Speed or accuracy?

brian628

So I have been doing a lot of timed problem sets and I noticed that I do better if I take longer than 1 min 20 seconds per question. At the same time, I want to be doing these questions as fast as possible. When doing these problem sets, should I sacrifice the speed in which I answer these questions in order to answer the questions more accurately?

mcmlaw36

Hey Brian,

From what I've seen posted on these threads, other students usually say that "practice makes perfect." I would suggest to work on accuracy first (still read as quickly as possible), and then speed will come naturally with practice.

Personally, I aim for one minute or less per question. If a question takes longer than a minute, that's fine, because you do have extra time for more difficult questions. However, I usually leave this extra time for questions 15+ (more difficult q's).

I too am struggling with the timing aspect of the test (and I've been studying for 6+ months!!) but keep your head up and keep practicing! Timing is a huge part of what makes the LSAT so difficult. Everyone struggles with this - maybe not with every section, but we all have our weak areas. What I've found is that lots of questions ARE (as J.Y. says) repetitive, and with practice, you will learn just by glancing at the question stem what you'll be looking for while skimming the stimulus. Timing will get easier.

Alex

@brian628 said:
So I have been doing a lot of timed problem sets and I noticed that I do better if I take longer than 1 min 20 seconds per question. At the same time, I want to be doing these questions as fast as possible. When doing these problem sets, should I sacrifice the speed in which I answer these questions in order to answer the questions more accurately?

No, you shouldn't be sacrificing speed for accuracy in this stage of your prep.

With a true understanding of the questions and the proper refined skills, speed will come. For now though, focus on accuracy.

That said, always keep time and push the pace to the best of your ability.

brian628

Hey thanks for all your replies, I really appreciate it.

Alex

@brian628 said:
Hey thanks for all your replies, I really appreciate it.

You'll get there my man. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.