Tackling the LSAT by Sections instead of as a whole???

sanchezeric821

Hey guys just wanted to see if anyone has thought of this strategy or is doing this. Lately Ive just been focusing on Logic games. Since I'm retaking the test in April, I figured I'm better off hitting one section hard instead of trying to improve on the test as a whole. As you may already figured out the LSAT doesn't give you an increase in points right away instead you have to reach a boiling point of improvement until it translates into actual score increases. What do you all think of this?

offy0c-1-1

I was doing that for a while for the LR section, and yes I did improve on LR. But I don't think it is a good strategy, because I neglected to practice the other sections. For me personally it did not work, I did see improvements in one section, but now I am attempting to revisit info that I missed in the other sections.

We are all different though, just giving advice based on my experience .

Matt Sorr

I disagree a bit and agree a bit with @offy0c-1-1. I agree that, for most people, if you focus on a section for an extended period of time (like 2+ weeks) without looking at the other sections at all, you risk regressing a bit in those neglected sections. I disagree that tackling by section isn't a good strategy, though.

Particularly for LG, I've found focusing on it almost exclusively for 1+ week to be a great strategy. Instead of totally neglecting LR and RC while I focused on LG for a while, I would spend, say, 80% of my time on LG and give 10% to LR and 10% to RC. A normal day of studying for me would look something like this: complete a timed section of LG, review the explanation videos, reattempt the games, do five or six LR questions (two or three easier ones and two or three harder ones), and do an RC passage (alternating each day between an easier RC passage and a harder one). Every now and then I'd throw in a day where I focused a bit more on RC and LR so that I could stay accustomed to doing RC passages back to back, for instance, but most days looked something like what I outlined.

Personally, I found that extreme repetition with LG was useful. After doing a different variation of a standard grouping or sequencing game, day after day, for 10+ days, I felt far more comfortable and started seeing patterns more readily. That's just me though! All of this is to say: I wouldn't write the strategy off unless you find that it is hurting you. It has helped me tremendously.

BrightFuture

Unless you are very familiar with the fundamentals each section, one for example being main point questions, I would advise against mixing sections in one practice session. This means you should consistently be getting a maximum of 1 or 2 wrong in those section drills. Through repetition, you should able to answer the question almost subconsciously. And what I mean by answering subconsciously is that you've internalized the advice given for that section and you are able to almost immediately point out the answer without consciously referring to previous notes. Because the LSAT already forces you to switch your way of thinking multiple times, I believe that it is best to be able to make that unconscious switch rather than spending energy and time to remember your notes and tips. And keep doing this until you master all the concepts of the LSAT.

However, if you are very familiar with the fundamentals of each section, then I see no harm in mixing sections as that's what you'll be doing in the LSAT obviously. And the more comfortable you are taking practice tests while getting good results, the less stressful you should be going into the LSAT. If you are however, still getting unsatisfactory results, hammer down on the section until you master it.

sh.francis

If you go down the path of focusing heavily on one section, just don't make the make mistake I did of not doing enough maintenance work on the other two sections. I like the prior poster's suggestion of carving out targets for spending time on the sections you are not focused on. Early on in my studying, I went through a one month cycle of focusing exclusively on LR and my LG suffered a lot. Then I did the reverse and LR suffered a lot. It took more time to regain it than if I had just done some regular practice.

sucralosedaddy

I found that if I hit one section exclusively my other sections take a hit, although it might be a good way to reset/rest from a section to prevent burnout. My biggest score increase was after a break during the holidays, initially my score took a dive but now my avg is ~4-7 points higher. So theirs an arg to be made for both sides.

elias.christensen

This is definitely a strategy I've seen tossed around in discussions before! When I was studying for my own LSAT, in particular I saw a lot of people who would advise others to perfect LG and only then move on to improving the other sections, because LG is the most learnable/perfectable of the sections. But while I think it has its uses, generally my impression is that this strategy is most effective for people starting out in their studies rather than those who need to pull up their score for the next exam. When you're just getting to know the test, cramming down strategies for one section will give you a more thorough understanding of how to attack it in more manageable pieces, but once you have a solid baseline I think it's best avoided unless you have a serious gap in your score on one section type vs the others. There's nothing wrong with having a day or week be more focused on a particular section, but doing that consistently can hold back your performance on the whole test, as several other commenters have attested to.

The thing about the breakthroughs that lead to score increases is that they're not really predictable, and they tend to get harder the better you get at a given section. It could be that your next LG breakthrough is going to come a lot later than your next RC breakthrough would if you were studying that as well—by spreading out your studies, you're giving yourself the best opportunity to hit all of those potential score increases ASAP. If you're not sure how to balance your studying, you can always schedule a free consultation with one of our tutors here to get advice on how to proceed most effectively on the path to your goal score. Best of luck with your April retake!