I did PT 78 today (spoiler alert?)

I got stuck on a few LR questions I did not realize were difficult until I spent 2 minutes on them (I read the stimulus slow, but I only realize a qusetion is difficult once I get through all the ACs).

I also noticed the last RC passage was easiest, but was put off by the "science" topic (and I saw it had very few questions, so I figured it would be hard). I spent too much time on the second passage, which I found the hardest since I had no clue what was going on

I was hesitant to start the last passage because I did not want to be "jumping" aorund, or what if the last passage was harder? Did I waste all this time?

So, this sounds like a stupid question but -- how do you know when to skip? How do I know if an LR question will be easy or hard? Sometimes what looks easiest, given the stimulus and the passage, turns out to be the hardest, and vice versa.

I know when to skip games (think PT 77 game 3 lol yikes)

Does anyone have any advice on this issue? :)

they are killing my score!!!

I've been doing tiny summary of each paragraph. is this still a good idea?

HELP

Would be possible for the site to display the target time for each game in the analytics summary after each problem set or PT rather than just on the explanation page for each game? No worries if not, I just thought I'd ask!

I have trouble recognizing these sentences in the LG sections I know they are fallacies, but how do I know a sentence is a sufficient not a necessary condition or vice versus ?

Hi Everyone!

I have a couple of questions about the digital LSAT.

I know there are a few differences between 7Sage's platform and the actual test, but I looked at the digital tester provided by LSAC and noticed that you can select your section and the number of questions per section appear at the bottom. I am doubtful that this will be the format for the actual test (seems too good to be true), but does anyone have any insight about this?

Also, how much time is there between sections (not including the break, of course)? I am thinking it's somewhere between 5-10 seconds?

Lastly, is anyone aware of any restrictions pertaining to medications that can be brought into the testing room?

Thanks in advance!!

Hi everyone,

I have lately been feeling really defeated and frustrated with this exam and the whole journey to law school. This is my second time applying to law school (Candian law schools). I wrote the LSAT last January and got a really low score. I started studying again mid July. I have started to hit 155 untimed. My aim is 160- 165. Even a 160 would do at this point. I have realized that you need to be patient with this exam. I have been wrong to expect immediate results. That has been my biggest mistakes. This time I am taking as much time as I need to study the concepts, and learn them well. I am also focusing on my weaknesses. I feel that will really help with increasing my score. My LG score ranges 18-22, but I struggle with timings. I am scoring 13-17 on the LR. In that area I keep getting the same type of questions wrong (which is good because then I just can practice on my weaknesses).

My question is,

Am I being realistic with thinking that I can go from 155 untimed to 160-165 timed by January. I do not want to make the same mistake and assume that I will be ready by a certain time. The reason why January is an option because majority of the schools I applied to accept that as the last score. Only 2-3 schools accept the February score, which is also an option). But that would be super late in the cycle, but would get me a good score.

Any advice would be appreciated. Really losing hope at this point :(

Thanks.

What do I do?

What do I study?

I was contemplating doing a couple of PTs.

Or should I do one full one, BR it, and then do drills? Make my own PT with the hardest questions i can find?

I am almost out of fresh PTs (have like 5 or 6 left)

I am scoring early 160s, I am seriously hoping for 160+ this week

I have been studying full time since I joined, and really want this to be the last time I write

What do you think?

Good luck to everyone writing!

Any tips would be nice :)

Hi. I purchased LSAT Starter pack and bunch of extensions, Prep tests 83, prep tests 85-88.

In this post,

https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/21740/i-bought-a-starter-pack-with-bunch-of-extension-would-i-still-see-pt-88-lg-with-this-condition

In this previous post which I tagged, a 7 Sage administrator ( I am assuming) responded that I will STILL have LG explanation video access for the Preptests I purchased and paid for even after November 15th.

Right now, I do not have an access to PT 88 and any other Preptest i purchased 's LG explanation videos, even though i paid and purchased the right to access. So I hope some fixing can be done.

I'm an international application and i'm working on my why x essays.

Would it be an disadvantage for me if i write about wanting to work for the government of my country (Korea) after i graduate their law school?

I'm thinking of working for the ministry of foreign affairs after graduating.

Thanks!

Just needed to share this with someone, it has been incredibly hard to miss out on so many social events, be isolated from people and not be as healthy (neglecting gym and nutrition) as a result of studying so much! I was feeling really down today, but took a PT anyway.

The RC section was absolutely brutal, I flagged like 9 questions and was sure this was gonna be my worst score yet. I guess this also serves as a valuable lesson to never give up and not try and guess how you did mid-test, just move on and persevere!

Actually slightly upset with myself for letting myself get demotivated by the RC section. I may have been able to do way better on the last LR section if I didn't get down on myself. But either way I got a 175 and I am quite proud and excited!

seriously i always do this and its such a stupid reason to loose marks... any tips? Am i just being too rushed or lazy or not bothering to understand a rule. i always tell myself i will pay more attention next time but end up mixing things up...

The videos are down from youtube but they are still available on the 7sage website for free. Is this supposed to be the case? You don't have to pay for a course to get these explanations.

I’m sure this has been asked a thousand times, but I’m all desperate and antsy for advice on my particular situation

I’m taking the LSAT on Dec 5th (due to accommodations), and I just can’t seem to improve on LG. I haven’t studied too much for the other sections and tend to average -5 on RC and -10 on LR combined. Yet SOMEHOW, despite spending two months studying for LG, I’ve only managed to get through two of the games, and on my last two PT’s, I could only get through one. What throws me off is the game board setup. I am really, really bad at recognizing what kind of game it is (unless it’s super basic and obvious), and creating an efficient game board. Also, at making inferences. I know that LG is the section that can most be improved upon, and that’s part of what makes me feel so frustrated. I should be leaps and bounds beyond where I am now, given how much I’ve studied. I know there’s a handy PDF for mastering the LG’s, and I intend to drill drill drill the next two weeks, but I’m wondering if any of you sagers have any sage advice? Is there some magical PDF out there that lists every game type and the corresponding board? Once I get the board right, the questions (usually) come easy. The setup just kills me.

Thanks!

By far my worst section is LG. My performance is very inconsistent, sometimes -2/-4 other times -9/-11. I think part of the reason my PT scores have been low is because my anxiety about doing well in this section impacts my thought patterns. There's one week left before the November test, and I thought I'd spend this week working through the hardest (4- and 5-star rated) games to improve my confidence. Do you think this is a good strategy? Is there anything else you recommend I do to improve?

Hey everyone,

So I am taking the test in one week for the first time. I am happy with my LG and LR scores but I cannot seem to imrpove on RC. I thought by now, my score would have improved but it hasnt. It is very inconsistent. Any advise on how to improve or if it is even possible to improve in a week?

I am currently writing a “Why X?” Essay and was wondering how should I format the header. Also does anyone have any tips regarding this type of essay?

I’ve been to nearly every lsat tutor and training program there was, and I just haven’t given this test the effort it needs in order to improve. I’m hoping by taking a test a day and doing my best to practice all that I can, whilst being in my senior year at NYU can help!

If you have any tips, advice, or ANY comments at all please let me know below!

How should I study?

Too ambitious?

So previously I PTed using newer tests in the 60s and 70s, and logic games seemed to be one of my better sections. However, once I tried taking older tests in the 30s, logic games have become harder out of nowhere for me. Do the older tests just have a harder difficulty to them or something? Anyone else have the same problem?

I am back to discuss another cookie cutter argument form. Here is the link to the cost benefit argument structure that I posted about previously: https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/21220

This one is known as Phenomenon Hypothesis. In this argument form, an observation about the world is made, followed by a proposed explanation. This post will discuss some common answer choice types LSAC uses to effect the strength of a hypothesis in explaining a phenomenon or observed occurrence.

1. Affirm/Deny Mechanism

Tells us exactly how the hypothesis would explain the phenomenon.

For example, if I say: there is a correlation between white blood cells and strong immune systems, therefore white blood cells cause strong immune systems.

A mechanism would be explaining a plausible way for white blood cells to improve immune systems. Like: white blood cells contain disease fighting chemicals that kill all bad bacteria. So this information strengthens our hypothesis by providing a plausible mechanism.

To deny the mechanism or weaken, we would show that white blood cells have nothing to do with the immune system.

2. Corroborating Data Set

This is when we bring in a new data set which corroborates or jives with the notion that our hypothesis explains our phenomenon.

For example, if I say: bees left a part of Florida that was experiencing a heat wave, so it probably was the heat which drove them out.

A corroborating data set could show that a heat wave happened recently in Nevada and the bees left as soon as it began. This corroborates our hypothesis and makes it stronger by showing that we introduced the purported cause and got the intended effect, right away. This does not make our hypothesis have to be true, but it does make it more plausible or strengthen it.

3. Competing Data Set

The opposite of a corroborating data set. So, a new set of info that makes our hypothesis a less attractive means of explaining the phenomenon.

To stick with the bee example, we could show that another state experienced a heat wave and the bees stayed put. This would show that we have our purported cause without the effect. This does not kill the argument entirely, but it does weaken or make it slightly less plausible.

4. Consequences

Science operates on eliminating hypotheses. We determine what would be necessary if a hypothesis were true. Such that:

Hypotheses true——> Consequences True

Next, we test those consequences. If they are not true, the hypotheses is not true. If they are true, our hypotheses does not need to be true but it lives to fight another day. We then find more additional consequences that would be true and test those. The hypothesis that survives this consequence testing is deemed best and closest to truth, until proven otherwise.

Example:

There was a UFO sighted over Nevada, close to Area 51, it must be aliens.

A consequence of this hypothesis being true would be that aliens exist, are able to travel, or can build things. If we find out any of these are untrue, the hypothesis is no longer possible.

This form is sort of like a Necessary Assumption for science.

5. Block/Introduce Alternative

This answer choice would either build up or break down a competing hypothesis.

In our Alien example, we could say that the US military was conducting weapons testing during the time the UFO was reported and in close proximity to the sighting.

This being true would explain the observed phenomenon without our hypothesis needing to be true. It also is more plausible than our hypothesis. So, our argument would be weakened.

To block out such an alternative, we would just say that the US military was on holiday the day of the sighting and conducted 0 activity in Nevada. Ruling out an alternative hypothesis, helps make our hypothesis slightly more likely.

6. Temporal Affirmation

If a hypothesis is going to explain a phenomenon, it needs to make sense time wise.

For example:

On Monday, it rained and the highway had 35 car accidents. Normally, there are only 10 accidents per day. I hypothesize the rain created poor driving conditions and thus more accidents.

For this to work, we need the additional accidents to have happened after the rain. To strengthen the hypothesis, we say that the day was average at first and the accidents piled up after the rain

To weaken this, we show that there were already 32 accidents that day, before the rain.

7. Irrelevant

Most Answer choices you see on phenomenon hypotheses questions will have nothing to do with how the hypothesis explains the phenomenon.

Always ask yourself: Does this piece of information have any bearing on how the hypothesis explains the observed phenomenon?

For our Alien example, some irrelevant answer choices might look like:

Aliens are more intelligent than Lizards.

Human beings do not have sophisticated enough means to communicate with Aliens

The UFO was sighted by 3 people with doctorate degrees

A similar sighting happened in Nebraska, in 1984.

These things are all great, but they do not address whether or not the object was in fact Aliens!

This list is not meant to be exhaustive and I am sure there are many other ways to strengthen or weaken such arguments. Feel free to share any others below :)

With the exception of my first, my PTs have been staggeringly low (150s) though my blind review hits the high 160s (one 170). My most inconsistent section is LG (I can be -2/3 or -10/11) and though I've tried foolproofing, I'm still not seeing much improvement. My LR is also somewhat crap, as I can score anywhere from -4 to -8/9. I'm beyond frustrated and crestfallen-- I'm putting in the work (I've been studying nearly full time since June) and am not anywhere near where I want to be.

Here's the problem: taking the January test would significantly reduce my chances of getting accepted this cycle because of the delayed review of my application. And yes, I'd lose $200 which sucks but that's the least of my problems.

Any advice you have here would be hugely helpful.

If you come across a MBT, for example, or if you have game boards that are completely filled in, do you automatically move on once you see your answer, or do you still check each AC to be sure?

I have a few times thought I made all the possible GBs, picked the first answer, then saw if I had kept going through the AC's that I would've noticed two possible correct choices, and realized an error.

If we are going for -0, should we trust the game boards and go on for speed, and hope an error hasn't been made, or do you still spend time checking each one?

Thanks so much!!

I know this is going to get a lot of flak by those here. But if someone already has a well established career in SW engineering that pays 6-figure income and opportunity cost of going to LS is only worth if HYS accept (due to academia goals), then:

is a 4th/5th reapplication worth it?

It already looks neurotic/superbad but other than the 3rd time (cycle which hit record applicants), other times all had issues with lowLSAT or late-app.

Is there no sense anymore and it's done?

I legitimately have near 100% accuracy on five star questions, but am constantly getting one and two stars wrong. I just did a PT and got 171, but I missed 4 1-star LR questions. It just doesn't make sense to me, how do I train myself to go for the obvious answers when necessary? For example PT66 S2 Q8. I spent 2.6 minutes on this question and got it wrong, meanwhile getting every single 4 and 5 star question correct in under 1.25 minutes.

I want to give a shout out to @hhhakobian for being my study buddy. He has really elevated my critical thinking and logical reasoning skills. Even though he is a lot more advanced than I, he still takes time for our weekly session. I recently saw a big score jump on my last PT and I know I wouldn't be where I am without his guidance and advice. I have also made the switch to studying for shorter periods of time 5 or 6 days a week, versus longer periods of time just a few days a week. I think that has also helped.

@hhhakobian good luck on the Nov. LSAT! You're a rockstar and are going to kill the test, I know it.

Kat

Please let me know your thoughts! I don't work for the LSAC, so I know that I'm not a professional. I thought writing a few questions would help my LR studies. If you have time, please let me know what you think, how hard it was, how easy it was, where I made a mistake, etc, thanks!

Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease,

is one of the leading causes of death in Country X.

Studies show that individuals who eat a diet high in

trans-fats have a higher chance of being diagnosed with

heart disease. Burritos, a popular Mexican entree commonly

consumed by in Country X, contain high calories. Therefore,

a person who consumes burritos regularly has a higher

chance of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.

The argument relies on assuming which one of the following?

A) People of Country X generally know that burritos are unhealthy

B ) If all people eat burritos less, they would invariably be healthier

C) In country X, eating foods with high calories will raise one’s trans-fat

consumption by at least some amount

D) Eating any food with high calories will result in heart disease

E) Generally, refraining from a high fat diet is better than a diet that

includes a high amount of fat