Sept test; scored -4 off from my average, -6 below my minimum goal and -9 off my personal best. Help

AutonomousBarnacles

I know that the standard line will be "well you only scored -4 off of your test and usually it's +3/-3 so that's not that bad" but it's worth keeping in mind that I had a very low diagnostic and my last few tests were all fairly high. I'm very troubled by my score because I don't think it accurately reflects the results I was seeing in my PTs -- for example my latest scores:

167
163
168
163
165
166

I must get a 165 or higher on the December test and need a 6 week plan of attack for review. Can you guys help me out?

Tinyosi1

First of all, I just want to say congratulations. I know you aren't quite satisfied with your score, but the important thing is that you tackled it. While you are focused on the negative of the situation, don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back!

That said, the obvious answer if you are looking for improvement is to focus on your weakest areas. Which section do you consistently score the lowest on? What, generally, are the amount of questions missed on each section? You should try for improvement in all areas, but don't forget to especially focus on improving your weakest area.

I know Sept. 2016 apparently had an infamous logic game, but that game aside, do you usually miss a decent amount of points in LG? I usually hear that it is easiest to pick up points in this section, so if you need some extra ones definitely look here. I've even heard that unless you are getting -0 you should always look to the LG section for missed points; it is apparently easier to acquire more points here then it is in other areas so it can "make up" for your worst area. I love JY's method where you print out about 10 copies of each game you get tripped up on and just keep doing them until it is basically second nature.

Finally, I would advise not to get hung up on comparing yourself to things like your "best score". I do not mean this in a rude way, but for all intents and purposes that score is currently a bit of an outlier(only in the sense really that it was your best ever). It is great you were able to get it in the first place, but don't feel horrible about not getting it and try not to compare yourself to it too much. Unfortunately I can't be more helpful without knowing specific deficiencies, but study, drill, and PT and you will achieve your goal! Congrats again, and good luck!

AutonomousBarnacles

@Tinyosi1 - Thank you for your reply. It's been a dark couple of hours but I really appreciate your kind words. Unfortunately, my breakdown per section is pretty consistent. From beginning to end (around 20 PTs) I've averaged -5.8 in LR, -4.9 in RC and -4.2 in LG. BUT, the last number is incredibly misleading. I've made remarkable progress on the logic games going from getting -7+ per section to consistently -2 in the 60s series. Now, admittedly, the 70s series threw in some changes and caught me off guard (both in 70s PTs and my actual test) so I can go back to the method to shore up my skills.

Tinyosi1

Out of curiosity: Are you saying that from beginning to end your LR and RC score never really improved? I may have read that wrong. If so, what types of review/study methods are you using? Also, is the ~ -6 for your LR between both sections or is that for each section?