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Reading Comp, went from -2 to -11, what the...

Redentore3337Redentore3337 Alum Member
in Reading Comprehension 350 karma

Hi 7sagers,

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this. So for the first PT I ever did I got -2 on RC, it was the first one on 7sage (Just to get a sense of where I was starting). I didn't diagram anything, didn't make any notes. I was just able to read it really fast and go back and look at the passage for the answers without hurting my time. I was really happy obviously and thought maybe my background as an English major had helped out or I was just naturally good at RC. Then two months later, post-core curriculum, I go to take a PT on paper instead of electronically, and I get -11. The passages were albeit harder but I had the same level of confidence that I had when I first took it. Ever since then, I've been getting similar scores when I do RC and can't comprehend (no pun intended) why I did so well on the first one. I'm used to reading everything online and hardly ever read physical texts, could that be the reason or did I just get really lucky, or... I don't know but now I feel like I'm back to square one with RC.

I'm wondering if anyone has had any discrepancies in taking the LSAT electronically versus physically or any RC inconsistencies like this because in LR and LG, I am always within range of what I got previously, minus 1 or two.

Thanks,
L

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Comments

  • 1000001910000019 Alum Member
    3279 karma

    Unless you have accommodations to take the LSAT electronically, you should stick to paper. I would go as far as saying that minus two doesn't count.

    I don't think two practice tests is enough to draw any pattern from.

    My reading scores were rocky. I have my sectional scores posted here: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/13544/impromptu-signed-up-for-december-blogish

    I went -0 on PT52, and then went -10 on PT53! It's not a good thing to jump around so much, but it isn't something to panic over. I went -3 on the actual LSAT.

  • Redentore3337Redentore3337 Alum Member
    350 karma

    @10000019 said:
    Unless you have accommodations to take the LSAT electronically, you should stick to paper. I would go as far as saying that minus two doesn't count.

    I don't think two practice tests is enough to draw any pattern from.

    My reading scores were rocky. I have my sectional scores posted here: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/13544/impromptu-signed-up-for-december-blogish

    I went -0 on PT52, and then went -10 on PT53! It's not a good thing to jump around so much, but it isn't something to panic over. I went -3 on the actual LSAT.

    Yea honestly just probably trying to trick myself with believing it was an electronic versus paper difference. I think it was just beginner's luck. I'm taking the November LSAT though, so I'm just going to PT from 29-to the most recent LSAT. And doing the LG bundle.

    RC is a weird thing.

  • cstrobelcstrobel Alum Member
    228 karma

    Reading can be pretty variable, especially if you misunderstand the main point or tone. Every so often you'll hit a snug. Hopefully those random snags just become increasingly rare for you!

    Also, how were your other three sections? Even if you bomb a section you're usually good at, the other sections are likely easier. For me, LG were my best, but when I took the LSAT in Feb I bombed the fourth game. Yet, the other three sections seemed easier than usual.

    Looking at the number of questions wrong by section type can be misleading. Instead focus on the question types you got wrong. Maybe it was a lot more of a particular question, subject of the passage that are less accessible, etc.

    You got this, plenty of time!

  • Redentore3337Redentore3337 Alum Member
    350 karma

    @cstrobel said:
    Reading can be pretty variable, especially if you misunderstand the main point or tone. Every so often you'll hit a snug. Hopefully those random snags just become increasingly rare for you!

    Also, how were your other three sections? Even if you bomb a section you're usually good at, the other sections are likely easier. For me, LG were my best, but when I took the LSAT in Feb I bombed the fourth game. Yet, the other three sections seemed easier than usual.

    Looking at the number of questions wrong by section type can be misleading. Instead focus on the question types you got wrong. Maybe it was a lot more of a particular question, subject of the passage that are less accessible, etc.

    You got this, plenty of time!

    Well for LG, I'm still foolproofing and don't want to do a timed section until I feel like I have my fundamentals down. For LR, I'm getting -8 the first section, and then -5 for my second section. I then go back at the core curriculum and try to hit my weaknesses and just rewatch the type of question I'm missing. I've found that this helps alot. So I'm going to keep doing that. I've set it up so i'm taking at most 6 PT's a month, with enough space to tackle my weaknesses in between PT's.

    Yea for RC, I'm just going to have to annotate better and I just started trying to do the low resolution summaries of each paragraph. So, little by little I'll get there :)

  • cstrobelcstrobel Alum Member
    228 karma

    You this covered then! :smiley:

  • Redentore3337Redentore3337 Alum Member
    350 karma

    @Rtwrtw8 said:
    As @cstrobel mentioned, RC can be pretty variable. I think a lot of this has to do with the type of passage and its corresponding difficulty (for example, a difficult humanities passage usually brings me down from -3 to -5/-7). I'd check to see if you're struggling with a particular type of passage in the RC section to better narrow down your weak areas.

    On the other hand, if you're finding all 4 passages to be difficult on your more recent PTs, then I would play around with the more general strategies (i.e. finding your tempo in regards to diagramming/paraphrasing the passage).

    Best of luck!

    Thanks!

  • Eric25Eric25 Member
    720 karma

    I've read that its common for section scores to dip post CC because you're trying to use the strategies discussed in the CC which can be a very different way of thinking than pre-CC. I did worse on LR after the CC and I attribute that me trying to analyze the arguments in a completely different way than before which slowed me down, but over time I know this will mitigate as I continue to develop better skills.

  • westcoastbestcoastwestcoastbestcoast Alum Member
    3788 karma

    How many RC passages have you been taking? If you took only a couple, I wouldn't take too much stock in either high RC score of minus 2 or your low score of minus 11. You need more data points before being too concerned. That being said, I would still do a deep review of your minus 11 RC section. What was it about the passages that gave you trouble? Was it the subject matter? Did you allow yourself to be too psyched out by abtruse subject matter that you threw your good habits out the door? Remember that despite how difficult a passage may seem your objective never changes: find the main idea, keep track of authors attitude and major view points, keep track of major evidence that the author uses. Having a low resolution framwork of how the passage works will help you navigate through the questions and help direct you to find the pertinent details in the passage. Focus on the forest when you work through RC and you will be able to adjust the resolution and see the trees when necessary

  • Redentore3337Redentore3337 Alum Member
    350 karma

    @Eric25 said:
    I've read that its common for section scores to dip post CC because you're trying to use the strategies discussed in the CC which can be a very different way of thinking than pre-CC. I did worse on LR after the CC and I attribute that me trying to analyze the arguments in a completely different way than before which slowed me down, but over time I know this will mitigate as I continue to develop better skills.

    Yea I think I'm trying too hard if thats a thing, having to do low resolution summaries or annotate while reading is just something I've never really done so it's a whole new way of training myself how to read.

  • Redentore3337Redentore3337 Alum Member
    350 karma

    @westcoastbestcoast said:
    How many RC passages have you been taking? If you took only a couple, I wouldn't take too much stock in either high RC score of minus 2 or your low score of minus 11. You need more data points before being too concerned. That being said, I would still do a deep review of your minus 11 RC section. What was it about the passages that gave you trouble? Was it the subject matter? Did you allow yourself to be too psyched out by abtruse subject matter that you threw your good habits out the door? Remember that despite how difficult a passage may seem your objective never changes: find the main idea, keep track of authors attitude and major view points, keep track of major evidence that the author uses. Having a low resolution framwork of how the passage works will help you navigate through the questions and help direct you to find the pertinent details in the passage. Focus on the forest when you work through RC and you will be able to adjust the resolution and see the trees when necessary

    Well, I've done about 4 PT's so far, including the one I got -2 on the RC. I think doing so much of LR in core curriculum and then reaching RC at the end might have overlapped some wires with how I approach the questions. With LR, there's just a lot of different variables per each question type and then going into RC its laser-focused, it's just a whole different beast.

    The science passages really trip me up, but yea learning to read RC passages is a like a whole different language. I'm a graduate student in an English program now and RC is really it's own animal. I'm going to keep trying to do low resolution summaries, humble myself, and PT PT PT.

  • hawaiihihawaiihi Free Trial Member
    973 karma

    Yes don't worry! I had the same thing happen in LR. I think a lot of times, when you score really well on a diagnostic it's because you're relying on instinct. But that's not the same thing as real learning. Once you start developing a method to do it, and understanding the mechanisms behind it, it's natural to lose some ground––your brain is working in a new way, and that's kind of hard. Like you, that happened to me in LR, but after some time I got back to where I was! You're developing real understanding, not pure dumb and blind instinct, and that's awesome. Just don't burn out!

  • Redentore3337Redentore3337 Alum Member
    350 karma

    @hawaiihi said:
    Yes don't worry! I had the same thing happen in LR. I think a lot of times, when you score really well on a diagnostic it's because you're relying on instinct. But that's not the same thing as real learning. Once you start developing a method to do it, and understanding the mechanisms behind it, it's natural to lose some ground––your brain is working in a new way, and that's kind of hard. Like you, that happened to me in LR, but after some time I got back to where I was! You're developing real understanding, not pure dumb and blind instinct, and that's awesome. Just don't burn out!

    I never thought of it like that, thanks!

  • hawaiihihawaiihi Free Trial Member
    973 karma

    @Redentore3337 said:

    @hawaiihi said:
    Yes don't worry! I had the same thing happen in LR. I think a lot of times, when you score really well on a diagnostic it's because you're relying on instinct. But that's not the same thing as real learning. Once you start developing a method to do it, and understanding the mechanisms behind it, it's natural to lose some ground––your brain is working in a new way, and that's kind of hard. Like you, that happened to me in LR, but after some time I got back to where I was! You're developing real understanding, not pure dumb and blind instinct, and that's awesome. Just don't burn out!

    I never thought of it like that, thanks!

    Glad I could help! You got this! Just be patient with yourself––the process works!

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