This thread might be geared more towards the instructors... Anyhow, I was wondering if there are certain benchmarks one should meet with X amount of weeks left to expect X range in score. For example, if writing the October test (t-minus 4 weeks!) where should one be today if they were looking to score a 165 ? A 170? I guess it's reasonable to expect a steadily increasing score until test day if you haven't quite reached your potential yet. At the same time, I think it could be strategically better to set more realistic expectations. Any advice?

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-69-section-4-question-21/

Can someone please help me out with this question? It's really doing my head in.

Would A still be correct if it was phrased: Skiff's book will be published this year if it is as important as he claims it is.

Many thanks.

I've been scoring at around 166/167, but because of my not-so-excellent GPA (3.4) I will need a minimum of 170 for my desired school to even consider me. With less than 3 weeks left, do you think this is an achievable goal? Should I wait until Dec? I've already put aside 90% of obligations so I have as much as 6 hours to study everyday before test day.

For those of you who think this can be achieved, what are some recommendations/useful tactics? I've been getting around -5 RC, -0 LG, and -3/-7 LR. It seems to me that the more recent tests always have one easier and one obviously more difficult LR section, so I've been scoring very unevenly in LR.

I hope others who have the same problem will find this thread useful too.

Thank you!

Anyone have this message come up? I use chrome as my browser and at least once for every video I play, I get this error. It didn't bother me too much until it happened with my exam proctor in the middle of an exam.

Hey guys,

I need help with tips of when to split the game board and how to easily spot the inferences. I'm never able to put all the inferences together that force out only a few possible boards which in turn helps you fly through the questions. Normally, I'll set up my board, see nothing, then go through the questions. The problem is it takes too long. I get almost all the questions correct most of the time, but I'm spending 8-12 minutes on each one, with the occasional difficult 14. Then I watch the explanations and it all clicks and i keep beating myself on how I missed all the inferences. Any idea how to get better at noticing what to force out?

Do you guys scan the answers or just jump right in and try out games?

I realize this is very game dependent. I usually scan the answers choices quickly, but if nothing jumps out I force myself to jump right into trying out all the answers. I found myself wasting time on open ended game boards trying to think about why an answer choice could be correct, and coming up with nothing for all my "thinking" time. So know I try to just jump right into testing the answers.

Today I came across a game, LSAT 10, Game 4 http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-10-section-2-game-4/, that has me rethinking my strategy. I didn't make the inference at the start that Y must be in, though I DID make the difference that at least one of X/Z must be out. When I got to question 23, I quickly looked at my master game board didn't come up with any that must be in, so just jumped right in to trying out the possibilities. I got through A and B, before scanning the remainder of the choices and quickly realized that Y must be in.

The game took way too long in general, not just because of this question, but still interested in how you guys handle "thinking" about correct answer choices, or just jumping in and trying possibilities.

I took the June and decided to retake it again this October. Over the first part of my studying after the June test I was feeling really good about my progress. Recently however, my LR scores have been tanking.

I have been Blind Reviewing everything and taking a lot of time to really dig into the questions I get wrong. I also seem to understand most of the arguments and answer choices; on Blind Review usually end up with -1 or -2 and that process had seemed to be really helping me for a while (especially on LG and RC). I am also not pressed for time when taking sections or PT's... I have been getting 6 or 7 wrong regardless of whether I slow down and take almost the whole 35 min or go at a faster pace of around 27 min (or anywhere in-between)

Right now my plan is to go back and redo the LR lessons from the course, as my best scores came right when I had finished all the lessons. I feeling like I have such a good understanding of the test which is why I am kind of at a loss. Any advice or strategies that people have found useful is more than welcomed, thanks (... am I sleeping, eating and at least going outside now and then)

I just took PT 59. In the PT scorer it says that section 2 LR is "easiest" and section 3 is "harder". I got 50% accuracy on section 2 but 84% accuracy on section 3. If I can fix this problem my score would probably be a lot better. My weaknesses are MSS and Flaw questions (could be that section 2 had more of these types). How do you guys approach Flaw and MSS? I feel like there's some connection I'm not making.

What does this flaw look like? Can someone point me to a certain PT or example?

Just something I've been doing a lot lately that I think might help some ppl out.

I commute every day to work, so I leave in the morning and my dad drops me off at the train station and then I ride the train to work. (it really freaking sucks spending 2 hrs 45 min a day commuting!!!)

Using my smartphone, I usually read articles related to tech or science on the train, and as I read I try ask myself questions like "what was the author's purpose in mentioning _______" or "what function does the word _________ serve in this sense" as I go through each article. When you're reading try to do the fool proof method JY talked about where you ingrain the main point of each paragraph in your mind. Then, at the end of the article, ask yourself MSS and inference type questions. Be creative!

I find most of these articles through news.google.com and search for new science, tech, or world news type articles.

I am sure that most of these articles are not of the caliber presented on the LSAT but just reinforcing the methodology used to go through a LSAT passage is VERY helpful.

When I first started studying for RC I found it tough to get through so much material but now I am relieved when I turn the page to the next section and see a passage. Hopefully you will also like the RC section more if you read some articles. The general knowledge you gain might even be helpful on the test!

I remember some people asking what sort of magazines they can read that might help them. Using something like google news is really simple and if you have a smartphone or a tablet and internet access you can build your RC skills on the go!

Anyone recall any games with bi-conditional rules similar to Game 4 in PT69 and Game 2 PT56?

Also, if anyone happens know of any sequencing games that incorporate bi-conditional rules that would be helpful too.

Thanks!

Hi fellow LSATers!

I'm looking for study buddies for the October 2013 exam, as I'll be studying full time up until the exam.

I'm currently scoring in the 167-170 range, and would like to consistently hit 170+ by October.

Bonus if you're strong(er) in Reading Comp/Logical Reasoning but weak(er) in Games, as I am the opposite and we could complement each other.

Ideally interested in meeting up/Skyping to bounce ideas off of one another, discuss strategy, and see different thought processes to arrive at the credited response.

Do any of you guys try "predicting the answer" after reading the stimulus and question stem on LR but before reading the answer choices? I recently started attacking the problems this way and have since found them more manageable. I think it's because one of the most challenging aspects of LR is parsing really convulted material in a short period of time...something so verbally taxing is only made worse when trying to juggle answer choices that are all designed to tempt you. I noticed that I started employing this method naturally over time but didn't see improvement until I did so actively. Granted, you can't always predict which angle they'll take but doing so will at least give you the advantage of understanding the parts of the argument more thoroughly.

So I'm about half way through my three months of training with 7 sage and the only PT I've taken is the first diagnostic one. Should I be taking full length tests at this point or should I be supplementing my studies with timed sections (I didn't get a lot of problem sets from 7 sage so the sections would be from preptests). I know that realistically I may only have time/energy for sections until I finish the lessons (two jobs and grad school) and if I do full length I may not be as thorough in blind review. That being said, if doing so would be worth it, I'd like to know.

Thanks!

Hey guys, first of all here is the link to this question.

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-59-section-3-question-13/

I seem to be having a lot of problem with questions that require mathematical understanding.

I got this question right through POE, but having a real hard time trying to understand why the correct answer is correct.

So the premise is about the relative difference in the percentage of INJURY between accidents involving large and small cars within the sample of 10,000 accidents (large cars = lower, small cars higher percentage).

And the conclusion is about the general likelihood of being INJURED in large vs. small car accidents (large cars safer).

So far so good, but.. where the hell is the FLAW?

Jon explains the shift in scope by saying that the conclusion is about ABSOLUTE numbers, and it would make sense if it is indeed about absolute numbers (remember, percentage -> absolute number is flawed).

BUT, the conclusion explicitly states "one is less LIKELY," which does not seem to indicate absolute numbers.

Please help!!

Hi everyone,

I posted a discussion earlier in my prep about PT 36 S2 Q16, which remarked on how the right answer inferred from the phrase "discussions of" and the fact that it is a passage regarding science that whatever they are discussing is earlier research. I don't agree with it, but that's the LSAT. And it was still the best answer because the other answers can be eliminated with the text.

http://classic.7sage.com/forums/discussion/113/pt36-s2-q16#Item_3

I just did PT 54, on which I came across a related issue: S1 Q8.

The question says all of the answers are supported by the passage EXCEPT. I haven't graded it yet, but I picked C, which says "there has been some study of the environmental effects of drilling-mud discharges." But E also is not supported, and it is directly a S/N condition switch, which in my experience is frequently tested. (E) says "during the drilling of an oil well, drilling mud is continuously discharged into the sea" whereas the passage merely says that the only time the discharge happens is when an oil well is being drilled, not that drilling always means there's discharge. So that is clearly the right answer. But why is C incorrect? Is it for the same nebulous reason as PT36 S2 Q16? The passage is discussing a science related issue, and I know that hydraulic fracturing has been studied in the real world, and generally facts of the sort that the passage provides would be hard to generate without some sort of study, but specifically that the environmental effects? I'm really not so sure this has support. It's obviously an inferior answer to E, but I wouldn't say that it is "supported" by the passage. I'd say it has some support from the passage but certainly cannot be logically inferred. This is compounded by the fact that the other answer choices besides E can be logically inferred from the passage.

A-line 13

B-line 41

D-line 49

Actually, I just realized at line (23) it says "one problem with studying" which probably means there has been studies, maybe. Not sure. Any thoughts? That line could just as easily justify that no studies have been done since it is so difficult. Am I to assume that all difficult things have been done? Or perhaps that all things that are attempted qualify as have "some" done of it? Probably. This post seems to have sorted itself out, but you'll have another take on it. I'll post anyway.

Hey guys,

I revisited one of my old PTs and got stuck at this question because I am not really understanding what the stimulus is saying. It's about politics and yes, I have ZERO interest in politics so it is extra hard for me to see what the author is saying.

BTW, the link:

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-57-section-3-question-22/

Ok, so I do understand up to the point where the author's argument begins.

Poor candidates need money from rich dudes to win elections and therefore likely to compromise their views (to align their views with their patrons).

But this sentence is giving me a hard time: "But since the wealthy are dispersed among the various political parties in roughly equal proportion to their percentage in the overall population."

In roughly equal proportion to their percentage in the overall population? What? Does 'overall population' mean literally the population of a country? Or does it mean population of the party?

And what does this have anything to with whether or not the candidate will or not compromise?

POE got me to B because the others are very irrelevant but I really want to understand the logic behind it.

Currently on PT 57.

Due to time limitations I am taking every 1-2 LSATs as full length timed, and doing the in-betweens as timed sections. Devoting time to BR is also demanding so I make sure I have enough time to attend to both BR and taking timed tests/sections.

I'm currently scoring about 170-172 before BR. I managed to get 180 after BR on PT 56. My biggest weakness is still LR.

I have the entire month of September to devote towards this test. How can I make the final push for as high of a score as possible? Due to circumstances my goal is basically a 180 or as close to it as possible. This is my only chance for getting into one of the lower of the T14 schools.

I'm going over questions I got wrong and understanding what I did wrong. I'm also going over lessons from the syllabus when I find that a certain type of question is giving me a lot of trouble. Current weakness is LR where I am still getting many questions wrong.

With that in mind, how should I schedule my studying for this month? This is the final assault and I'm finding it VERY hard to increase score.

I just don’t see where the author endorses anything. The author, to me, doesn't seem to reveal anything about where he/she comes down on this debate. I just can’t find one word that would do this. It seems instead, that the author is going out of his/her way to stay detached using phrases such as “she points out”, “she maintains”, “they maintain” “Gluck observes”. Could someone please point out one word that indicates the author is not indifferent?? I hate to say it, but JY did not provide much of an explanation on this question, though he is great with the other questions. (Still got much love for you bro!)

Passage: http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-48-section-3-passage-2-passage/

Questions: http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-48-section-3-passage-2-questions

Okay guys so basically, I wrote a pt a few weeks ago only to get a 149. So I've drilled a ton in the meantime both in LG, some rc, and lots of LR. I take one today, and I got a 145 somehow. Misread a rule on a LG, crashed and burned so badly on RC. Did terribly. However, I've been BR'ing my test, without like at the answers as we are told here, and I've been adding in the BR'ed sections throughout the day.

So, I've got my 145 from todays pt, but with my BR im up to 156 and I've still yet to do my RC BR section (which I got like 9-10 right on - didnt even make it to the last passage at all ran out of time)

i'm hoping I'll end up at atleast 160 when I finish up my BR of this PT fully tomorrow morning, but I guess I've just gotta ask: What does this really mean for me? It felt like a punch in the stomach when I got such a low score back after I've put in so much careful work, but at the same time I feel like its so unrepresentative of what I'm capable of, even with my given skill at this moment. The BR kind of just made me think this more.. but what do you guys think?

Is it possible I'm just awful with timing but my fundamental skills are pretty solid?

How do I diagram this?

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-53-section-1-question-20/

Hi, is there a list of which logic games are included in which homework PDFs? For example, to which PDF does Preptest 29, Game 2 belong? I ask because I have these logic games printed out (without the cover page) and now I can't remember what goes where...and somehow am not finding it just sorting through the PDFs on my computer. Help?

EDIT: Heh, well I figured out which PDF my "orphan" games are from...I still think a reverse-lookup list might be helpful, though. :-)

For this question here:

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-50-section-2-question-21/

My question:

If E is right, it didn't resolve this discrepancy. Because E implies "if all and only those who ate a particular seafood dish at the restaurant contracted the illness", which only prove that contaminated dish caused the illness. But what official believe is that "contaminated seafood caused the cases of illness". "seafood" and "dish" is not a same thing.

So I understand that logic games now are on two pages to give more room to write out diagrams. This is great. How are you guys incorporating it into your practice though, just an extra sheet of paper? Also if they are two pages do you know if they are always on pages facing each other, so you can see both when the test book is open? Or is it possible that I'll have to flip pages to get from the first page to the second?

How about this question.

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-54-section-1-passage-3-questions/

I still confused about A and C.

In actually test, 54% people choose C and A only 31%

I still feel C make senses.