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Help! Raising Scores, Trouble with LG and RC

JustLookingJustLooking Member
in General 24 karma

Hi 7Sagers,
So far I have taken two PTs and they both have me around a similar range. I got a 157 on the one I just took (PT52) and a 156 on the previous one. I know it's just two practice tests, but I'm a bit worried about logic games since everyone says it's the easiest to improve on and I'm still stuck getting around 16-17 right. I'll go back to the games portion of the curriculum since I seem to be missing something. However, I started foolproofing a couple of weeks ago and while I feel like I understand some inferences better (especially relating to in and out games), I'm not seeing a clear improvement yet. How long does it typically take to improve in games? I'm also having trouble finishing the RC passages (which annoys me to no end because I've always been good at RC in other tests). Finally, I'll be going back to the curriculum for some parts of the LR section, especially the conditional logic/SA part. Fortunately, my LR hasn't been too bad but I'm still looking for ways to improve.

My goal is the mid 160s and I'm taking the test in September. However, I have made peace with the possibility that I may have to retake later on.

Aside from going back to certain parts of the CC, what else do you guys recommend I do? I'm having a serious problem with time in RC and LG because I can't finish the last passage and game for each. I know improving RC is hard, but is it possible? How many games do I need to foolproof to see a marked improvement? Finally, I get nervous when taking the PTs and that also contributes to time loss/inefficiency. Any tips to minimize that?

Any help/advice would be great.

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Comments

  • sillyquillysillyquilly Member
    121 karma

    Hey! I recommend you just drill. It's impossible to say how many LGs you are going to need to do in order to foolproof it. If anything, I think you should drill on previous games. Set aside games that you don't feel like you have 100% down and go back to them every so often.

    It is always possible to improve any section! One helpful tool I heard regarding RC was to start reading difficult texts on your own in your day to day life. Maybe start reading for 30 minutes before bed.

    As for your nerves, can you identify why you are nervous? Is there a particular game type you don't quite understand? Are their skills that you still don't feel like you have a grasp on? I would try to identify why you don't feel confident in your ability to do full length PTs and just start tackling them one by one. Your confidence in taking the test should, hopefully, increase over time.

    Hope this helps! Good luck :smiley:

  • Isaiah4110Isaiah4110 Alum Member
    edited August 2019 275 karma

    I would use LGs from PT1-35 for drill. They are harder and have a lot of the miscellaneous games that are making a comeback in the more recent PTs. Not only do you need to understand the fundamentals, but you should also be exposed to a large amount of material in order to see patterns. I drilled 2-3 games everyday for 1.5 month to get to the -2 to -0 range. There are times when I had to redo a game 3-4 times to fully understand the logic behind it and to get a perfect score. It seems tedious now, but it really does pay off!

    Knowing when to split the game board can be a huge time saver. For instance, when multiple rules apply to the same item, a long block for a short sequencing game, or many MBT/MBF questions that require you to make inferences. I also start to eliminate answer choices for acceptable situation questions (usually the first question for each game) as I read the rules. Seeing how the LSAT writers present the answer choices can also help you to set up your own game board, especially when you are not sure which group of items to use as the base, and which ones to use as the game pieces.

    Reading for structure is important, even if you don’t understand all the details. How much time are you spending on each passage? It’s worth it to spend more time on the passage up front because it will actually save you time from re reading when doing the questions. I would also pay close attention to the question stems. JY has always mentioned how the question stems of each RC question is unique. They actually tell you a lot on what you should be looking for and can help you eliminate some of the ACs quickly. For instance, if the question stem reads “according to the passage...”, then you know that it has been explicitly stated in the passage.

    Hope this helps!

  • Jonah Chadwick GriegoJonah Chadwick Griego Alum Member
    652 karma

    Fool proof LG w/ Pacifico method (search discussion forms for details) and read more books in your free time for RC. Try to find a way to get info quick, my thing was underlining.

  • JustLookingJustLooking Member
    24 karma

    Hey guys,

    First of all thank you for the kind responses. One of the reasons I chose 7Sage was because of the supportive and helpful community. I just took another PT and, while I'm sure I still scored in the mid 150s (haven't BR--ed it) like the two previous PTs, I felt a bit calmer taking the exam and more aware of when I was wasting time. I've started meditating so I hope that helps with my nerves lol.

    My past two BRs were in the high 160s--low 170s. I know that my main problem is time. I'm just extremely inefficient when I'm taking a test and that's why I get stuck on the 3rd game/passage with 5 minutes left. Moreover, I fudge the easier LGs by taking too long on them. For example, I took 7 minutes on a game that should've taken 5. Admittedly, I started foolproofing PTs 1-35 weeks ago but have been disorganized in how to go about it. Do you suggest taking full sections or foolproofing individual games? Do you also suggest foolproofing the games in the practice tests I take?

    I sometimes struggle to finish the last two or three questions in the LR sections. I'm going to take some timed drills like you guys suggest, but do you have any other strategies on time management? Do you suggest confidence drills or giving yourself a max number of time to spend on a question/game/passage then force yourself to move on? Like for example, 9 minutes on an RC passage and then move on no matter what remains to be answered?

    Again, thanks guys!

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