Making Progress in LR before December LSAT

RaeD4512

Hello everyone!

I am desperately looking for advice on how to improve my LR score. I have been studying on and off for my LSAT over the past 2 years with lengthy breaks in between (studying during my Master's was a bad idea). My original diagnostic score was a sad 138 and now I'm scoring around a 153. I know it is really hard to come up from such a low score, but I'm determined.

I have seen some improvements and have hired a private tutor, but my LR score is stagnating. The most I ever get correct in a given section is 15 and I usually get to anywhere between 17-20 questions on any given LR section. I time myself religiously and almost every single time I get 15 correct. I want to score in the low 160s this December and I am currently dedicating all of my time to studying. I know I am having a serious time management issue, but I'm not sure how to fix it. My goal is to get a minimum of 20 correct on LR.

I review every single one of the problems I get wrong, but I cannot seem to break this pattern. Are my goals realistic and if so how do I achieve them?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

sarkisp23

Everyone is about to give you some amazing input, so I'll just give you one tidbit of info that I think is often overlooked by many. When you're reviewing the questions, think about how everything connects. Think about the common themes between different question types. Understand how a strengthen question can easily be a sufficient assumption question or a weaken question. Understand how a weaken question can be a flaw question. I say "understand" because I'm sure you already have gone through the curriculum to see that, but really think about it in each question you do. When you start to see the LR as all part of the same theme rather than a jumbled mess of different question types, I think it will be then that you really "tune in" to the mindset of the LSAT writers in writing these questions. Good luck

RaeD4512

Thank you! I was thinking that maybe I needed to try and understand how the questions are constructed better instead of just drilling LR sections.

sarkisp23

Some question types are more foundational than others. One thing that you have to do with probably 90% of questions is identify the conclusion and have a feel for the assumption that the argument is making. So to that end, focus on main point questions and sufficient/necessary assumption questions. The other questions use that same formula.

Pacifico

What are you using to study? If you have been through 7Sage and for some reason you still suck at LR I'd recommend picking up a copy of the Trainer to just give yourself a new perspective and really spend a while honing your flaw skills as they are foundational for the vast majority of LR questions.

RaeD4512

I am currently using the Powerscore Bibles and I have not been through 7sage because I feel like it might be too late to start a course. Is it too late to start a 7sage course? I was thinking about using the trainer, but maybe the course is just what I need to break into the 160s. Thank you both for the great advice!

lsatblitz

I definitely recommend going through the 7Sage course, especially for LR. I was scoring somewhere in the 150's with huge LR and RC worries, but the course REALLY helped me.

If anything, start blind reviewing your practice tests to see which question type you're getting wrong constantly and tackle those through drills.

RaeD4512

I just enrolled in the course! I'm really excited to start and hopefully make lots of improvement. I've started blind reviewing and it is already helping. Thank you!

harrismegan

Totally take the course 150%. Good luck to you!

GSU Hopeful

As @Pacifico mentioned above, I think mastering picking up on flaws is crucial to this section. Since most of the question types (with the exception of MP, MSS, MBT, etc) play on your ability to recognize a flaw and address it in a very particular way, it would greatly benefit you to master this part of the curriculum. If you can successfully pick the flaw out, you are much closer to a correct answer even in cases where you might not have mastered that particular question type. Hope this helps.

RaeD4512

Thank you @"GSU Hopeful" ! Yes, I have been working on identifying flaws as @Pacifico mentioned. It has helped, but it seems like I have a timing problem as well. I'm trying to concentrate on the fundamentals.