Same repeated mistakes - HELP

amishaa.kumar

I seem to be repeating the same mistakes over and over. Like when I blind review, I can get what I did wrong and what I should have done etc, but I make the same mistakes over and over. Not sure how I even solve this….Another issue is I’m down to 2 answers and end up picking the wrong one each time… any suggestions on these two specific problems? My biggest weakness is conditional reading which I have been consistently drilling but always get 2 wrong out of 5.

SubpoenaColada

First problem:
Actively engage with mistakes. When you choose an incorrect answer, try to rephrase the AC in your own words or change parts of it to make it correct. Also correct your thinking, in that you think through the logic step by step to find the point where your reasoning diverged from the correct answer.

Focus on quality, not quantity. Be aware of the quantity of drills; if you're drilling 20+ problems at once and reviewing 8 mistakes/questions, it can be harder to engage with and remember the mistakes to the point that you're committing them to memory. After each set of problems, it is also sometimes necessary to review not only the ones that you got wrong but also those you got right.

Second problem: This is actually a very common problem. A few tips:
Reason for each selected AC. Before selecting an AC, articulate why it's correct or better than others. Like actually make note of your reason for why that AC is superior to the others. This doesn't just help with making the right choice, but it also makes it easier to spot flaws in your reasoning if you're wrong.

Review all relevant ACs. Review what makes the incorrect answer choice WRONG in addition to what makes the correct answer right. Often, students will focus only on the correct answer and not review the mistakes within the other ACs. Remember that it only takes one "small" mistake within an AC to make the answer COMPLETELY wrong. Every incorrect answer has a flaw that makes it wrong - identify it.

*There's not necessarily anything wrong with getting 2/5 wrong (progress takes time) if you're properly reviewing. During BR, take the time to map out the stimulus and all ACs for conditional logic. Properly reviewing includes untimed BR, reading/watching explanations, and keeping a wrong answer journal.