blind review

HeatherM

how do I enter my blind review score for a PT? I only see the option for entering answers for the PT
Thanks

GSU Hopeful

@HeatherM Click on the number of the question you are BRing and there will be a drop down line for your BR answer. Best of luck to you. Let us know if we can help further.

HeatherM

Thanks GSU Hopeful. I thought I enter in the answers for blind review for All questions, so that I can compare the timed and BR? When I entered my answers for the PT, it is showing those results for the PT and BR????

GSU Hopeful

Enter the original answers first (timed). Then, on the ones you circle for BR, click on the number and your BR answer. At the end, you will find two scores; an original timed score and a BR score. Your analytics will show for the original answers. If you BR the entire test, then repeat these steps for every question.

HeatherM

I just found it, thanks! Another question for you, if you dont mind. Need suggestions, guidance please. I have done the curriculum, twice, once a while ago and the second time more recently. I did pretty well on the practice questions, although there were only 5 questions and they seemed the be the easiest of the bunch. I definitely feel like I am grasping the material better than the first time around.

I was planning to take the February test. I just took PT 61 and did HORRIBLE, I am literally in tears. I spend every free minute I have studying....and I feel like I am always in the same place. Timed, I got 43 questions correct and blind review, I got 56 correct. 3 of those questions I waivered between two answers and chose the wrong one all three times. I dont know what to do. Do I keep taking the PT's in hopes of improving, I mean is that the way to improve or do you recommend I do more drills, get a tutor? What should I do from here do you think? I am applying to 2 schools in LA, for the evening program so I am not trying for a 170.

Please let me know your thoughts, suggestions please

Thanks,

GSU Hopeful

I'm sorry for your trouble, but it will only serve to make you better in the long run. First, I wouldn't even consider Feb. I know that's not what you want to hear, but I would not take February and be even more despondent than you are now.

Second, take some breaks. You're doing yourself no good by studying every waking moment. I've been there and it will not work. These ideas and concepts need time to take root and grow. Time is the only thing that will allow this to happen similar to water being required for a plant to grow.

Third, I know you feel like you are grasping the material, but a 58 shows that there are still some deficiencies there. How many tests have you taken? Was 61 the first? With the amount of information I have, I would say hold up on the PTs until you can find your sea legs. I hold the opinion that one test is nothing and could be an outlier, but BR scores tend to tell the tell. That's my concern here. Take an earlier test and see how you feel. Let us know.

Also, what are you averaging on the games? That's an area that you can make up a lot of room quickly.

Please use this as encouragement. Everyone here wants the community to do well and will be here for whatever help you need.

HeatherM

Thanks so much. Your advice all makes sense. I should have said I have a "better" handle on the material than I did a year ago. Also, I am not studying every waking moment. I work full time and I have a son. I study everyday on my lunch break (an hour) and I study 1-2 nights per week, about 3 hours or so and then when I can on the weekends. Yes, 61 was the first one I have taken in awhile. What do you recommend I do then if not continue with PT's? I went through the curriculum and I did the questions that JY did (I would read and answer the questions before listening to JY) and then I would do the Practice questions, I did them all because that is what I thought I was supposed to do. I guess I can upgrade, but what does that do, just give me access to more questions? Let me know what you suggest I do for a curriculum. I can still take the June LSAT and apply for the fall, not my ideal but I would rather feel better about performing because I am not taking this test again Oh, regarding the games, timed I got 11 right br I got 16, I still have to go back and look at the questions with JY's explanation. While I was doing BR, I realized I had misread one of the rules which most likely really messed me up. How old PT's do you recommend and when should I take it?
Hopefully I am not driving you nuts, just really need guidance.
Thanks again!

GSU Hopeful

Of course you're not driving me nuts. At some point or another, everyone has become frustrated with this and at their wits end. The most important thing to remember is just keep plugging away.

I recommend you going through the curriculum again and shoot for October for the fall. If you can get your LG up, then that will open up alot of room for you. However, even at 16 on BR, that still indicates there a lot of concepts that are not clicking. If you decide to proceed through the curriculum, I would upgrade if you could swing it. Don't do all the problem sets on your run through. Do just enough for you to grasp the question type and move. Save as many problem sets as you can for the PT phase and shoring up weaknesses when you start running analytics.

Also, if I were you, I would pick up a copy of The Trainer by Mike Kim. It will be the best 45 bucks you spend on Amazon. It'll present you with all of this material in a different way, especially flaws. I would try this before proceeding back through the curriculum.

Let me know if I can help further. We don't mind a bit.

HeatherM

I actually have the LSAT Trainer and did it already. I cannot wait until October....I am older and really want to start law school in the fall. Keep in mind, I am not shooting for a 180. I am going to school in the evening and there are 2 schools I can apply to, I would get into either if I score in the 150's. I am beyond frustrated, I dont understand how I am going to improve. I feel like 140's is my wall! Anyway, thanks for your help!

GSU Hopeful

Ok, I'm glad you have the Trainer. It is an amazing book. What are the points that are causing you the most trouble?

HeatherM

i dont know. I do freak out a bit when i time myself, as expected. I just dont know what my plan of attack should be now. I did the 7 sage curriculum. Did lsat trainer and now was about to take the PT's to prepare for Feb. I took the test in Feb of 2014, maybe 2013, I cant remember now. I got a 142. I applied anyway because i knew applications were down and thought since I was applying for the evening program, I might be ok. One school said no right away, but the other didnt notify me until june or july which led me to believe I was in the maybe pile. when I did get the rejection letter I called and asked what they thought I needed to do when I applied again...she said, it was your LSAT score, even if you get a 149. So, that being said, I am shooting for even low 150's. I mean I want to strive for more but I dont know if this is the best I can do, and I consider myself an intelligent person. I am at a loss on what to do now. Do I get older exams and drill with those or do the ones I did with LSAT trainer? with reading comp, they say LSAC is testing on structure, not details...it seems they question details as well. It is really difficult for me to get through all 4 passages, to read and answer the questions. LR-i thought I had a better handle on those but apparently not. games, i think the straight ordering are fine, grouping mess me up. I am going through the test now to see if I missed a lot of the same kind of questions. Also, why is blind review more indicative of the score? (that is what the material says when I was reading about the blind review method). I dont get that since we arent timed for blidn review.

GSU Hopeful

@HeatherM said:
why is blind review more indicative of the score?

Your BR score indicates your overall understanding of the test and the fundamentals of it. Since you aren't timed and can take as long as needed, it is a pretty good picture of your overall understanding and where you currently are. To build on my previous points, I wouldn't recommend PTing until you have a more solid grasp of the fundamentals and core concepts. Continuing PTs without having these concepts down pat will waste PTs and just make you more frustrated. Until you have that solid grasp, PT after PT won't improve you. Its the BR score that leads to me believe that some fundamentals might need shoring up.

HeatherM

ok, got it. should i go through lsat trainer again? i liked it but between the 2, prefer 7 sage. what is a score that would be indicative of understanding the test and the fundamentals would you say?I would think that is different for everyone, but on average? so what I did, is listened to the videos (lessons). I did the question before listening to JY analyze and then did the practice questons. when I finished, I went onto the next section. when doing the practice questions, should i time myself? I promise, my questions are almost over!!!

GSU Hopeful

I would say 165+ BR is start with a 170+ BR being the goal. But, that is going to be dependent on your confidence errors (questions you got wrong that you didn't circle and didn't get a BR).

@HeatherM said:
should i time myself?

Always. If you don't constantly subject yourself to this pressure, it'll feel foreign to you when that pressure gets applied on test day. Always, always, always put time pressure on yourself (unless you are BRing).

@HeatherM said:
I promise, my questions are almost over!!!

No worries! Ask all the questions you want/need. We are all learning together.

I_am_Batman

Just curious what program are you trying to get into which should translate to a score you need to get.
https://officialguide.lsac.org/release/ugpalsat/ugpalsat.aspx

The more questions you see and understanding what makes a right answer vs a wrong answer. You will get better just keep working at it. I would look up the quote by Robert Frost - The road not taken. Its helped me get through many frustrating moments. You got this and like you said we are in this together!!

HeatherM

I live in Los Angeles and have to go to school part time. I will be applying to Loyola and Southwestern, the only two schools that have an evening program. Loyola, I believe I would need a 150-160 and southwestern, 149+.
Thanks for your support and I looking up the quote now!