Seeing drop in PT scores- looking for tutor

annabennett20

Hi all - I'm looking for a remote tutor or anyone who could give some advice/sessions around once a week or so. After completing the core curriculum, I started PTing with tests 1-35 and was averaging 161-166. However, after moving on to PTs in the 50+ range, I've seen a significant drop in my average score down to around 158. On the early PTs, I typically was scoring around -2 to -4 on LG, but now am averaging around -6 to -8, so I'd really like some help on figuring out how to get my LG back up. I've seen a similar trend with RC as well, where I used to average around -4 to -6 and am now fluctuating all the way to -10. Anyone willing to help would be super appreciated!

mnkim

If you PT 1-35 AFTER the CC, then there's going to be an overlap of question's you've already done. Naturally, your score will be higher on those PTs. Aside from that though, I do think that PTs in the 40s were mostly very bland and also saw a few points drop after hitting 60+. There are some changes in wording over the years, as well as the adoption of the comparative passage in RC and the discontinuing of double question passage in LR.

My advice to you would depend on your target score and the amount of time you're willing to invest. If you're looking for 170+ and have time on your hands to do most if not all the PTs, grind LG on 1-35 until you can do all the questions under time. If you are not improving, don't start more PTs. This is because you ideally want to reach your target score before using up all the PTs as you might have to leave some for the potential second or third exam. If 161-166 is your target range or if you are on a tighter schedule, I think it should be fine to use up more PTs in a shorter period of time to gain test experience while also grinding LG sections that you've already done.

Also, evaluate how you handled the PT. Not just talking about BR. Ask yourself, did I manage my time correctly, or was there a time sink? Did I make all the necessary inferences for that game?

Juliet - Student Service

Hi @annabennett20,

We have a list of approved private tutors here: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/comment/68763

This is our required disclaimer: Please note that 7Sage takes no responsibility for anything that happens during these tutor sessions. We are unaffiliated with these tutors, and do not receive any commissions or kickbacks from them. We are not vouching for them in any way other than we expect they would make good tutors. To become a tutor, you must be either a ⭐️ member or a Sage and be approved by 7Sage staff.

annabennett20

Thanks for your super detailed response, I really appreciate it! My target score is ideally 165 and I'm planning on sitting for the June test, with the possibility of retaking in August if I need to. With that timeline in mind, would you recommend still drilling 1-35 LG sections and doing less PTs or focusing more on PTs? For the past 3-4 weeks I've been taking around 2 PTs/week and using the core curriculum material from 1-35 to drill in between, while trying to drill with material I didn't PT with. I feel like my biggest struggle is just figuring out how to divide up the material for drills vs. PTs.

mnkim

If your goal is to improve from 158 to 165, don't restrict yourself to just drilling. What you've been doing the past 3-4 weeks sounds like a good plan. However, I don't recommend using any of the newer PTs (70+) for drills; save them for actual test prep. If finding drill material is the problem, don't hesitate to drill with PTs you've already taken, especially LG. Redoing games might feel boring but it's a good way of making inferences a habit.