Starting Timed PT's

mrico145

Hey everybody,

I've been going through the curriculum for a few months now and have just taken my first timed PT. I did not do as well as I had hoped. Introducing the timed element to the questions really through me off, which has slightly discouraged me since I was getting most questions right when going through the syllabus. I know it's only the first test, but I would like to maximize my efficiency from this point forward, can I get some feedback from fellow 7Sager's on how you guys handled the timed element once you started taking PT's, and what method you used from this point on to review and enhance your score? Thanks so much everyone.

marryam_k

Blind Review!

ENTJ

Amen sister.

zhenders

A much-favored method that I'm fond of is, when drilling complete sections, give yourself 40-45 minutes/section until that's comfortable, decrease time when you consistently have time left, until you hit 35.

Blind review is great, but if you aren't able to consistently complete sections on time, you're wasting valuable PTs and should drill under time with older test sections

annkang1005

Timing will improve if you keep practicing taking tests under timed conditions. Trust me. You will get into a habit of identifying flaws and assumptions quickly, and eliminating the answer choices just as quickly.

jrkovals

try going back to the lessons on grammar and working through the exercises (drills etc). this helped me a lot . it reminds me to find structure quickly and actually helps me remember details (interesting huh, by taking wat seems to be a lesser of attempt toward getting the details (structural reading) actually helps me retain more? lol). Some times by identifying an incorrect verb or being more aware of the details b/c youre more aware of your reading style you can really help yourself w/ time. For me that seemed to be the case at least. And of course remember all the lawgic stuff we learned .. Pl Cl labeling identifiers etc., theory on scientific reading passages (phenomena explanation lesson..). etc. Maybe go back and look at those to. (go back to times u were moving fast (in terms of doing questions) and try to remember what got u to that point). Identify your problem. This coupled with your new knowledge conceivably can go a long way. And trust what you've learned. Some times its hard but as you do it more you just keep seeing that its right ( the stuff uve learned form this course, fundamentals). This will build confidence. For me at least, going back to the old lessons (real old. i'm talking grammar and Pl Cl context indicators etc) after learning everything that i have throughout this has helped me a lot. While practice is obviously important having the right approach going into the questions can help with efficiency, tremendously. For me , that grammar lesson (oh man that grammar lesson) lawgic lessons, explanation of causation, lessons on rc. are so invaluable (and the drill exercies associated with them especially) try the logical indicator flash card thing?. Idk im about to start p'ting soon and i'm keeping my fingers crossed..lol. maybe this will help.

LSATisland

I found that I got quicker with time through practice. As the familiarity increases, you learn to recognize and think quicker. You can spot the trap answers because you've seen them before. You know to look out for things that you've come across. And, like any skill, the better you get at it, the quicker you process and react.

Since you're just starting out with timed PT, don't worry much if you are lagging. The time pressure is an element of the test, but you get used to it and develop your rhythm. After many tests, you even have a feeling of how much time has passed, or whether you need to speed up or slow down.

As others have suggested, you can play with the time. It's suggested that you increase the time and slowly work back down to 35 minutes. You can also try the reverse: take a few minutes off your allotted time. Then, when you return to the standard 35 minutes you'll feel less pressure and more comfort.

This should just be until you are comfortable with 35 minutes. Hopefully, you'll be comfortable with that soon.