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Strange Results

The JudgesThe Judges Free Trial Member
in General 364 karma

As I take more LSATs still under 10 preps tests I am noticing I am getting best sections but can never string together a great whole test. Is there any advice on the best ways to string together whole tests because when I train individual sections I can get down to -2/-4 rather easily. Is it smart to string together multiple sections when I practice between doing whole pretests? Also is it worth using newer logic games than training with old ones?

Comments

  • alumivacuialumivacui Alum Member
    212 karma

    I think it speaks for itself, really. If you can take individual sections and do well... but when you put them together, you do poorer than usual, it sounds like you're not as strong in the sections that you're doing poorer on...

    But this is assuming a consistent pattern though... for example.... if you're consistently doing worse on a certain section when you do the entire test, it would be my guess that perhaps you are struggling to.. uh... change mindsets? if that makes sense. Like transitioning from LR to RC or RC to LG etc,. So, perhaps the next step would be to introduce an extra section into your studying.. drill LR followed by RC then blind review them or something :p i'm sure analytics have better answers for you.

    As for your logic games question, it depends on the amount of time you are planning to study. From what I've heard, more is better when it comes to the LSAT. More practice= better. The concept of LG hasn't changed all that much over the years. . . Some may be more difficult than others for differing reasons, but the core concepts remain the same imo.

  • MissChanandlerMissChanandler Alum Member Sage ⭐
    3256 karma

    Definitely keep practicing full length tests. It's definitely easier to nail one section at a time, because mentally you won't get fatigued, you won't be psyched out from previous sections, and you'll often know exactly what type of section you're about to do (which you obviously won't know on the real thing). Like the above poster mentioned, you also have to get good at switching between different types of sections. You'll get there with practice!

  • Leah M BLeah M B Alum Member ⭐
    8392 karma

    It's important to also bear in mind that each individual LSAT has a different scoring scaled that is customized for that particular test. The sections vary in difficulty so the scoring scale is tweaked to make your overall score consistent. So it's not only a matter of keeping consistency in how many you miss, but seeing what your scaled LSAT score is. This is often referred to as "the curve" for LSATs. (It's not really a "curve", but that is the common nickname.) People will refer to a -12 curve, meaning that you can miss 12 questions overall and score a 170. The tests vary in range from somewhere around -9 to -15 for a 170. So you can't always compare your raw score from test to test.

    That said, early on in my studying my scores were also inconsistent. I scored anywhere from a 159 to a 168 for a few months. As I continued studying, my scores became more consistent. So this could also be what you are experiencing.

    Another issue is fatigue - if you are consistently scoring worse in a full PT setting than you do while doing individual sections, you may just be getting tired and not used to how long the test is. It's difficult to have the stamina for that. (A clue that this is the problem is if you score worse in later sections than earlier ones.) The stamina to do these super long tests comes with practice - just keep doing them consistently and you'll adapt over time. It's also helpful to do 5 or even 6 section PTs. Maybe you start with 4 and work your way up. (You can use fresh PTs to split up and use as extra sections.) It's like training for a marathon... you just have to train and keep working at it.

    As far as older vs newer sections - the LSAT has changed over time. Old LGs are good material to use for learning the games and drilling though. They still use all the fundamental skills, and it won't waste newer materials. But, particularly as you get closer to your test date, you should make sure to practice with newer games too. IMO, the older games are harder. They have more miscellaneous game types and sometimes are not as clear as newer tests. I think the newer LG sections are overall a little easier. They almost always begin with game 1 being a one line sequencing game - the easiest and fastest type. They seem to be more formulaic to me. Although in the last year or two, I think they've been using more miscellaneous types again, forcing you to improvise in setting up your game board. The older games are great training material for learning how to be flexible and figure it out as you go.

  • The JudgesThe Judges Free Trial Member
    364 karma

    I have taken more tests I am still below ten PT's but I am stuck around 157-9. I tend to absolutely kill a section and do average to horrible on the rest. In every test I will get one section below -5 but the rest will be anywhere from -6 to -10. I don't know if I have reached my limit or I am studying badly as I do old sections everyday and it never seems to pay off as I got my two 159's a month ago now i keep 157's so I dont know if my study program is trash or what

  • Better every dayBetter every day Member
    246 karma

    @"The Judges" said:
    As I take more LSATs still under 10 preps tests I am noticing I am getting best sections but can never string together a great whole test. Is there any advice on the best ways to string together whole tests because when I train individual sections I can get down to -2/-4 rather easily. Is it smart to string together multiple sections when I practice between doing whole pretests? Also is it worth using newer logic games than training with old ones?

    When you are getting close to the real test ideally you will be focusing on the most recent PTs because those are most likely going to be the most similar. The basic skills you need to succeed can be developed and honed by using old PTs, but I think there is a clear difference between PTs in the 80s and PTs in like the 40s. If you just take one of each, I think you will feel it for lack of a better word. However, LG on the old tests is the one section that I found particularly relevant. The logic games really have not changed very much, and I think some of the hardest games are from the older tests. I started to develop a mastery of LG after just repeatedly doing older games.

    As for stringing together whole tests, I would say just keep plugging away on PTs and trust the blind review process. Under 10 is not very many so its certainly likely that you just need to develop stamina, which will come by simply taking more timed PTs. Maybe try doing some back to back reading comp sections in between PTs if you feel like you really need to build this. Just don't waste sections from the newest PTs.

  • Mario RoboMario Robo Alum Member
    266 karma

    Also, just remember that each section will vary in difficulty while all together the tests difficulty is pretty similar, so you would have to see that you are getting a great score on each section. If you are and when you put it all together you are getting great scores and not when you take a full practice test, it might be stamina.

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