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Need some guidance- Down to 30 fresh PTs, still not at target score

nomomnomnomomnom Member
in General 412 karma

I've been studying full time for about a year and have either drilled or PTed all of PT1-60. Right now I have about 30 fresh new PTs and trying my best to be economic with them. Unfortunately, I'm still not at my target score (165+) and typically score between156-163, but usually score on the lower end (158-160). Recently I've been drilling old LR sections and foolproofing the 1-35 bundle again to work on weaknesses (LG is my weakest section right now) but taking new PTs only once in a while to check my progress. If I'm planning to sit for June/ July and still have a way to go in hitting my target score, should I be retaking old PTs instead of new PT's and save the new ones for closer to the date? Or rotate between old PT's and new Pt's for the time being? Thank you in advance, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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  • 427cobra427cobra Alum Member
    14 karma

    With a 160 score how many LG do you get wrong? If zeroing out that section would get you to a 165 I wouldn't be doing anything else but fool proofing LG for now.

    Have you fool proofed every LG from 1-60?

  • 99thPercentileOrDieTryin99thPercentileOrDieTryin Free Trial Member
    652 karma

    Good news! LG is your weakest section! That's great because it's the easiest to improve. Even better news! You have room to improve everywhere!

    This is good because, as I found out late on in my studies, it's the little tactical approaches and techniques that can drastically improve your score when you hit the 160 hump.

    My very first recommendation is this: revisit your old Prep Tests. Find any common patterns in your errors of reasoning and spend a few weeks focusing on them (while also maintaining the things you're already good at.) LSAT skills are like trying to balance an overloaded plate of spaghetti while piling on more. What I mean is to balance all the skills necessary.

    Second: drill the hell out of LG. I recommend picking up the Manhattan and Fox LG books to give yourself additional perspectives and strategies. For example, did you know you can pick up a few extra LG points by answering the first question, then answering all the "IF" questions before moving back to the remaining global questions? The "IF" questions require you to draw mini-diagrams which you can then use for to eliminate the remaining global questions' wrong answers! This saves time and time means more points!

    Next, if you don't already have The Loophole by Ellen Cassidy get it ASAP. The basic translation drill from her book is the best thing you can do for your LR score.

    Once you master the basic translation drill, apply this technique to your RC paragraphs. What you'll do is translate and summarize each RC paragraph so you can easily recall the BASIC information it contains and how it relates to the rest of the passage. JY calls it "low-res" and it works so,so well when you practice it over and over.

    Finally, and this will depend on you and your preferences, I recommend drilling un-timed until you have conquered the logic. Only after you can BR above 175 should you start applying time again. When you do, maybe force yourself to complete sections at 30-33 minutes instead of the full 35. This will help simulate the test day pressure.

    Those are my $.02. Best of luck in your studies and I hope any of this will help.

  • nomomnomnomomnom Member
    412 karma

    With a 160 score how many LG do you get wrong? If zeroing out that section would get you to a 165 I wouldn't be doing anything else but fool proofing LG for now.

    I typically average -7 on a good day, but now just looking at the analytics on my 10 recent PTs, it's been anywhere from -4 to -12, definitely an area with room for improvement. I have foolproofed the 1-35 bundle twice already, but 35-60 only one round and maybe not diligently enough especially in my earlier PT's. Thanks for the suggestion! I think hammering down LG would get me closer to 165.

  • nomomnomnomomnom Member
    edited March 2020 412 karma

    My very first recommendation is this: revisit your old Prep Tests. Find any common patterns in your errors of reasoning and spend a few weeks focusing on them (while also maintaining the things you're already good at.) LSAT skills are like trying to balance an overloaded plate of spaghetti while piling on more. What I mean is to balance all the skills necessary.Second: drill the hell out of LG.

    Thank you for your suggestions! Really appreciate you taking the time in writing them all out. I guess I should be taking a step back from PTing and really working on my weaknesses. I relied heavily on 7sage for LG and they have a great curriculum and explanation videos, but I'll give Manhattan a shot since I still don't have the section hammered down.

  • Quick SilverQuick Silver Alum Inactive Sage
    1049 karma

    Hi there,

    I totally get the concern over fresh PTS. But it’s not the end of the world if you do indeed run out. I actually ran out before my third take which got me my Target score. But if I wasn’t scoring a 180 on those PTS (and I wasn’t :), then there was always more to learn from retaking and the blind review process.

    I do recommend staggering ie doing every third or fifth PT number in sequential order, then starting over again. Ie 60, 65, 70, 75 etc.

    Plus, remember it’s always about quality studying. You don’t just want to just take a PT blind review it and then keep making the same mistakes. It’s worth it to go back and redo lessons if you’re consistently getting a specific question type wrong or use this form, the course or a tutor to help you get to the bottom of it. My point is, it’s not just about taking fresh PTS or PTS overall. It’s about the quality of learning from them. (Hope this is helpful)

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