About 2 months left..PT question

saharshiralian

I have taken the test in December and cancelled. I spent the last two months drilling and cementing all the skills I've learned before December (which was TRULY helpful. I don't think I really had a grasp of the concepts).

I am still bad at timing in logic games and I am looking to drill LG in the evenings. I'm at -1/-2 in RC and LR. Is it realistic to expect to improve to the 170+ range these next two months? I plan on taking 5 tests a week for the next 8 weeks, BR in the evenings and also drill. That prepares me to take about 40 tests. Or is this overkill?

ENTJ

Sounds like a cop out, but it ultimately depends on your own capabilities and how well you know them. No one can say with any measure of certainty what you are or aren't capable of--the only exception being you of course.

saharshiralian

I don't think that's a cop-out...

I have been PTing in the 163-166 range. Most of my errors are not in my understanding/reason but because of nerves and timing. I also get paralyzed when I see a hard logic game. I don't know if that info helps..I just want to know if my hopes are realistic. I've been studying for this damn test for an entire year!

ENTJ

That's why I said it "sounds" like it.

By that description, it seems like a psychological hurdle more than anything else. How do you do on hard logic games sans the time crunch?

Also, it would be wise to compartmentalize the consequences of not doing well. Just focus on the thing in front of you. Yes, it's hard to not think about it-- but that's why it must be a cognizant effort.

saharshiralian

I can go -0 to -1 without the time crunch. When there is a time crunch, I don't get to finish the last game I'm working on, so -4 or -5.

ENTJ

I had the same thing happen to me. Seeing the deductions with the time pressure becomes infinitely harder. Practice, practice, and more practice.

mrlsat180

You're -1/-2 on RC and LR? That's really amazing. Just keep practicing LGs and I can guarantee you'll be okay. 2 months is more than enough for you.

AlenaLSAT

Even if you miss a few questions on LG, but get most LR and RC correct, you can still be in 170+. LG is the hardest for most people, you are not alone.

CFC152436

-2 on LR (x2) + -2 on RC + -4 on LG = -10...isn't -10 usually in the 171-172 range?

That withstanding, LG is definitely the most easily learned section. 2 months of timed drilling should be plenty of time. Also, don't forget you're allowed to skip around on the logic games. That cut down on my time by a couple mintes

saharshiralian

I've hit 170, 171 before my December test when I do really well on LR and RC. I want to consistently hit those scores, though. Usually I don't finish LG, that makes me nervous, and I make careless errors in the other sections..putting me in the 166-168 range.

I'll do some timed drillling these two months. I just want to consistently score around 175 before May!

ENTJ

I hate circular games. They are the merry go rounds of death.

ONuellaO

LG is the section that can be learned the fastest and the easiest. Are you using JY fool proof method? LG is my best section and i was at -3 and couldn’t figure out how to be in the perfect range but after using his fool proof method for a week with extensive drilling, i’m at -1 or -0. 2 months is more than enough time with this section.
YOU CAN DO IT!!

saharshiralian

I basically do JY fool proof method for the hard games I have trouble with.

I choose random sections to practice timing when I am not doing a PT...or at least that's what I will do in the next 60 days

turnercm

you can totally improve. keep drilling and practicing under timed conditions. you could also try timed sections starting with 40 minutes, then working your way each time down to 35, then 34 or 33. we believe in you!

Jonathan Wang

Yes, it is possible if LG is truly your only weakness. But 5 tests a week is certifiably insane, and largely worthless to boot. Don't do it - there is nothing but frustration, burnout, and wasted prep material waiting for you.

If you need to drill logic games, then drill logic games. There are 71 sections of them out there (72 including June 2007), and I highly doubt that you'd get to them all with time for adequate review, even if you never touched another LR or RC section until test day. Foolproof method your way through them and really take note of specific setups that don't make sense to you. Watch JY's videos actively - pay attention to why he does certain things and how you can replicate his thought process. Figure out where you're taking a lot of time and how you could have disposed of certain questions faster. It is this deep analysis - and not just mindless spamming of prep material - that will get you the improvement you seek.

Good luck!

michellemoon0708

Drill Logic Games hard, and maintain your scores in LR and RC for the next two months. Also, try taking 4 sections of LG with a break between 3/4 and then up it to 8 sections of LG with breaks between 3/4 and 6/7. It seems that doing this instead of 5 PT's a week is more effective. That's my 0.02 cents.

saharshiralian

"There are 71 sections of them out there (72 including June 2007), and I highly doubt that you'd get to them all with time for adequate review, even if you never touched another LR or RC section until test day. "

I'm sorry, what does this mean?

I actually have seen most games since I've been studying since February. I'm just re-drilling them all. Should I cut down to 3 tests a week?

And I dropped in LR/RC this week...all careless errors that I am attributing to stress as the test is quickly approaching.

Jonathan Wang

You cannot leave it at "it's just stress because test day is coming". You're going to be stressed on test day too. You need to figure out what mistake you made under pressure, not just dismiss it because you can do it in hindsight. These are some of the most important lessons, because they are the things that your brain falls for when in the time crunch. If stress is causing you to make these mistakes now, it will continue to do so until you deal with it.

If you've done upward of 200 logic games and you're still struggling with making the connections under time pressure, that tells me you're not doing enough analysis on why certain games are hard for you. Full length tests don't really address your particular issue, which is why I'm so confused about why you're planning to kill yourself doing a test-review cycle every other day (originally, every single day!). Quality analysis trumps repetition every time, especially at the part of the scoring scale you're at where it's really just a matter of a handful of questions. Work smarter, not harder.

ONuellaO

3 a week is quite much still if you’re satisfied with your LG and LR score that is. I would say you should do what @michellemoon0708 says… maybe write 1 or 2 full pts a week and then the rest of the week, drill into games while timing individual LR and RC sections here and there, so you don’t lose those skills.

joegotbored-1

Hi Sarah,
I was in a similar boat on the LG section. Pretty good on RC and LR but struggled with LG because I freaked when I couldn't figure out how to diagram something that looked hard. When I started the LG set of lessons 2 weeks ago, there were questions I couldn't blind review because I flat out couldn't figure them out. That's not been the case for the last several days now. When I realized I was making mistakes when rewriting rules into Lawgic, I forced myself to read more carefully/slowly in the rules and then crank it up when building my boards and answering the questions.

Your stress is coming from some part of the LG section. Once you see what that is, it'll be easy. I'm now to the point where I can do in 4 minutes what once took me more than 16 or 18 minutes. On fresh questions, I almost never freak out. I just read the rules slowly (my personal LG issue) and go from there.

I would ignore the ones that don't freak you out under time pressure and focus on ones that do. Watch the videos for those, then do the problem once, then watch the video again, then do the problems again. Fool proof them after doing this, and you should be able to identify your problem. Maybe you're not splitting, or maybe you don't like spatial games, or you read too quickly. All of these can be fixed which will boost your confidence and help ease those nerves. Repetition on the problems you find hard will also help boost confidence.

I also bought a watch for the test which I use while practicing. Not so much for pacing, but rather to keep me from panicking when I know a game will take me a little longer. If I know I have several minutes left for the game, as opposed to being clueless, I'm much more likely to stay calm and just work my way through it.

Good luck!