I need some advice

smseraj3

I've been studying seriously since February and am worried about my progress. I started with a 134 cold diagnostic and the highest PT ive gotten is a 156. My score has been stagnant for a while. LR was my weakest section so I focused on that for 2 months and haven't gotten much better (still averaging -12 to -8). I'm not sure what to do since Im registered for the June test. A 160 is all i really want. Should I focus on all sections of the test again or stay focused on LR for now?

Thanks

NotMyName

Hey there. Thanks for sharing your struggle. You're definitely not alone in this! This test is a beast and your 22 point increase is a real accomplishment.

What is you BR currently at? (total and for each section would be helpful).

It seems like there are several ways to attack a plateau including skipping strategies, looking for underlying weaknesses (deeper than question type; like grammar), and even recording yourself taking a section.

You may also consider a tutor. If that is something that interests you, check out this discussion forum: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/4760

With regards to the June test, you've got some time to make adjustments, but not a lot of time. It may be in your best interests to postpone. That is a difficult decision and I would recommend reading some (there are lots) of previous discussions in the forum about postponing. Many of us, myself included, delude ourselves into believing that we can have a supernatural test day performance and score beyond what our PTs tell us and into the "wishful thinking range". Positive thinking is one thing, delusion that leads to a wasted take is quite another.

tanes256

I would return to the curriculum and do thorough BR. For each question write an explanation for all five AC. J wouldn't worry about timing right now. I think you need to determine what is specifically giving you an issue with each question type. I would postpone June and focus solely on LR for the moment. For mental breaks throw in some LG. You don't want to throw away points there. No worries! You've got this and you're not alone in this!

Alex

@tanes256 said:
I would return to the curriculum and do thorough BR. For each question write an explanation for all five AC. J wouldn't worry about timing right now. I think you need to determine what is specifically giving you an issue with each question type. I would postpone June and focus solely on LR for the moment. For mental breaks throw in some LG. You don't want to throw away points there. No worries! You've got this and you're not alone in this!

Definitely agree with this and JKatz above. Postpone June and give yourself the time you need and deserve to ace this thing.

Go through your analytics and figure out what is giving you trouble. Set out a goal every study session and avoid what I call "flurries of work." This is something I will fall into where I just sort of do random drills and re-read chapters without really first setting out an objective.

What's really helped me, specifically with LR, is to spend all the necessary time to write explanations, but also to take notes and work to understand why I missed that question and why did I choose the wrong answer and skipped over the right one. It's usually misreading, misunderstanding, or a skill we lack. I think because there are thousand of LR questions we tend to move on too quickly from the ones we miss more quickly. And we can't learn/fool proof them like LG, so they can be hard to get down. A quality over quantity approach has worked nicely with LR for me. I use to do 25-50 questions of a type and review. Now I do 10-15 and spend the extra time reviewing and go over every detail.

Lastly, when I return to the CC/books I use to review what I'm having problems with, I take notes, in my own words, about that question type and actively seek out what I am not understanding.

You've already come so far with over 20 points of increase! You have (at LEAST) 5 more points in you, I know it and believe in you!

TexAgAaron

I agree with everything said above. As someone who has pushed the test back twice, don't feel bad if you have to wait till September to take it. You are so close! Don't wing it if you feel like you don't have a great shot at achieving your target score.

I'm slightly in the same boat with LR. Go back and zero in on where your weaknesses are (the analytics is a great way to check), and then go rework these problems just like everyone above me said. I started doing this yesterday and already figured out something new! You have already gained over 20 points! If you have already accomplished that, then I have no doubt you can achieve 5 more or even more than that!

Sami

@smseraj3 said:
I've been studying seriously since February and am worried about my progress. I started with a 134 cold diagnostic and the highest PT ive gotten is a 156. My score has been stagnant for a while. LR was my weakest section so I focused on that for 2 months and haven't gotten much better (still averaging -12 to -8). I'm not sure what to do since Im registered for the June test. A 160 is all i really want. Should I focus on all sections of the test again or stay focused on LR for now?

Thanks

One thing you don't want to do is stop drilling the other sections. LG in particular requires a constant upkeep in skills or you'll forget the inferences that you learned. People say that's not the case in RC but I have found that to be false. So definitely keep up with other sections as well.

As far as LR goes, you have to really focus on what about that stimulus gave your trouble; was it the logic/grammar/or just the newness of it. Try to draw parallel arguments or even go back to the curriculum to do a refresher.

I would really suggest to not focus on the test date as much as just focus on learning and doing your best. Whenever you are ready, then register for the test and take it. This will help your mind focus on what it needs to focus -learning.