For four months now, I have been drilling logic games heavily, printing out ten copies, redoing them over and over again.....But although I did improve (went from a minus 16 to a minus 10), I stopped improving after the first month of drilling logic games. I still average a minus 10....so frustrating.

One thing I've been wondering is, do you have to be good at math (or at least have a knack for math) to ace this game? I've sucked at math for the longest time, and when practicing the LSAT logic games I can't help but think back to when I was in the 9th grade and I was looking at a mathematical word problem going blank while everyone else was gettin' it....

So now I've changed my strategy. Not only do I print out 10 copies, redoing them ten times each, but I also spend some time analyzing them, taking notes on how the rules interact with each other and what inferences I should have made from them, playing around with the game board by rearranging the rules etc...

So how long did it take you guys to finally perfect the logic games section? Please tell me I have hope...

I am starting to have difficulty finding old tests to use as practice tests. Suggestions on where to find tests?

Sooo I'm writing the June LSAT here in just over 3 weeks. Prep has been going well enough for my aims (164) or so. For the past few weeks I was writing LR getting 3-5 questions wrong under timed conditions. This was okay for me as my reading comp and logic games as stronger scoring anyway. But for the last 3 prep tests under timed conditions I have scored 17-19 on the logic games everytime. I've been able to stay in the 160s (barley). But that's thanks to some great scores in the other 2 sections, scores I'm not sure I can count on on test day. So now what do I do, I almost feel like I'm over thinking LR at this point and starting to psyche myself out. Not good. Any tips would be great.

can you please put up a list of circular games, i know there are not many, but trying to avoid another February shocker!

...is my theme song for this test. To me, it represents the struggle to achieve a difficult goal.

The main theme permeates the whole piece (ya know, dun dun dun DUUUUN..... dun dun dun DUUUUUUN).

The piece seems to travel between two emotional climates. On one hand, a dark cloud of confusion and pessimism, and on the other hand, clarity and optimism.

That mirrors my experience in preparing for this test so well, that I have been listening to it over and over again. It reminds me that even in my moments of despair or confusion, there will eventually be an ensuing revelation, or a 'light at the end of the tunnel.'

As the piece goes on, the lows get lower and the highs get higher, until the piece ends in a magnificent triumph over obstacle. It really helps me put my moments of self-doubt in context.

I am using this piece to trigger the habit that my brain craves, to get me in the right mind set for the test by repetitively associating my LSAT journey with the 5th. I am going to listen to it as the last thing I do before the test as a warm-up.

Does anyone else have some sort of music that they go to for inspiration or courage?

Here's a link to Dudamel conducting the first movement of the 5th:

Hi everyone!

How do you guys approach Reading Comprehension and what improvements have you seen on that section? Last month I did well on it, scoring 24/27 a couple times in a timed full test. Last 2 or 3 times I did a full 4 or 5 section timed test, I scored -8 or -9 on RC, which is bad enough. But just now, I did 2 timed readings (cause I fell asleep in the middle of the reading the third passage), and I got like 3/7 on each LOL. WTF is happening?! I know being tired is a factor, but I was fully awake during the first passage I read, and then the third one about osmoregulation killed me. help :(

Hey all,

I'm debating right now on how I should approach the June 2014 LSAT. This will be my first time taking the test and I'm currently in study mode. Most days I study for a minimum of 5 hours a day, 8-9 if I don't have a long day of work. However, I've been debating as to whether or not I should postpone taking the LSAT until September 2014 and I would like a second opinion on whether or not this is worth doing.

My goal score is a minimum of 164 with a high expectation of 170. My scores on my original untimed practice tests (used for making sure I understood the material and how each question worked in detail) would land anywhere between 165-172. My current timed scores are 160-161. My test is June 29th, (I believe this date may be different from others as I'm taking the test in Taiwan) leaving me six more weeks of prep time. I take one new practice test every weekend, followed by a review of the practice test. I also do two reading comprehension articles each day, speed reading drills, one timed LR section, and numerous LG's.

Based on this information, do you think it's possible to reach the desire score in the allotted amount of time? Or should I put on the brakes for the test, postpone until September, and give myself more time to prepare?

Thanks, everyone!

I am having a hard time finding out exactly what room my test is going to be administered in. I'd really like to try to take some prep tests in the room before the test date, so it's kind of stressin' me out. Can anyone help me out?

FYI I'm taking it at U of Toronto St George campus. Test centre 0980

I am registered for the June LSAT. In the past few weeks (as the date approaches), I have held onto the possibility of putting the exam off until September just in case I didn't feel prepared for the June date. However, it then dawned on me that putting it off until September is not a possibility, because I have done every prep test available except for 66-71. I have just enough time (I hope) to squeeze in these 6 prep tests before the test, but I think if I put off the test til September, I'll actually harm my chances at a good score...

To me, stretching 6 tests out over 3 months would be too little practice to be useful.

It seems, then, that I'm locked into this June date whether I feel ready enough or not.

No turning back.

Anyone have a similar experience or perspective?

On the flip side, does anyone think that putting it off until September, given my situation, could be helpful? If I did, that would mean one prep test every 2 weeks.

It is very hard to talk to friends or family about this test. I think only those who are actually preparing or the test can understand how hard it is and how emotionally draining it can be so I thank you all for understanding. I have decided to postpone taking the LSAT in June and taking the September/October. This time I will prep with a 7sage tutor, (maybe he or she can identify mistakes that I don't see) and read more as reading comp is my worst enemy. There were a lot of you who have messaged me when you could've used that time to study. I just want to say I really appreciate you all

Hey Guys!

You guys have been super helpful so far.

I feel like i’m burning out!! I’m 4 -6 points away from my goal score, i just need to tune up my LR and RC section…

What are some tips on how to regain the brain power? Not sure whats going on, i royally bombed PT68 today and it was over a mixture of STUPID mistakes and fell for probably EVERY trick the LSAT had to offer me, especially in LR.

I’m thinking about taking a day off.. but on that day, can i read a lot of articles from the economist? or should i just not even touch a book?

Hi guys... Maybe these are obvious and I'm missing something but I couldn't really find an answer online so I was hoping someone can help me out with some general questions regarding correlation.

If given a statement of positive correlation such as "as A increases, B increases," how much can we validly infer?

Can we infer all of...

-as A dec B dec

-as B dec A dec

-as B inc A inc

Also for negative correlation -"as A increases, B decreases"

Can we infer all of...

-as A dec B inc

-as B inc A dec

-as B dec A inc

Thanks in advance :)

Hi Everyone, I have been studying For the LSAT for the past few months and am not where I want to be (score wise, High 140, Low 150). I Just graduated Last year and Don't have other material or courses to study but this. Knowing that the score that I will get the FIRST time around ( I don't want to take it, get a bad score and then retake) will really be the most important aspect in this test, what are you guy's advice on when to take it. I have done a quite amount of research and it seems that the June test considering how late in the day it's offered, giving you more time to prepare letters and statements and also giving you the chance to apply early is the best choice. Following the June test, September seems to be the next best choice, For it still gives you time to apply given that every other part of your applications are ready and be considered "early" and that give you time during summer to study (less time to enjoy summer) but is offered in the morning ( which is a downside for me). Please advice me on how much I'll be missing out if I postpone my test to september instead of the June test coming up. Thank you, looking forward to hearing all different ways of thinking about this situation and really appreciate anyone's point of view.

Does anyone remember which game Ping drew a star to indicate the shared rules between each entity? I would like to review all abnormal game types before the June test and was wondering which PT that game is from. Also I would love if anyone would share any game they feel is different than the cookie cutter games we are used to, we can all be better prepared if the LSAT can't throw us any curve ball games, like the Feb circular sequence game.

Hi there,

is there anyone prepping for October LSAT in Daegu, Korea?

I'm flying back to home in early June.

My PTs range in 160s.

I would be more than happy to have a dedicated study buddy(s) who would PT/review,Q&A and etc.

I am looking forward to hearing back!

jjojjokyokyo@gmail.com

Subject says it all. I am hypersensitive to noting that several events occurring together is always correlative (yet often mistakenly construed by authors as causal), but I am wondering whether this will ever come back to haunt me.

I suppose that more specifically, I am referring to flaw questions. Tangibly, I want to make sure that whenever two (or more) phenomena are said to occur, and an author draws a conclusion based on those phenomena somehow being associated, I can be sure that this is a mistake because it is concluding causality based on events that haven't been shown to necessarily be causally connected.

Is it ever the case that when two (or more) events are said to have occurred in a premise that they are, in fact, necessarily causally connected, and so any conclusion that assumes such is fine? This would mean that the flaw lies elsewhere.

Thanks in advance.

Ok, I am joking about this being the hardest LR question of all time. Of course, there have been harder questions, but for some reason, this one took me days and days to get....

First of all, this is a very unique principle question. Usually, the correct answer to a principle question is a conditional or just look likes a principle-you know, has a "should" or the equivalent of a should in there somewhere....but this problem looks more like a "find the necessary assumption question."

I get why A is the correct answer. It fills in the gap between the premise and conclusion. The premise is that certain factors can increase or undermine a witness' confidence without hurting the accuracy or reliability of identification. Then there is a big jump to a conclusion (which comes out of nowhere!) that states that thus, based on the abovementioned premise, police officers are advised to stop suspect lineups in which witnesses can hear one another identifying suspects...So the big assumption here is that the confidence of witnesses in suspect lineups is affected by hearing other witnesses identifying suspects, and that's how A connects the premise to the conclusion.

But the thing which took me so long to get was, why would this matter?!?! Why would police officers disallow suspect lineups in which witnesses can hear one another identifying suspects because it might affect their confidence levels, if their level of confidence has no effect on the reliability of their accuracy?

So I talked to my dad about it, who is in the military and thinks more like a cop, and he said that if a witness' confidence is lowered, they might not be as forthcoming about what they think, and they might be less willing to cooperate.

What do you guys think?

Hi 7Sagers!

I'm Jonathan; or, as some folks at the NYC Overlook meetup called me, "the other guy". If you've watched any problem set explanation videos, some of those are mine; I have a bunch of videos in the full test explanations as well. I've also been popping into the forums a bit more often lately, as a few of you have noticed.

As you're all aware, the LSAT is hard. And while 7Sage is awesome, sometimes you might need additional help with a certain question or concept. I've worked closely with JY and 7Sage since the beginning, and I also happen to be a full-time LSAT tutor. Rather than clutter discussions with shameless self-promotion, we thought this announcement post would be the best way to inform you folks about how to go about getting private tutoring.

You can have a lesson with me from anywhere in the world via Skype or Google Hangout. Whether you want a someone to walk you through the entire process, or just someone to talk to for an hour or two about a couple of sticking points (or anything in between!), I'm your guy.

My standard tutoring rate is $250/hour. However, due to my excellent working relationship with JY and Alan, I'm giving a 10% discount (down to $225/hour) if you're enrolled in the 7Sage program! Just send me a study buddy request and some kind of proof that you've paid for the course (any tier).

You can see testimonials from my students here:

http://brightlinelsat.com/

If you decide that you'd like to receive some tutoring, don't post in this thread - drop me a line via the contact form on my website and we'll make it happen. Be sure to include your 7Sage name and any relevant information you'd like me to know. Please also feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

See you guys around the forums, and happy studying!

Does "In fact" function as a transitional indicator? That is, does in fact signal the switch from context to argument?

eg (PT 64 section III Q 22)

scientists astounding success..........causes public to believe that science can solve any problem. IN FACT, the problems selected by scientists .... etcetc etc

Check out this really great NY Times article about women empowerment. What's really neat about the article is how causation theory is used to substantiate the need to educate women globally.

Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/opinion/sunday/kristof-whats-so-scary-about-smart-girls.html?_r=0

If you don't have time to read the whole article, here is the excerpt that I found relatable to our causation lesson:

"One study found that for every 1 percentage point increase in the share of the population aged 15 to 24, the risk of civil war increases by 4 percent.That means that curbing birthrates tends to lead to stability, and that’s where educating girls comes in. You educate a boy, and he’ll have fewer children, but it’s a small effect. You educate a girl, and, on average, she will have a significantly smaller family. One robust Nigeria study managed to tease out correlation from causation and found that for each additional year of primary school, a girl has 0.26 fewer children. So if we want to reduce the youth bulge a decade from now, educate girls today."

^-^

As the June test is fast approaching, I have been focusing on what seems to be my weakest section which is reading comprehension. I miss at best 8 or 9 questions, and usually do not finish within the time restraints. I would like to reduce this number to about -5. This would help me boost my score by two or more points. Does anyone have a specific way that they attack the passages which has led them to see an increase to their score on this section? I employ certain techniques such as circling keywords and names as well as evidence/conclusions. I have also tried looking at the questions before reading the passages but it does not seem to help me improve. I am open to any suggestions anyone might have. Good luck with your studying!

Hey folks, I was curious as to the typical distribution of a test writer's scores. I am beginning to write full length PTs and i'm wondering how indicative they are of my true 'mean' score. For example, should i expect +/- 2, 3, or 4 etc.? I realize the answer to this is likely to be dependent on each individual person but I was wondering if anyone could offer insight.

Sam

As the title says, I just completed all of the 7sage course lessons and took my first timed PT last week ago. I blind reviewed this PT as well. The timed and blind review scores came back the same as the cold diagnostic (about mid 140s and mid 150s respectively.) Needless to say I was pretty disappointed.

Today I tried to take another PT (62) but in the middle of it I blanked out. I started off strong with the RC section (mainly because it was topics with which I am familiar, or that I actually give a crap about), then I started gassing through the first LR section and by the time I got to LG (section 3) I completely lost motivation. By the second LR section I was running on fumes and I wasn't particularly confident in my answer choices. It didn't help that I was having issues with the proctor app which kept freezing on my phone, making me go over the allotted time. I'm feeling pretty discouraged at this time since its seeming like all this coursework was for naught. I also decided to scrap PT 62 entirely since I was feeling pretty disgusted with myself by the end of it.

I had originally planned to take the June LSAT but I don't think I'll have enough time between then and now to sufficiently address all of my issues so I'm likely going to reschedule to September.

So with all of that I could really use some pointers as to how to proceed with my studies. As JY mentioned in one of his blog posts, there are only a limited number of PTs available and I want to make the most efficient use of them so that I don't fuck it up for myself come October.

Edit: Sorry, I meant to say that ideally I'd like to correct some of the mistakes I'm making, whether it be from not getting mentally fatigued so quickly to working on weak spots before I resume PTing.

Hello all,

Whenever you start applying rules to arrive at inferences, do you go methodically through your list of rules with each piece of info you have? For example, if you know that V is in, do you go through each of your [however many] rules AND THEN take another piece of info you get from what you found with V being in and go methodically through your rules with THAT piece of info?

Or, rather, do you see what happens when V is in and "let the inferences fly from your pencil", so to speak? I have noticed that I do it this way naturally, and while it is quite an amazing feeling when all those inferences come together and it's just like bam-bam-bam, I feel like I may get a piece of information from an inference and then forget to apply a rule to it.

For example, if, from an inference I made, I discover that Z must be in, and Z being in kicks two rules, I feel like if I do not go through the rules methodically with my new piece of information, I might miss one of the rules that Z being in kicks.

But the problem with going methodically through the rules is that it seems unintuitive. I feel that it is much more intuitive to just let the inferences fly off my pencil than to take each piece of info I get and methodically go through the rules, even though the "let the inferences fly" way seems more error-prone.

So do you think it is dangerous to just let the inferences fly off you pencil, instead of taking each piece of info you have and applying it to each rule in your rule list?

did you see great improvement if any between your diagnostic test and 2nd exam? and between your 2nd and 4th test?

please give me a brief insight on your journey through these prep tests and your performance. I know it's different for everyone but I'd like to get an idea of what's going on.