@yelenarosario I am not entirely sure if this is correct, but I believe that the first "without" is modifying "power" and therefore isn't working to connect any one idea to another in the prompt but instead describes the type of power one can wield when they can lift Thor's hammer. Lmk if this doesn't make sense!

I absolutely love this concept and I think is a great tool for understanding complex information, but I also see how it could create assumptions for me that would skew my test taking. How do we use this technique without it in turn hindering us?