Did LR change in 40s or am I just getting dumber?

Princess

I don't know if I'm just getting worse at the LR timed sections or if the LR sections have changed, so this is normal. I was scoring -1 to -4 in the 30s.

Test 40: -6; BR:-2 and -9; BR -3
Test 43: -6; BR:-2 and -4; BR -2
Test 44: -10; BR:-3 and -6; BR -4
Test 45: -10; BR: -6 and -8; BR -1
Test 46: -8; BR -2 and -9 with BR -3

What is going on? From scoring -5 or less consistently to dropping to -10. Ugh I am so upset.

drbrown2

@Princess
Try taking a step back from these timed sections and focus on your review a bit. You are scoring the test before checking the answers on the last couple, and whenever I do that I am being overly results oriented. Your BR is showing you that you are lacking understanding on 2 or 3 questions per section, and the rest is either misreading or timing. Misreading is more of a priority over timing.

Practice summarizing the stimuli in less convoluted language during review, and label the entire argument (ctx, premises, conclusion). Do this a lot. You will begin to pay more attention to the structure under timed conditions and this will help you pinpoint the problem with the argument faster.

Timing can be addressed through practice, but will naturally improve as your reading accuracy improves.

Lastly, for the 2 or 3 questions you miss during BR, really focus in on why the wrong answers are wrong and why the right answer is right. Mark these so you can attempt them in a week and see if you are still making the same mistakes.

The language in newer LSAT sections is a bit different, particularly in the answer choices, but they are still testing the same concepts. Keep your head up! Once again, try not to be results oriented. Every missed question is an opportunity to learn. If you go -0 or -1 on an LR section timed, it feels really good, but you don't learn anything.

I am not advocating you stop doing timed sections, but maybe a 2 or 3 day break to focus on fundamentals will help you improve and help to keep you from studying while upset. This test is brutal, but all the work you put in will prepare you for the real thing and will eventually be worth it.

Princess

Thank you so much! I will definitely try your advise. You mentioned that maybe I should take a 2 or 3 day break to focus on fundamentals. What would that look like? Any suggestions?

@drbrown2 said:
@Princess
Try taking a step back from these timed sections and focus on your review a bit. You are scoring the test before checking the answers on the last couple, and whenever I do that I am being overly results oriented. Your BR is showing you that you are lacking understanding on 2 or 3 questions per section, and the rest is either misreading or timing. Misreading is more of a priority over timing.

Practice summarizing the stimuli in less convoluted language during review, and label the entire argument (ctx, premises, conclusion). Do this a lot. You will begin to pay more attention to the structure under timed conditions and this will help you pinpoint the problem with the argument faster.

Timing can be addressed through practice, but will naturally improve as your reading accuracy improves.

Lastly, for the 2 or 3 questions you miss during BR, really focus in on why the wrong answers are wrong and why the right answer is right. Mark these so you can attempt them in a week and see if you are still making the same mistakes.

The language in newer LSAT sections is a bit different, particularly in the answer choices, but they are still testing the same concepts. Keep your head up! Once again, try not to be results oriented. Every missed question is an opportunity to learn. If you go -0 or -1 on an LR section timed, it feels really good, but you don't learn anything.

I am not advocating you stop doing timed sections, but maybe a 2 or 3 day break to focus on fundamentals will help you improve and help to keep you from studying while upset. This test is brutal, but all the work you put in will prepare you for the real thing and will eventually be worth it.

studyingandrestudying

Maybe part of this is just that there's lots of different LR questions. The tests in the 40s weren't released as buyable PTs for awhile and there's been less discussion of them than many other tests, but that's changing as more people review these tests. If you haven't listened to it, there's a podcast discussion that may be helpful here: https://7sage.com/11-7sager-notmyname-148-to-174-lsat/.

drbrown2

@Princess said:
Thank you so much! I will definitely try your advise. You mentioned that maybe I should take a 2 or 3 day break to focus on fundamentals. What would that look like? Any suggestions?

The break would hopefully allow you to continue studying and improving without the pressure. By focusing on your scores and how they're going down, you are probably limiting your opportunities to learn from your mistakes. Once you realize that your scores will naturally fluctuate and that it doesn't matter that much, it should be easier to focus on weakness in your understanding. Then all this timed practice you're doing will be extra beneficial.

For fundamentals, you could take a section you've already done, and just label every part of each stimulus. Write out a summary in your own words in uncomplicated language for the more complex stimuli. Before looking at the answers, write down your prediction of the flaw in the argument or the weakness between the premises and conclusion. For MSS/MBT try to write down an inference before looking at the questions. For disagree questions, write down what the two speakers disagree about before looking at the questions. You might want to do an older PT first that you haven't recently done so the questions are fresh. When you do all this it is very mechanical and time consuming, but the more you practice it the easier it will be. During timed sections you wouldn't do this work, but the paraphrasing of complicated stimuli and the prephrasing of the hole in the argument will hopefully happen a little more intuitively in your head.

Either way taking a couple of days to practice under less pressure will get you back in the swing of things. You should return to the CC whenever you feel like translating conditional statements wasn't effortless or if you have trouble with a particular question type.

Lucas Carter

LR sections vary on fundamentals and types of informal/formal logic used. Certain sections will play to your strengths and weaknesses differently. There is very little inherent or objective differences in 1-86 LR (outside of 2 part stimuli and a few very minor anomalies). Focus on identifying what you are consistently missing and work to drill those parts.