BR score 10 points greater than timed PT score-How to close the gap?

MindyKale

I am scoring in the 165-170 range and my BR score shot up by +10 points.

Granted, I did my BR across 2 days, 2 sections each. I was plateauing for a while so I wanted to really sit and get to the root of the problem.

1. My most inconsistent hence worse performing section is RC. I attempt three passages in total(out of time) and I score around -5 (in total after reasonably guessing in the 4th passage).

2. I have some trouble of NA, PSA and SA questions which I am thinking could be fixed by drilling.

3. Games are usually fine, but if I picked up speed-I could check my work for accuracy and close the -2 to -1 gap that happens
   sometimes.

4. My biggest problem that leads to the staggering difference is mental fatigue/lack of focus/losing the ability to be 100% attentive as I reach the end of section 2 or start section 3. While I know meditation and such factors could help, I am also assuming, if it has to do with the fact that I am not moving fast enough/not answering the earlier LR questions fast enough and giving them too much thought thereby wasting mental energy instead of doing a turbo LR start.

I am looking to all of you people for insights and advice.

Thank you.

Sami

@MindyKale said:
I am scoring in the 165-170 range and my BR score shot up by +10 points.

Granted, I did my BR across 2 days, 2 sections each. I was plateauing for a while so I wanted to really sit and get to the root of the problem.

I love that you take your time to do blind review. I would like for you to keep that up. But at this point in your prep, I think you need to focus on section strategies -if you have not already started doing that. Do you record yourself each time you take a section and PT? I found this to be vital in seeing if I was following good section strategy and what was hindering my ability to get all the points I could.

1. My most inconsistent hence worse performing section is RC. I attempt three passages in total(out of time) and I score around -5 (in total after reasonably guessing in the 4th passage).

It's great that you are getting all questions correct in passage 1,2, and 3. But not being able to get to passage 4 while getting everything else right probably means that you are not willing to move on from answer choices with a less than very high degree of certainty. The cost of getting that type of question correct is probably 2 questions in passage 4. In general, if you take 4 minutes per passage to read, this will leave you 19 minutes for 27 questions. This means you have about 40 seconds per question in RC. You need to move on at less than a degree of certainty and be willing to circle it and get it wrong in order to get more questions correct. I have gotten good at this enough that in RC I end up having 3 minutes left over. So if I have 5 circles, I can chose which ones to attempt first and start closing in that gap from -5, to -4, to -3 and so on. But with your current strategy you don't get to make that choice. You don't get to miss the harder questions and get more of the ones you can get correct.

1. I have some trouble of NA, PSA and SA questions which I am thinking could be fixed by drilling.

I think question type trouble can definitely be fixed by drilling and brushing up on fundamentals.

1. Games are usually fine, but if I picked up speed-I could check my work for accuracy and close the -2 to -1 gap that happens
   sometimes.

I think the bigger question to ask is, why do you miss those to begin with?

1. My biggest problem that leads to the staggering difference is mental fatigue/lack of focus/losing the ability to be 100% attentive as I reach the end of section 2 or start section 3. While I know meditation and such factors could help, I am also assuming, if it has to do with the fact that I am not moving fast enough/not answering the earlier LR questions fast enough and giving them too much thought thereby wasting mental energy instead of doing a turbo LR start.

I couldn't meditate at all. But I have notice a difference with a workout after my LSAT prep and forcing myself to get to bed on time and getting that 8 hour sleep.

I am not sure what your actual speed is, but it could be similar to what you are doing with RC - which is not moving on from the first couple of questions when they give your trouble. I definitely don't push myself to be fast, I am fast because I can move to the next question by circling the current one if something doesn't see right -It doesn't matter what number questions that is. There is plenty of low-hanging fruits all throughout the section and I would be better off by doing a second round on anything that gave me trouble than trying to figure each and everything out within my first round.

In general, I think you could benefit from having a good section strategy as well as watching yourself in videos and figuring out what you do to stray from that strategy.

I hope this was helpful to you .

keets993

I have the exact same issue with RC. I'm just about starting the 4th passage at the 5 minute warning. It turns out I'm spending way too long on curve breaker questions only to get them wrong. That time adds up fastest in RC than the other two sections imo. I agree with the recommendations provided above. If you have video then watch it to see where you get hung up, it's helpful for all sections.

Your problem with SA, NA and PSA can be fixed by drilling. In fact, I really am starting to see them as 'easy points' something I never would've thought I'd said. I'd be careful with LG and make sure that you're not inadvertently sacrificing accuracy by trying to speed up.

Good luck!

MindyKale

@Sami

I love that you take your time to do blind review. I would like for you to keep that up. But at this point in your prep, I think you need to focus on section strategies -if you have not already started doing that.

By section strategy do you mean answering questions in a particular order?

Do you record yourself each time you take a section and PT? I found this to be vital in seeing if I was following good section strategy and what was hindering my ability to get all the points I could.

I haven't recorded myself yet but I'll try implementing it soon. I am still figuring out how to record a whole PT.
Currently I am just writing some quick notes post PT about what took time and at what parts I really suffered and when I pick 1 answer after debating 2 equally appealing ones, I write a short note on why I did that. I do this immediately after my PT lest I forget.

It's great that you are getting all questions correct in passage 1,2, and 3. But not being able to get to passage 4 while getting everything else right probably means that you are not willing to move on from answer choices with a less than very high degree of certainty. The cost of getting that type of question correct is probably 2 questions in passage 4. In general, if you take 4 minutes per passage to read, this will leave you 19 minutes for 27 questions. This means you have about 40 seconds per question in RC. You need to move on at less than a degree of certainty and be willing to circle it and get it wrong in order to get more questions correct. I have gotten good at this enough that in RC I end up having 3 minutes left over. So if I have 5 circles, I can chose which ones to attempt first and start closing in that gap from -5, to -4, to -3 and so on. But with your current strategy you don't get to make that choice. You don't get to miss the harder questions and get more of the ones you can get correct.

I have noticed that questions I struggle the most at are usually inference type. MSS in RC. I still don't have a consistent strategy for RC except writing one line-ish summary after every paragraph, I'd like to avoid it because writing is time taking.

I think the bigger question to ask is, why do you miss those to begin with?

Mostly subtle reading errors.For example: In this one grouping game on PT 71 the question asks for how many of group2 where as I chose the answer that applied to group1 because I misread it.
My current strategy to avoid this is to be able to get faster and save some time to recheck at least the questions I am unsure about. THose that I circle during timed prep.

I couldn't meditate at all. But I have notice a difference with a workout after my LSAT prep and forcing myself to get to bed on time and getting that 8 hour sleep.

Just started working out, goal is to exhaust myself at the gym so I won't think about small irrelevant things and get antsy about those that I can't fix definitely helps with sleep timings too.

I am not sure what your actual speed is, but it could be similar to what you are doing with RC - which is not moving on from the first couple of questions when they give your trouble. I definitely don't push myself to be fast, I am fast because I can move to the next question by circling the current one if something doesn't see right -It doesn't matter what number questions that is. There is plenty of low-hanging fruits all throughout the section and I would be better off by doing a second round on anything that gave me trouble than trying to figure each and everything out within my first round.

I think my problem with the whole approach of skipping questions is I am not sure when to skip, once the first few Qs are done (1-10) or (1-15) I am unsure if what I'll see further will be more difficult hence I've just spent this extra time reading the stimulus and instead of attacking it, I am just wasting time reading to pass on and read a totally other question. I don't know if that makes sense. So that is a mental barrier I am unable to shake off.

In general, I think you could benefit from having a good section strategy as well as watching yourself in videos and figuring out what you do to stray from that strategy.
I hope this was helpful to you .

Thank you so so much for your very comprehensive response.

moral law within

Hi @MindyKale
I'm almost exactly in the same position as you highlighted here. I don't know if you're still around here but, if so, what ended up working well for you?
Thanks.