A hardcore BR strategy to minimize the gap btw the timed score and BR score

TheoryandPractice

I wanted to share a strategy that's been working for me.

When I do BR, my question isn't "am I comfortable with this question?". My question is rather, "did I tackle this question in the most efficient way possible?" Because in a lot of cases, I might be comfortable with a question, have gotten it right, but have spent way more time than needed. Also, there's usually a reason why I spent more time than needed: I might be lacking some crucial skills.

I time myself not just the overall time spent on a section, but the time I took for each question. If I thought a question was easy, but spent over 1:25+, I didn't solve that question as efficiently as possible. If the reason, for example, is because I didn't identify the conclusion in the most precise way and had to go back to the stimulus, that tells me that I still need to work on identifying the conclusion precisely. I need to improve on that skill.

So here's what I do.

1. Did I tackle this question in the most efficient way possible?
2. Why didn't I ? Where did I spend too much time?
3. What does that mean? What skill might I need to improve on? (be specific with the skill: need to pay more attention to the logical indicators, need to identify the conclusion correctly...etc)
4. After writing down the skill needed to solve the question more efficiently, compile them and try to find a general trend. What skill do I need to work on in general?
5. Before starting the next PT, write down on the section: pay special attention to this skill as I am tackling this PT.

Repeat

I think this helps me to

1. Identify and consciously focus on the skills that I need to work on
2. Care more about building the right habits and skills than getting the questions right or wrong
3. minimize gap btw the actual score and the BR score, because I am mastering the techniques to be efficient during the actual exam.

GRANTED, there are still some questions that I have absolutely NO IDEA about even after BR.
Those require the most analysis.
But usually my actual and BR scores are pretty similar.

FYI tho, this strategy takes A LONG TIME in the beginning. Sometimes I take 3~4 hours BRing a single section. But I think it's worth it.

partyondudes

thanks for sharing, @TheoryandPractice!

Sami

Thanks for sharing @TheoryandPractice. You are asking all the right questions and I ask the same ones for myself. Thank you for writing it down for all of us

Cant Get Right

Yeah, this is a great BR methodology. We can't find the right answers until we ask the right questions. It's this level of depth that we've really got to get into if we want to perform at a high level and close the gap between timed and BR test scores.

Bevs ScooterMinion

This is superb! Thank you for sharing your methodology!! ...bookmarking for sure!...

AlexanderCM

Question: how do you time per question easily?

TheoryandPractice

Use any phone/ ipod touch and go to stopwatch. Press start and after each question, press "lap." That will keep track of both the time spent on each Q and the overall time spent

Bevs ScooterMinion

@TheoryandPractice said:
Use any phone/ ipod touch and go to stopwatch. Press start and after each question, press "lap." That will keep track of both the time spent on each Q and the overall time spent

I do exactly the same thing, with one addition:
- I use the analog stopwatch instead of the digital stopwatch (swipe left to see that face). The "lap" feature is the same in either face.
- There is a 30 minute "interior" timer which helps overall (yes, I'm trying to get my section time down to 30 minutes), plus there is a digital total time below the 30 minute timer as well (which I try to ignore).

I do this so I get used to the analog clock face & hands, since that's all we can have in the real test.

I've changed all my digital clocks to analog faces for the purpose of getting used to it before real test time. I'm a nerd.

NotMyName

Thanks for sharing @TheoryandPractice ! I'm definitely going to incorporate this into my practice.

@ScooterMinion i will also be adopting your timing approach. I think it's helpful to recreate test day conditions as much as possible. Thanks for sharing!

partyondudes

@"Bevs ScooterMinion" said:

@TheoryandPractice said:
Use any phone/ ipod touch and go to stopwatch. Press start and after each question, press "lap." That will keep track of both the time spent on each Q and the overall time spent

I do exactly the same thing, with one addition:
- I use the analog stopwatch instead of the digital stopwatch (swipe left to see that face). The "lap" feature is the same in either face.

Just a note, you can find the analog stopwatch in Apple's Clock app only if you're using iOS 10. For those with Apple devices that are too old to be updated to iOS 10 (like me ), there are other analog stopwatch apps out there, such as these: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/classic-stopwatch-virtual-mechanical-chronometer-analog/id622509131?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stopwatch-plus-best-fitness-time-tracking-watch/id556070101?mt=8

If you're an Android user, this app might work for you: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=goroblockapps.com.stopwatch1

JustDoIt

Dude...this has already helped times a million. I look at it before every RC now. Thank you so so much!