Is the "sunk costs" fallacy sinking my LR timing?

LetsHigh5

Quick question for everyone regarding LR timing.

Here's a scenario:
1. I sail through #1-10 range and now, I'm on to the difficult ones in the 11-23 range (usually the last 1-2 aren't as bad).
2. On several question in that group, there is a tricky stimulus (arcane, lots of negative statements, modifiers, etc.). But I think I've read it reasonably well.
3. I go to the questions and narrow it down to two answer choices, looking for subtle differences relative to each other, and to the conclusion. But, it's not readily apparent and in the back of my mind, I know this added scrutiny is eating up precious time off the clock. So, do I...

(A) skip the question and come back to it later on. Or...
(B) quickly make an educated guess and move on?

My concern is that I don't want to engage in the "sunk costs" fallacy and finish out then, simply because I've invested so much time in it already. Yet I also don't want to skip a difficult stimulus, only to come back to it later on and have trouble remembering all of the key components of the question again, rather than just answering when they are fresh in my mind.

Any thoughts/tips? How long do you wait before pulling the trigger to answer or to skip? I'm especially interested in people who have tried out both strategies above and prefer one over the other. Or, perhaps rather than "A" and "B" above, there is a strategy "C" that I'm unaware of. In fact, give me ANY advice you all have when it comes to finishing an LR because I sure as hell can't seem to do it.

Thanks in advance, everyone.

P.S. Yes, I have seen the 7Sage webinar "Skip It". Alas, I'm still unsure what do in this particular kind of situation.

Cant Get Right

@LetsHigh5 said:
I also don't want to skip a difficult stimulus, only to come back to it later on and have trouble remembering all of the key components of the question again, rather than just answering when they are fresh in my mind.

So, here's the key issue. You're missing an essential point of skipping. A lot of times, the reason we can't differentiate between two answer choices is precisely because we're misunderstanding/missing a key component (or minor detail). Continuing on with this missing piece still missing is not going to help you. When you come back to the question later, do it with a blank slate. Start over. More often than not, the missing component jumps out at me and I knock these out really quickly and with really high confidence. Getting space from the question is an enormous benefit of skipping, not something to be concerned about.

More directly to your question: If you're 60/40, go ahead and pick your 60%. If you're 50/50, you can either leave it or flip a coin. I normally just leave it alone, but if timing is at all an issue, it might be better to go ahead and put something down. A lot of the times when I have a true 50/50 it means I've eliminated the right answer, lol, so keep an open mind as you revisit the question.

LetsHigh5

Thanks for the prompt and thorough reply, Josh. You make some great points. In addition to posting this here, I emailed my LSAT instructor from Manhattan Prep (who got a 180) to get his perspective, too. He said:

"(B), but make a note on it. If I have time, I'll come back and check it more. While it will take a bit of time to get back up to speed later, it might also "click" better with some time to sink in. Also, if I don't have time to get back to it, I'll be happier with my 50-50 shot there (though, honestly, more likely 75-25 because there should be one you're leaning towards, and there should be a good reason for that) and a solid shot at another question than skipping a question (so 20% chance I get it right) and making that 75-25 into, if I'm lucky in the next minute of thinking about a question I'm already struggling with, 85-15."

Again, I really appreciate you taking the time to help. Speaking of which, do you still offer tutoring? If so, I'd definitely be interested in setting something up via direct message or email.

Cant Get Right

I really like thinking in terms of probability like that. There will be many questions on the test that even the highest scorers aren't 100% on. It's not about trying to work towards 100%, and I think the 100% mentality is one of the biggest elements of the 160's plateau specifically. It's about trying to maximize the probabilities, not figuring everything out with certainty. Working your 25/75's up to 50/50's will show an enormous return. Working your 50/50's up to 60/40's or 75/25's is likewise a significant jump in points. You've got to look at the big picture, and shifting the odds has a meaningful impact on your score. You don't have to get every question right (even for a 180), you've just got to get enough questions right. If you probabilities add up to those points, then you should be consistently scoring where you want to be. If you've ever seen Moneyball, it's kinda like that.

I am still tutoring, although I do currently have a short waitlist. I believe the wait is likely to be very brief though, so feel free to PM if you'd like to talk.