Hey guys,

I just took my first cold diagnostic test (June 2007) and I got a 152. I know that puts me at around ~52 percentile right now... My goal is a 170+. How many points do people generally jump before and after taking the 7Sage course? Of course I know this differs for everyone but my question is, how realistic is it to jump 20 points if I want to take the Feb 2015 exam?

This is my breakdown for the points I missed:

S1 LG -10

S2 LR -10

S3 LR -10

S4 RC -7

Any suggestions/tips are welcome!

Thanks,

Alice

I know a lot of people who advocate prephrasing an answer in your head for certain type of questions (assumptions, flaw, etc) before you go through the AC because you can get an idea of what the problem is with the stimulus. I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but I find this process actually hinders, rather than assist me, in finding the right AC. For example, if I notice a certain gap/flaw in the reasoning of the stimulus, I tend to generate an answer in my head, and while looking through the AC, I become so focused on finding an answer that matches my prephrase that I would often gloss over the right one, which is sometimes not exactly the way I imagined it would be, or sometimes just phrased in a subtle way that makes it easy to miss.

In these cases, I often find myself not liking any of the AC, because none of them matches my prephrase. And this would force me to go through the AC again, wasting valuable time.

Anyone else has similar experience? When I don't prephrase the answer, sometimes it's easier to spot the right AC because it will remind me of the gap/flaw in the stimulus and it doesn't have to conform to a pre-existing model.

I find myself constantly getting 5-8 questions wrong on each LR section, which really hurts my final score. I noted down my weak types of questions and revised them, and made sure I understood the questions. But somehow I still make mistakes for these type of questions in the next PT.

Anyone has a good strategy on how to improve specific question types? I always try to finish all questions, but I don't know if I should be doing this instead of spending more time on the hard questions I'm struggling with.

Thanks!

Hey guys,

I am new to this discussion (and the LSATs). I just started studying on my own last week (read half of an old PowerScore Logic Games Bible) but I haven't taken a cold diagnostic test yet. I was planning to take a Test Masters prep course that'll start in late Sept but after reading some discussion blogs and comments, it seems like self-studying might be more effective and useful (with the right materials)? I've also read a chapter of Mike Kim's The LSAT Trainer.

Currently I have the following:

10 New Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests with Comparative Reading: (PrepTests 52-61)

The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim

2006 or 2007 PowerScore Logic Games Bible

What else should I buy? Which materials should I start with? Would you guys recommend finishing the LSAT Trainer on my own first before taking a 7Sage course?

Any help or suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks!

Alice

I signed up to re-take the LSAT in September and apply this year for Fall 2015 admittance. I'm almost done with the 7sage course, but I haven't started taking the practice tests yet. I really want to be positive that I do my absolute best, so I'm thinking of moving my LSAT date to December. However, last year ours was rescheduled due to ice/inclement weather, and we took the test two weeks later. I think the score release was at the same time as the other December test takers. Should I risk taking the December LSAT to enter law school in Fall 2015, even with the slight possibility of winter weather affecting the test date? I really want a good scholarship and to get into the school of my choice.

I noticed some questions ask specific question about a small part, e.g. "the text supports which one of the following..." and it's about a small detail that was mentioned in the text, for which no line reference was given. Sometimes I just have no idea because the memory method on 7sage focuses on the big picture of each paragraph rather than every little detail.

What's your strategy? :D

My understanding seems to be different with the explanation on the Manhattan forum. Just want to make sure I understand this Q.

The premise says deep tillage is more harmful than no-till. The conclusion says farmers who use deep tillage should incorporate no-till methods instead. My understanding is that the author is suggesting famers to use deep tillage+ no-till methods. If so, negating the answer choice C would wreck the argument: if other methods other than deep tillage are also variable, the farmers could just replace the deep tillage method completely, rather than combining deep tillage with other methods.

Is that correct? Thank a lot!

What are your thoughts on the order of the syllabus? Here is my thinking: For sure my biggest weakness is Logic Games. So, if i jumped out of order and covered the games earlier than listed on the syllabus, i could spend that much longer on the games concurrent to the other portions. If practice practice practice is the key to games, covering the basics early gives me that much more time to spend on them at lunch break, early in the morning, at any given possible moment. I know that there are key logic points to learn first but, i think i could probably get a benefit from starting earlier.

Hey guys. I need you advice. After doing many PT's I have realized that I just need to focus/master my LG section in order to break into the 170s since I have been doing consistently well in LR and RC. I have read several methods, which one has worked for you? Thanks so much!

How do you guys handle it? How many days do you take off? How strictly do you avoid the LSAT? I mean do you not look at any questions? Only do games? Review 5 questions a day? What strategies do folks find not only useful but effective?

I am thinking about taking a few days off starting today -- I will probably take a PT on Tuesday. That's 4 days off. It would be a better idea to take a few days off ahead of time (as in now) as opposed to closer to test date, right? I'll probably keep my head clear and stay away from the LSAT the day before the test though.

What do you guys think? Any tips, suggestions, strategies, etc. will be appreciated. Thanks :)

Hi all!

I was just wondering if anyone has noticed a trend in the difficulty of the passages in the reading comp section? I find that the first two are typically easier than the rest but wanted to hear your thoughts! In terms of questions, I've been finding the very first question to always be more difficult that the rest.

Happy studying!

With the re-occurrence of rare/old game types such as the circular game from feb 2014 and pattern game from June 2014, should it be anticipated that this kind of trend will continue with the upcoming LSAT's? Also, how would we go about preparing for these games? Focus solely on the old games that shared this game type?

It's quite frustrating when this happens, especially when it's one of the " easier" logic games...

the first problem of the sequencing homework from the curriculum.

I've done it 4 times and I keep getting some inferences, paring down, and ultimately answers wrong.

What do you do when this happens? I'm so short on time with the test in the 27th, it's starting to loom sinisterly over me.

I've been practicing logic games from PT 52-61recently, finding these games seem much different from the older ones like those from 1-50. I heard people saying that the logic games from PT 52-61 are actually easier than the older ones. But I personally found them more challenging.

I haven't touched PT 62-72 yet. Can someone tell me whether or how the games in these PTs are different from those in PT 52-61?

this is a minor question, but is the bubbling sheet during the exam a loose leaf piece of paper that is separate from the testing booklet or is it IN the testing booklet? i feel like i lose so much time by flipping to the back of the PT book to find the bubbling sheet, i just want to see if that will also be part of testing day

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-65-section-4-question-23/

This question has had me stumped for like 3 days! I have done everything I can to wrap my head around it, but it just doesn't seem to want to click for me. So, is there anyone out there that may be able to help me understand why the correct answer is correct, I basically ruled all the answers out and guessed (E), but can see why its wrong after the fact. It is a most strongly supported question.

The question begins with background: Dogs are descendants of domesticated wolves.

Premise: It has recently been found that some dogs are much more closely related genetically to wolves than to most other breeds of dogs.

Conclusion: This shows that some dogs are descended from wolves that were domesticated much more recently than others.

(B) starts off telling us that we are talking about the dogs more closely related to wolves than to other dogs (so thats good), it finishes with the former breed (the ones we need) has more recent undomesticated ancestors than the latter breed has.

For simplicity, lets call the dogs that are from wolves domesticated more recently, Group A. The other dogs = Group B

I ruled (B) out right off the bat because of the UNDOMESTICATED. I thought that was to an inference that was to far out of scope. Next, the stem tells us that the dogs in group A come from wolves domesticated more recently than the wolves Group B is related to. But, based on this how can we infer which group has more recent undomesticated ancestors?

I don't know what I am overlooking for this not to make sense. Hopefully someone can clear this up for me. Thanks in advance!

I don't know if anyone else feels the same way, but here's what I feel would make this presently perfect website even better.

For the videos for the prep test Review, I would like these two features added:

1) the "Next" button that we see on the lessons. For the LR section especially, since there are so many questions, it would be easier to navigate if there is the "Next" button right under the video instead of having to scroll down and manually look for the next question. I know it's really not crucial, but it's the small details that really bring about perfection.

2) the option to stay on full screen while the videos move from one to the next automatically (kinda like the playlist feature on Youtube). As for me, since I am a man of weak will, I easily get tempted to be distracted every time I exit from full screen and switch between videos. If I could stay full screen, I think it could help control my temptation.

Thank you 7Sage!

JSK

Hey All!

This may be a long shot, but if there is anyone in Kuala Lumpur studying for the LSAT and would like to join forces please let me know.

Suppose you chose A, then chose B during blind review and it turns out the answer choice was C. How do you guys approach this situation? These are the questions JY claims we don't understand and are a good candidate to skip. I'm curious to know folks personal approach (e.g., flash cards, discussion, tutor, etc.).

Would taking a preptest every other day during the last 3 weeks be a bad move? What about more than every other day, like one on monday, one on tuesday, one on thursday, one on friday, one on sunday, ect?

What about a preptest EVERY day during the penultimate week?

Thank you!

In an ideal word, the best decision one can make regarding the LSAT is for them to just take the test when they are ready. I get that. Unfortunately, I'm not living in an ideal world and am working full time and studying 12-15 hours a week. While this is sustainable for the next month (and maybe until December) I have NO DESIRE to do it again, starting from scratch. I'm currently registered for the September LSAT and will likely score in the 166-168 range. Is there any admissions downside to powering through and taking the December LSAT as well if my score is lower than expected or I feel like I'm on a roll and can add some points with fine tuning? My current line of thinking is that it would be the most efficient and effective use of my time to build on the months of studying I have already done if I don't like my September score and try again for December. I know the advantages of waiting to take the test again in February or June next year include more time to study, but as I mentioned before, my current study regimen and professional workload are incompatible. Any thoughts or recommendations are welcome!

Mr. Ping said that to strengthen an argument, we ought to look for an answer that provides more support between the premise and the conclusion, or provide a reason why the assumption in the argument is valid or sound. But other prep companies (i.e. Manhattan LSAT) say that a valid answer choice to a strengthening question can also make the conclusion more likely to be true, without affecting the premise-conclusion relationship.

When I reviewed PT23 S3 Q10, the correct answer choice B) does not seem to relate to any assumption in the argument, or provide more support between the premise-conclusion link, but rather it makes the conclusion more likely to be true. See: http://www.manhattanlsat.com/forums/q10-if-a-person-chooses-to-walk-t629.html

This question, along with several others, is making me doubt the soundness of Mr. Ping's approach to strengthening questions. Granted, it's always important to identify assumptions made in a LR stimulus that contains an argument, but are we precluding ourselves from selecting the right answer choice to some strengthening questions by doing this alone, instead of also look for possible answer choices that makes the conclusion more likely (adding an additional premise)?

I'm profoundly confused. Can a correct answer choice strengthen the conclusion without touching the premise-conclusion relationship, or not?

Thanks in advance!

Hey there,

As we're getting closer to the September test, I see a lot of posts regarding whether one should post-pone the test for December in hopes of studying more and and getting a higher score>More money and applying this school year or even waiting until February and applying next year (because law school isn't going anywhere and nobody would want to mess up this one time shot at scoring their best/readiest and getting into better school and owe less money at the end).

My concern is how much do you think the person that applies December Vs September could lose out as far getting the application in line first? Though it is true that the LSAT score is the most important part of the application, and every point literarily counts and could put you in a higher percentile> better school>More scholarship, when does the application being late vs having a few higher points start hurting the look of your application? for example would someone with a 160 taking September LSAT, applying before thanksgiving ( the appropriate time to have everything posted, with schools opening application Oct 1st) get into "better schools" ?than someone with a 164 applying almost late December ? I would appreciate anyone that has looked into this matter or has solid information that could help me out!

I recently adjusted my schedule to be able to take my PTs at 9 am. I had been taking them in the afternoon before this and was getting mid-high 160s. I took one this morning for the first time and got a 156 which is the lowest I've gotten since my first ever PT. Is a ten point drop normal when changing to morning testing times? And what suggestions does anyone have to get your mind on point in the morning?

I'm looking for someone to take five sectioned prep tests with - we don't have to take the same tests, I just find it very useful to have at least one other person writing it with me. I've been doing 2-3 tests weekly, will be doing at least three tests/week in September.

I'm planning to take the September test. If we take the same prep tests - yay - BR together. Otherwise it'll be motivation/support.