How to get better at Flaw and Weakening questions?

Chloe Park

I consistently am getting -5 wrong on LR sections. However, most of the times those wrong answers are from Flaw and Weakening questions. I am blind reviewing, looking at explanations, and writing down each questions I get wrong with explanations as to why I got those questions wrong. I have done LR sections untimed with writing down the premise and conclusion along with timed, and I'm still stuck at around -5.

How do I get better at these questions? I feel like I'm doing all I can. Am I just doomed?

Ohnoeshalpme

Can you describe your procedure for flaw or weakening questions?

Chloe Park

@Ohnoeshalpme said:
Can you describe your procedure for flaw or weakening questions?

I try to see how the premises don't support the conclusion, and see if any of the answer choices best fits that. I'm not sure if I have a set out procedure other than that.

Ohnoeshalpme

@"Chloe Park" said:

@Ohnoeshalpme said:
Can you describe your procedure for flaw or weakening questions?

I try to see how the premises don't support the conclusion, and see if any of the answer choices best fits that. I'm not sure if I have a set out procedure other than that.

I think pre-phrasing for flaw or weakening questions can be a massive time sink and can be misleading when you get to answer choices. I suggest that you let the answer choices lead you instead of trying to find a flaw before addressing the answer choices. If you read through all of the answer choices and can't find an obvious flaw, take one more read of the stimulus and see if any of the answer choices apply to the stimulus. If they don't apply, circle the question and return to it later with fresh eyes.

Have you noticed that there is a trend in difficulty when you miss these questions? Do you miss flaw questions generally or are you only missing the hard ones?

Chloe Park

@Ohnoeshalpme said:

@"Chloe Park" said:

@Ohnoeshalpme said:
Can you describe your procedure for flaw or weakening questions?

I try to see how the premises don't support the conclusion, and see if any of the answer choices best fits that. I'm not sure if I have a set out procedure other than that.

I think pre-phrasing for flaw or weakening questions can be a massive time sink and can be misleading when you get to answer choices. I suggest that you let the answer choices lead you instead of trying to find a flaw before addressing the answer choices. If you read through all of the answer choices and can't find an obvious flaw, take one more read of the stimulus and see if any of the answer choices apply to the stimulus. If they don't apply, circle the question and return to it later with fresh eyes.

Have you noticed that there is a trend in difficulty when you miss these questions? Do you miss flaw questions generally or are you only missing the hard ones?

I will try not pre-phrasing, thank you! And there is no trend in difficulty, I tend to miss them generally.

FlashLSAT

Im currently studying Flaw/weakening questions. Here are some of the things that ive been finding useful.

Yes I've noticed with Flaw/descriptive weakening questions that pre phrasing can take alot of time when attacking these question types.

A couple of things ive noticed that are fundamental to flaw questions specifically is

Noticing the premise and conclusion. When these two parts of the stimulus are identified ask yourself the question how does the premise fall short of supporting the conclusion. This is not necessarily a prephrase its just a way of noticing that there is a gap in the relationship between the premise and the conclusion.

Pay attention to key modifiers in the Premise and Conclusion. the Premise might say some cars are black while the conclusion say ALL cars are black. The LSAT writers may find more subtle ways of modifying the conclusion slightly from the premise to make flaw questions more difficult.

Another aspect helps me is aggressively eliminating wrong answer choices. The hardest flaw questions have 2-3 answer choices that are pretty easy to eliminate. When dealing with less answer choices the correct answer choice will expose the stimulus's vulnerabilities. Also so many answer choices are descriptively accurate but do not pinpoint the flaw in the stimulus.

Really pay attention to the question stem. This may be like a duh moment when reading this piece of advice but the reason why im saying to really pay attention to the question stem is because it truly gives you the right mental framework you need to read the Answer choices and understand them in context of the stimulus. Being that these flaws Answer choices show up on multiple questions the question helps you fit the right answer choice to the question your focusing on.

Don't just review questions you get wrong review questions you get right as well. Try to squeeze as much lessons as you can out of one question right or wrong and you will naturally become faster and more easily notice flaws. hope this helps.

Chloe Park

@FlashLSAT said:
Im currently studying Flaw/weakening questions. Here are some of the things that ive been finding useful.

Yes I've noticed with Flaw/descriptive weakening questions that pre phrasing can take alot of time when attacking these question types.

A couple of things ive noticed that are fundamental to flaw questions specifically is

Noticing the premise and conclusion. When these two parts of the stimulus are identified ask yourself the question how does the premise fall short of supporting the conclusion. This is not necessarily a prephrase its just a way of noticing that there is a gap in the relationship between the premise and the conclusion.

Pay attention to key modifiers in the Premise and Conclusion. the Premise might say some cars are black while the conclusion say ALL cars are black. The LSAT writers may find more subtle ways of modifying the conclusion slightly from the premise to make flaw questions more difficult.

Another aspect helps me is aggressively eliminating wrong answer choices. The hardest flaw questions have 2-3 answer choices that are pretty easy to eliminate. When dealing with less answer choices the correct answer choice will expose the stimulus's vulnerabilities. Also so many answer choices are descriptively accurate but do not pinpoint the flaw in the stimulus.

Really pay attention to the question stem. This may be like a duh moment when reading this piece of advice but the reason why im saying to really pay attention to the question stem is because it truly gives you the right mental framework you need to read the Answer choices and understand them in context of the stimulus. Being that these flaws Answer choices show up on multiple questions the question helps you fit the right answer choice to the question your focusing on.

Don't just review questions you get wrong review questions you get right as well. Try to squeeze as much lessons as you can out of one question right or wrong and you will naturally become faster and more easily notice flaws. hope this helps.

Thank you so much! This is helpful advice.

thayray

Powerscore says: "Weaken questions often yield strong prephrases. Be sure to actively
consider the range of possible answers before proceeding to the
answer choices."

studyingandrestudying

@flashLSAT, How's it going? I'm working on these questions as well; as I go through more of them hopefully I'll have something to add.