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Upgraded to Ultimate +, what should I do to prepare for Sept 2018 LSAT?
lsatstudent97
Alum Member
I have been PTing for several weeks after completing the Ultimate CC. However, I felt the need to upgrade to Ultimate + due to the lack of improvement. How should I proceed to study for the September LSAT? Should I redo the CC or simply finish the new Problem sets before PTing again?
Thanks!
Comments
Would you be able to tell us a bit about your current performance (strong areas, struggles, score breakdowns, etc.)? That would be helpful in offering suggestions.
Most recent PT's averaged around 156 (timed conditions) and an average BR 163.
I'm currently struggling with NA, SA, and Parallel Flaw/Method of reasoning questions under LR (I usually go -6/LR section).
I also find myself choking with LG under timed conditions. -6 to -8 under timed and anywhere from -0 to -3 untimed. I think I will continue FPing to gain confidence and not panic during PT's.
At this point in time, would it be more effective to begin drilling question types (now that I have more problem sets available) before I continue PTing? Or should I continue with PTs and use the new problem sets along side the tests to practice
:
Thanks for your input!
Did you take a diagnostic? What are your LSAT goals? Generally, I think getting ultimate is always a good idea- but it may be prudent to review the core CC before diving into more PTs. Could you give us some more info on your goals and LSAT journey?
I would do the harder problem sets that you now have access to. Learning the information is more important than taking PTs over and over. How's your RC? Based on the scores you posted (-6, -6, -8), it seems like you'd be around -18 to be at a 156. Is that right? If so, focus on RC hardcore.
RC is probably my most inconsistent section. For instance, on PT 38 I was -14 for RC, -4 and -6 on LR, and -7 LG. And on PT 36 went -7 on RC (took a big hit on LR that test). I am definitely leaning towards redoing problem sets before continuing to PTs because of the large variances in RC and to some extent LR.
Thanks!
Take your time with it. You have more time than you think. Don't rush through the curriculum. I did and I had to redo. Make sure you understand things before moving on because the concepts build on top of each other.
If you haven't yet, I always recommend watching this webinar: https://7sage.com/webinar/post-core-curriculum-study-strategies/
It really helpfully breaks down how to gauge your progress and gives some ideas of ways to study.
The best way to use full PTs is as a sort of marker of your progress. I think 1 PT per week is best for most people. I would do mine on the weekend, PT on Saturday, then BR it on Sunday. During the week (or whatever your other study days are), I recommend doing drills, working through problems by question type, figuring out a skipping strategy that will help you, things of that nature. Timed sections are also really helpful. But you don't have to do a full PT all at once. Those are better used as markers of progress and a way to build up your endurance for test day.
One thing that people find helpful is doing confidence drills. This is basically going through a timed section and answering just as fast as possible. Don't second guess yourself, answer everything recklessly almost. Fast fast fast. That will help you to gauge your instincts.
Another strategy a lot of people use is writing out explanations. Say you do a timed section of LR. BR it, then go through on every question you got wrong and write out an explanation for why you chose the wrong answer, why it is wrong, and why the correct answer is correct. You can keep a journal of these to help see patterns and where you might be making mistakes.
Foolproofing is also extremely helpful on building speed and knowledge for LG. I highly recommend you do it.
Figuring out a way to skip questions is also a valuable skill. It looks a little different for everyone. For me, I figured out that rule substitution questions were killing my speed in LG. I'd get caught up in them and waste too much time. Once I started skipping those and moving on, my LG score instantly went up by several points. It's those little things that can really help. Go for those low hanging coconuts!
Remember that most of your improvement is not going to be in taking the PTs themselves, but in BR. That's where you are really doing the dirty work. Make sure not to rush that. It's tedious, but really is so helpful.
I feel like there was one more thing I was going to say and can't remember it now... haha. This has been long enough though. Good luck!
With the discrepancy between your RC sections and the rest of the test, I would start drilling RC. It's you're biggest opportunity for improvement, and it seems like you have a good understanding of LR/LG.