Started PT's - Need Advice

civnetn

I've been studying for the September LSAT since June and all you 7Sagers have provided me with invaluable advice. I'm hitting a bit of a block, so I'm hoping for some more of that great advice. My situation requires a little background:

I started studying for the LSAT at the beginning of June. I've made substantial progress since then, but I'm still not where I want to be.

I used PrepTests 29-40 for drilling sections of the test. Initially not timed, but as I got better I started timing. I got to the point where I was able to complete each LR section in just under the requisite time, with only -2 to -4 MAX on each section.

"Great," I thought. My LG skills are great, RC isn't great, but hey, my close to perfect LR score will get me where I want to be.

Well, I was wrong.

I just took a full-timed PrepTest 52 and LR tanked due to timing issues and I'm not really sure why. I've since also taken a full-timed PrepTest 53 and am experiencing the same issue.

For some reason, I'm not able to finish in the required period of time, which I don't understand because previously this hasn't been a problem. Either I go over by 5ish minutes and get a good score,or I rush, get 6 wrong in a row and come in under.

If I get these sections done in time, I'd be PTing at around 165. Which would make me very happy. But time is killing me.

What gives? Is LR harder in later PrepTests? I am finding that some questions (no pattern) require me to read the question stem multiple times to properly understand - I have to do this more-so than in earlier tests.

I thought BR was supposed to help this problem. I expected that the more BR I did, the better I'd get at solving the problems in a shorter amount of time. Is this not the case? Because I've BR'd a LOT of LR sections and I'm still finding that I'll come across 1 to 2 problems each section that I have absolutely no idea what to even think.

I'm confused, and very disappointed. Thoughts?

Kateryna

just take more pts, it will go away.

leejaylee

LR does a get bit different as you go further on-wards. Not necessarily harder, but different. You need to practice more of the questions in the PT range of 50-60s.

Obviously, it looks like your problem is with time. I'll be quite honest with you, if you want to scrape off time, you need to basically understand the stimulus the first time through. It's okay if you take longer than usual. It's much better than going back to it and wasting precious seconds (for some questions you obviously need to go back to the stimulus, but most of them, in my opinion, can be answered without going through the stimulus multiple times).

With practice, comes time. If you don't understand the stimulus, just skip it. Don't look back, come back to it with a fresh mind. It's better you miss 1 or 2 questions than simply miss 6 in a row due to time like you said. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO SKIP QUESTIONS.

For BR: Understand why you were wrong. For example, when I get a question wrong, it's usually due to a lack of concentration and pressure from the time. In BR, just tear that crap apart. Check each answer choice, and ensure that they are wrong (100% wrong).

You'll be fine, especially since it looks like you have a solid foundation of logic. Keep practicing, learn from your mistakes, stop making them, and keep at it!

Alex

@leejaylee said:
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO SKIP QUESTIONS.

This would be my advice. The LSAT was made to skip questions. It is why sometimes you can get a 180 and miss 2 questions. So control what you skip, especially if it is a confusing one you are more prone to get wrong anyway. Skipping is the difference between me going -8 and going -4 on LR. I still have a lot of work, but skipping made all the difference.

Here is a sweet webinar that really helped me realize how important skipping is....

https://7sage.com/webinar/skip-it/


Another thing you might consider is that you may need to spend more time with the core curriculum before you start PT'ing. I too started in June and I'm personally no way near ready to start PT'ing/ I know everyone is different, but if you are having these problems, perhaps a bit more time going through the nuances of LR might help. The better you get at the questions, the more quickly you will do them. Also try just doing timed sections instead of full timed tests right out of the gate. Timing pressure adds an entirely new dimension to the test, and it takes time to get acclimated to that pressure.

And as others have noted, it seems like the LR sections of the more recent tests (50s, 60s, 70s) seem to be very different and I think what you are experiencing is quite normal. The stimuli seem to be more convoluted.... The only recent PT I've done was for my diagnostic and that was June 07, so it might be all in my head, though I know others have agreed.

In sum,

I think you should check out that skipping seminar and see if implementing it will correct this time problem. And perhaps re-visit the core curriculum on LR is you see certain questions you are missing more than others. And lastly, make sure you are indeed ready for PTs. And perhaps consider beginning with timed sections/drills to work on timing.

HTH

civnetn

Thanks Guys. @"Alex Divine" , I'll give that link a watch. I just hate the idea of skipping. I know there's nothing wrong with skipping, and that sometimes you should, but I just hate the feeling of being thrown out of my LR groove by a question. It's so annoying. I mean, shouldn't I be able to reach a point where I don't have to skip anymore?

After reflection, I think the hardest part of LR, for me personally, is understanding some of the questions. Once I fully understand what the stimulus is saying, the answer choices are a breeze. But there are 3-4 questions per section where I have to read the stimulus 2 to 3 times, because it's so convoluted. I'm not sure how to improve my ability to understand the stimulus, but I definitely think I'm losing significant time there.

Also, the PT I took was 8 points higher than my diagnostic, so I guess that's a positive. I was just really hoping to break through to the 160's.

Alex

@civnetn said:
Thanks Guys. @"Alex Divine" , I'll give that link a watch. I just hate the idea of skipping. I know there's nothing wrong with skipping, and that sometimes you should, but I just hate the feeling of being thrown out of my LR groove by a question. It's so annoying. I mean, shouldn't I be able to reach a point where I don't have to skip anymore?

I used to hate the idea of skipping until I began to see it as a tool/strategy of high LSAT scorers. It is pretty much necessary to do well for most people. I think every person I know who scored over a 170 skipped. J.Y. even says he skips 3-4 LR question per section. It isn't like you are skipping them and never coming back...

So you skip 3-5 questions and put some time in the bank. You are wasting 1-2 minutes (maybe more) just to read and re-read a stimulus, go through the answers, and in the lose your groove.
By skipping you can save time, maintain the flow, and get more points. Think about it this way:

Student A: Does LR but doesn't skip. Gets stuck on 3-4 hard questions per test and spends 2-3 minutes on them. She ends up getting 3/4 of the hard ones wrong anyway because eventually she realizes she has to pick a choice and rushes to do so. She also runs out of time on question 22 and has to guess on the last 4 questions and gets 3/4 wrong. She goes -6 on the section.

Student B: Does skip questions. Gets stuck on the same ones, but circles them and moves on quickly after not understanding the syllabus the first time. Finishes the easy questions and racks up time in and bank and points by going after the low hanging fruit. Has 8 minutes to come back to the skipped questions and now can spend extra time figuring them out. She ends up going -2 on the section.


Definitely check out that skipping webinar!