Best tips

pajberman

I need your best tips on how to complete the LR!! I practice and practice and still cannot get them right! Thank you.

aussie_zac

1. Learn Conditional Reasoning until it's second nature
2. Learn Causal Reasoning until it's second nature
3. Learn the Common Flaws
4. Be able to identify questions types from the stem straight away
5. Have a step-by-step process for attacking each question type

I used an app called Anki to do this. You can make flashcards so I had one set for each of the points above and then practiced them using spaced repetition.
Make sure you write your flashcards both ways. Meaning for each QStem you should have the following cards:

1.
Q: Which of the following is Most Strongly Supported by the information in the passage?
A: MSS

2.
Q: What is an example of an MSS QStem?
A: Which of the following is Most Strongly Supported by the information in the passage?

Also, try and get a copy of The Loophole, that book is amazing and got me from -5 per section down to -1/-2 per section.

MIT_2017

I’m not sure if this is relevant to you, but also make sure you are reading at a fast but comfortable pace. Many people read too quickly, or are focused on the fact that they are taking a test, etc., and don’t go into the answer choices knowing what they are looking for because they were distracted. So then they’ll eliminate one or two answers, then inefficiently be going back and forth between the stimulus and the remaining ACs.

This is a terrible strategy. If you find yourself doing that, then try some untuned practice and go as slow as you need to such that after1 read of the stimulus and stem, you know what you are looking for (obviously this may not hold for very long/difficult questions, and question types like parallel pattern of reasoning, etc.).

Ultimately, for at least a quarter of the questions, you should know exactly what you are looking for, and for another 1/3 or so you should have a very good idea of what you are looking for. Much time can be made up by reading slowly but efficiently, rather than quickly but ultimately haphazardly.

drbrown2

@aussie_zac said:
1. Learn Conditional Reasoning until it's second nature
2. Learn Causal Reasoning until it's second nature
3. Learn the Common Flaws
4. Be able to identify questions types from the stem straight away
5. Have a step-by-step process for attacking each question type

This comes with time, practice, and patience. You really need to internalize the correct approach so you are able to focus in on the argument structure and the gaps in reasoning. If you have to think to yourself "What type of question is this?" you aren't quite there yet. Know the section inside and out so you would be able to teach a class on Logical Reasoning, then you will be able to devote the entire 35 minutes to figuring out the questions. I can confirm that the Loophole is a good book. After I worked through the 7sage materials, read the Loophole and the Trainer, I still had to do a bunch of blind review and timed practice. I think using several different materials helped me internalize everything I needed to know, but the practice was what really brought everything together. Everything you need is here in the 7sage CC.