http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-72-section-3-question-07/

I've struggled with the newer (70+ ish) LR sections far more than I used to struggle with older tests. I have been pretty close to freaking out as of late because while I used to be able to count on LR to be "near perfect," my section scores in LR have been fluctuating wildly in the newer sections and I couldn't figure out what was causing the change.

Today while reviewing, I came to the realization that I couldn't really rely on my intuitive sense of the argument structure any longer. The arguments seem more convoluted, OPAs are mentioned initially in an attempt to confuse the situation (case in point, PT72, Section 3, Question 7... seriously, wtf).

After realizing this, I returned to my old method of clearly labeling the premises and conclusions in each stimulus and that *seems* to be helping. It has also helped me slow down a bit and I seem to have fewer reading errors. I've found myself relying more on the old grammar/indicator lessons (I should probably review those again in a bit).

I just wanted to share and find out if anyone else had discovered/thought anything similar. I suppose if you're nose for structure is already strong then you may be less likely to notice any change at all. LR in the mid-40's to late 60's was getting a bit formulaic, in my opinion, so I'm not really surprised to see this shift. They've gotta keep us on our toes after all.

Happy studying!

Hey everyone!

Like many of you I am taking the LSAT this weekend. I bought this course before taking the LSAT last fall, but didn't really use it for prep this time around. I know I have most of the tests bought, but when I click on them to get access like I used to, I have no way of downloading/printing the test. Something probably changed since I was last here and my brain is dead enough that I can't figure it out.

Anyone know how to download the dang PTs?

I feel like I could run an Ironman in an Iron-Man suit. I feel like Spider-Man after he got bit by that radioactive spider from Charlotte's Web. I feel like Kanye West when he sees himself in the mirror.

This was exactly the boost of confidence I needed going into my last week of preparing for the June LSAT. Thank you, JY and the rest of the crew! This course was my only real preparation and it brought my score from the low 160s to where I'm now consistently scoring 175+.

If you're not where you feel you need to be, stick with the program and don't be afraid to ask for help. In college I was notorious for never studying, but I've put upwards of 200 hours into this test now and I honestly barely noticed it. This system is phenomenal, especially if you're someone like me who only vaguely knows how to study but loves learning.

Seriously, I feel like a champion right now. 180! What the hell! Never thought I was capable of even coming within ten points of that on a PT. Now I need to go to sleep (as soon as I run off this energy).

Or how do you decide whether to proceed without writing out your game boards (and write out game boards for separate questions)? Any advice appreciated - thanks guys!

Hey 7Sagers,

Someone sent this question to me and I thought you could help out! Here's the question:

If you don't mind, I wanted to get some real advice from you regarding my LSAT scores and law schools.

My first LSAT score was 160 (June 2014), and the second time I received 155 (December 2014). I applied to law schools afterwards, and got accepted to University of Illinois, and waitlisted on UC Irvine. I already signed up to attend the University of Illinois Law, but I am still hesitant mainly because I want to clerk for Supreme Court or get into a big law firm upon graduation, but I am afraid that the University of Illinois Law would not provide me with those opportunities due to its low school ranking (#41). Since my LSAT score went down the second round, I think I am afraid to take another LSAT to see my chances with higher ranked law schools next year, but if I could raise the score, I would like to take once more.

In my situation, what advice would you give?

In the rest of my sections I'm doing great, I only miss like 3-4, but without fail for RC I generally miss about 10!! I know if I could master this my score would shoot up....I neglected doing all of the stuff in the course outline because I was lazy and for whatever reason told myself, "eh it's just reading comprehension...I know how to read." I was very wrong and now I don't think I have enough time to go all the way back through it. I was wondering if anybody had an advice on how to get at least a couple extra right - even if it means I'm still missing 7 or so. Please help! I am taking the test Monday so any and all advice would be awesome opossum. Thanks :)

and if so can you please show me? I want to star or highlight important lessons so I can review them quickly.

Hi All,

Sorry if this has been discussed already, I'm new to these boards.

I'm making a study schedule leading up to the October LSAT, and I know it is recommended to start from PT 35 and up. Should I start with the earliest ones and finish off with PT 50+ or start with PT 50+ and go to up to most recent PT's of 70+?

I might also take the December exam, so also keeping that in mind - I'm wondering if it is best to go in chronological order or just skip to the most recent preptests?

Thanks 7Sagers!

Before I forget, I want to make a point of thanking JY for his generous efforts of posting all those logic game videos to Youtube for anyone to see. This has been the main reason my LG score improved from like -15 to almost perfect every time.

Unlike written self-study material, I can play this guy in the car, at the gym, at work (sometimes), etc. and get a lot more studying done than I would have if those videos weren't available.

I previously used Powerscore Logic Games Bible, and was doing OK on that, but when I found these videos was when it all really started clicking because I could hear someone else talking about it and explaining it.

Thanks man!

Hello. In reaction to Prep Test 72 Game 4 pimp slapping me, I wanted to start a topic regarding unusual game types historically that may be of some benefit to review for Monday. Add to my list if you can think of any I haven't mentioned so I can go review them.

Multi-layer/Pattern Sequencing - NOPST clans, RSTVY giving speeches first, JKLM exchanging work pieces

Circular Area Games - Planes flying over Zendu, Hospitals and Jails in certain areas

Other/Matching - Subway lines 1-6 connecting Green, Park, Urstine, Zephyr Airlines, Translators speaking Yoruba and Swahili

Crazy Hard Normal Game Types - Toy Dinosaurs, Snakes/Lizards, Jasmine/Vijay/others getting off the bus

will post more up if/when I think of them

Can anyone recommend any sources I can read to help increase my comprehension for science RC passages?

I see people recommend Scientific American, but it's not free.

I also see people recommend SciCentral, but the site just links to a bunch of scientific journals. Am I just to assume the majority of the journals provide articles similar enough to the LSAT science passages, or. . . ?

If you think you've found the right answer choice, do you feel it is still wise to read through the other answer choices carefully? And how much time would you spend reading through those other answer choices? This is assuming a real-life testing scenario.

Is section 3 of PT 72 unusually hard? I've been told that PT 72 is weird and I shouldn't be discouraged by lower scores on this test than the others. I'm working on LR and did fairly well on the first LR section of this PT but I did horribly on section 3. What are your experiences with this PT?

Hello everyone,

I guess let me start with a brief overview of my story. I originally made the decision to pursue law school about a year ago. I prepped (and slacked off) all summer and took the September 2014 LSAT. Not surprisingly I blew it; I got a 145. But I tried to stay confident. I took a few months off to collect my thoughts and relax. I purchased the 7Sage course and the Cambridge packets with my Christmas bonus and started prep. I went pretty hard for a few months then I hit a standstill. I tried getting back into studying, but my brain was not focused enough for the LSAT. I felt guilty for not studying and I felt hopeless. I made the realization that I would have to put off school another year mainly due to financial woes, which was discouraging. When I first made the decision on pursuing law school, I wanted to start fall 2015. I turned 30 this year, I'm ready to get life going. I also had a lot of stressors in my life between work, school, and family. By Easter, I was in a deep depression (again). And I very nearly admitted myself to the hospital (again). So, I took a step back and said a big "screw you" to the LSAT. I got my meds adjusted, started one-on-one therapy, attempted to eat healthier, and increased my involvement in group therapy. I knew I had to get healthy before I could even attempt LSAT prep. So, for two months I haven't done anything related to the LSAT. I'm not all the way there but I feel like I am ready to start slowly welcoming the LSAT into my life. I know I am basically going to have to start from scratch but I feel better about that now. I feel like I can finally read about the LSAT and not feel despair.

I guess today I just wanted to share my story and see if anyone had any advice for my situation. I feel like I need to start slow perhaps do some logic games (my favorite and strongest section) to get back into LSAT "fun." I work full-time so I am fully aware of the stress this puts on me especially after what I've been through the last few months. I feel like that if I am just able to study an hour a day at first that is a step in the right direction. Of course I want to do more but I also don't want to wind up where I've been. Time management has been an issue. I also need to make sure I take the LSAT and my issues very seriously.

But I am looking at hopefully December for a retake. At this point, I'm definitely not taking it until I feel ready. I'll probably see how I feel in November if I'm not ready plan on February, if I'm not ready in January, wait until June so on and so forth. I'm hoping for a retake no later than June 2016 but we will see. My GPA is not too great so I need to score in the very high 160s to low 170s at least. And based off my BR scores in the past I think that is possible. Timing is the biggest issue on LG and some on RC, on LR practice will hopefully make perfect.

What I am thinking is maybe this weekend if I have the time take a timed diagnostic and BR it just to see what taking months off has done to me. I've taken the June 2007 PT so many times so I'll probably use some other random PT I've never taken. And then start back prepping slowly Monday.

I guess I'm just mainly rambling, but if anyone has any advice it would be appreciated.

Hi! I'm having some major troubles with assumption and "which will weaken the argument" questions...any tips would REALLY be appreciated at this point!

For assumption questions, I know that if the answer is false and the argument falls apart, then that answer is correct but I can't really seem to have enough time to do that for every response.

For weaken the argument questions, I'm not sure if I'm mistakenly focusing on the premises and should be focusing on just the arguments instead. I know I should be looking to destroy the relationship between the premises and the arguments, but I'm finding it difficult.

Again, many thanks in advance for any tips/advice!

I didn't take the February LSAT but to those of you who did or read about it in Discussion, can you share any takeaways or specific things about Feb that might be worth knowing before this June PT? (Obviously something from Feb doesn't mean it will be in June, but I want to prepare just in case) IE was there a crazy hard or odd game or long RC passage, hard LR etc?

Thanks!

Has anybody tried and found success with energy gels? (http://running.competitor.com/2014/07/nutrition/everything-you-need-to-know-about-energy-gels_44642)

I'm trying to find a 15 minute snack that will provide me the most amount of energy boost with the least amount of liquid.

So far, I've tried circling all transition words (ex: but, however, therefore) and important words that specify the author's viewpoint, but I've found myself pressed for time and each time I go to circle a word, I lose focus on what I am reading and find it difficult to grasp it all.

For my most recent pre-test, I tried reading without annotating/circling and found that my score improved, only by a little. Would you recommend annotating? Does anyone just read the passage and go straight to the questions?

Thanks!

Of course you are. You're about to take an important test. It's not the most important test though. That one is called the October LSAT.

Just kidding. This is likely the last LSAT you'll ever take.

I'm only trying to remind you that for something this important, there are second chances. That's not true for a lot of other important things in life, so that's something to feel good about.

For most of you, you already know what score you'll get. Take your last three recent properly administered LSAT PrepTests (e.g., 72, 73, 74) and average your scores. You'll get plus or minus 3 points of that average.

There is nothing separating you from that score except the mere passing of a few day's time.

You are as prepared as you can be. You have already seen everything those crafty LSAT writers will throw at you and you've amply demonstrated your ability to respond with craftiness of your own.

Monday will be just another PT day and the June 2015 LSAT will be just another PT. PrepTest 75, in fact, when the LSAC releases it. And how different could that be from PT 74 and PT 73 and PT 72 and on and on and on.

You're ready.

That's not to say, of course, that you won't encounter a few insanely difficult curve breaker questions. Every LSAT has them. Every student who has ever taken the LSAT before you has encountered them. You will encounter them (again) on Monday. I am telling you this now, so you will be prepared. Skip them. Keep moving. Maintain your rhythm.

You got this.

I still find it intriguing that there is more weight placed on my performance in undergrad, versus grad school, so now I have to wonder: is it better to submit a LOR from an undergrad prof versus a grad prof, even though I've been out of undergrad for -- eegads -- almost a decade!?!

What say you?

Hello.

So I am not sure where to put my question, so I will just write it here. I apologies if it is redundant, but I cannot find an answer yet. I have taken a prep course with Test Masters, and even though I improved from my original score and did learn something I am still not happy with my mid 150. My problem is that I did a lot of PTs, all of them starting from 2007. Some I did almost a year ago, but some were just recent. Of course there was no BR, so it was pretty much a waste of time. I am going to do all of the theory here again, since it seems that I have some fundamental misunderstandings there, but what should I do about PT practice? Should I take the tests I have already done again? How good would that be for me? Should I take the older ones? It seems that we'll do a lot of questions from those during the initial theory course. Any help or advice will help. Thanks.

Hi! I'm taking the June LSAT next Monday, and was looking for a little advice. I know the Logic Games section is the most feasible section to get 100% of the questions correct. However, every time I take a prep test, my LG section always comes up a little short. I usually miss 3-5 questions, mostly because I don't have time to complete the last game. Any advice on how to improve before Monday, even just a little bit to get those points I'm missing? Thanks!

I noticed on PT 74 and in previous PTs that passages can vary in terms of difficulty and at least # of questions.

I was pretty married to the idea of just going in order - even if easier ones are earlier (emphasis on if), I wanted to get easy points out of the way.

But now I'm reconsidering changing the order of passages. If not based on predicted difficulty, then based on doing the ones with Most Questions first. Thoughts?

Good morning, all-

I saw someone mention somewhere on the forum (can't seem to find it now) about unusual games making a reappearance and I'm trying to make sure I've been exposed to everything. You'll have to excuse my ignorance, when you all say "subzones," does that mean PT67, Game 4 specifically or what JY would call subcategories? I looked it up and saw that PT67 mentioned subzones specifically so I took and BR'd that one.

Other "weird" games I can think of off hand are circular, mapping (like the Zephyr airline one, right?) and pattern games. Are there any other weird types that I'm missing?

Hope everyone's studying is going well!

One week before test day! Here are three things to do and three things to avoid in the lead-up.

DO:

Scout out your test site – Even if you don’t know exactly what room you’re going to take your test in, don’t throw up your hands and skip this! There are a lot of different things you can scout out on test day, assuming you know at least the general location they’re going to put you in. Your mileage may vary, but if at all possible you want to get in there and poke around a bit. A (non-exhaustive) list of things you can do:

• Look into the classrooms. Are they full of student desks with those fold-up half-tables, or are you getting long desks? Classroom layouts within the same building generally follow a similar pattern, so look and see if there are clocks inside the rooms and, assuming you’ll be oriented toward the front of the room, whether you can see them easily. Are the seats bolted down? How closely packed are they? Decent lighting?

• Check for bathrooms. Does each floor have both a men’s and a women’s bathroom, or perhaps they alternate between floors? I suggest looking for two bathrooms so that you don’t have to wait in case there’s a line. You can maybe even get away from everyone and clear your head a bit while heading over to your backup.

• Find multiple parking lots, if applicable. Recognize that there will be a lot of people there on test day, and if you can’t find a parking spot it’ll throw a wrench into the whole works. For large university campuses and other such spaces this shouldn’t be a problem, but better safe than sorry.

• Get a sense of the traffic at that time of day. The last thing you need is to have entirely-predictable traffic gumming up the works on your big day. This might be difficult for folks who have full-time jobs, but you students out there have no excuses.

Get all of your logistics ready – Do you have your pencils? Passport photo? Plastic baggie? Lucky jeans? Adult diapers, if you’re going that path? (Just kidding – please don’t go that path). Don’t wait until Sunday; get it all done ahead of time. Especially true for things that you can’t just drop into a drug store on Sunday evening to pick up (i.e. get your passport photos taken right this instant). Think about how you’re going to keep yourself occupied while the test proctor deals with the people who didn’t realize they had to bring their own pencils or know their own social security numbers (there’s always at least one). Also, pick the questions you’re going to do for your Monday morning warmup ahead of time – no scrambling day-of allowed.

Fix your sleep schedule and set your routine – June takers obviously get a bit more leeway on this, as the test doesn’t start until afternoon. Still, the last thing you want to be doing on the day of the test is deciding what to have for breakfast, whether to go for a jog, where you should be doing your warmup questions, and so forth. If you haven’t already, nail down a routine that will allow you to be ready to go at 1pm. In particular, it’s important to avoid the ~2pm food coma – figure out how much food you can have at lunch such that you have enough energy to get through the test without putting you on the brink of mid-afternoon naptime. On test day, it should be pure robotic execution.

DON’T:

Attempt to Cram – Cramming for the LSAT makes about as much sense as cramming for the Tour de France. At this point, if your skills aren’t up to par, they’re not going to be by the time next Monday rolls around. There really aren’t that many things you have to memorize, and all of those things should be completely burned into your brain by this point anyway. Even if you learn an extra thing, it’s just as likely to hurt you as help you – it won’t be integrated into your thought process so it’s not likely to be principled or well thought-out when applied to a question, and it might even introduce confusion. If your skills aren’t there, the solution is not to cram – the solution is to take in October. I typically tell people to shut the books between 48 and 72 hours before test day (in other words, if you’re taking on Monday, stop studying on Friday, or Saturday at the latest). Spend the last few days relaxing, scouting out your test site, and getting into a good mindset.

Take a PT in the last few days – What’s the point? This is all downside and zero upside. If you do about as well as normal, then nothing changes – I accept that maybe it’ll be a minor morale boost in the best case, but it’s certainly not going to be a significant one. If you do better than normal, you’ll wonder if it’s a fluke, and you certainly should know by now not to put too much stock in fluctuations that you can’t replicate. You have no time to even attempt to replicate it, so it’s functionally worthless. Meanwhile, if you do poorly, you risk completely ruining your confidence and mind frame. I’ve seen the doom spiral too many times to count – people get one subpar mark, freak out because it’s so close to the test, take more tests in a desperate attempt to validate themselves again (usually failing because, well, if you’re in that mindset you’re way too tilted to do your best), and wind up scoring way worse on test day for no real reason other than that they took a meaningless practice test way too late in the game. Remember that full-length practice tests are taken for the purpose of giving you a benchmark for how you performed at a particular point in time. Does that benchmark really matter anymore 7 days before the test? You should know what you’re capable of at that point. If you don’t know, then you haven’t practiced enough.

If you insist on studying until the bitter end, then don’t take a practice test – review things you’ve already done instead (it’s much more helpful). If you’re going to take one last practice test, take it early in the week and score it by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest, and then DON’T DO ANOTHER ONE. And if you absolutely positively insist on risking your state of mind for no good reason at all, then for the love of the flying spaghetti monster do not score that last test. In my opinion, if you’re looking at an answer key at any point in the last 72 or so hours before your test, you’re doing it wrong.

Freak Out – Take a deep breath. Look over your previous practice test results, and understand that you are perfectly capable of scoring just as well on the real deal as you did on those. To you, this is the June 2015 LSAT, and it’s understandable that you’re stressing it and putting a ton of mystique around it. But at about 4pm on June 8, 2015, the test will be nothing more than PrepTest 75 - just a number like all of its brothers before it, a tool for September 2015 takers to use as practice. Heck, for those of us who work with the test for a living, it’s already just PrepTest 75, and we eagerly await its release. There is nothing special about this test. It’s exactly the same as all the PrepTests you took before it. Don’t let it psyche you out.

I don’t wish any of my students good luck on the LSAT, because luck has nothing to do with it. Stay calm and focused, apply what you’ve learned, and you’ll be just fine.