November LSAT -- any advice would be appreciated!

LawschoolhereIcomeLawschoolhereIcome Member
in Logical Reasoning 258 karma

Hello, I'm taking the November LSAT which is just over two weeks away -- at what point did this section click and what advice would you give to get to that point? I used to think about LR as distinct question types but the past month or so I've noticed that almost all question types have similar patterns in their flaws (if argument-based). During BR I'm missing 2-3 but during timed sessions still missing about 7. Any advice for getting around not seeing the arguments clearly during timed practices? Sometimes there are stimuli that I just don't understand when timed but when I BR, it's like DUH! Of course! Any advice getting around that? Advice regarding timing for both LR and RC would be appreciated also. Thank you!

Comments

  • sarakimmelsarakimmel Member ⭐
    1488 karma

    Do you have a good skipping strategy? Often, learning when you need to skip a question can give you the perspective you need to make those DUH moments happen during the test. The general rule of thumb for when to skip a question and come back to it: re-reading the stimulus more than once, getting to AC E without seeing the answer, spending more than two minutes on a question, a question type you know you struggle with (let's say MSS or NA is difficult for you, immediately skip and answer those last).

    I would do the same for RC. Have a good skipping strategy, maybe you save all inference questions in each passage till last, or skip the hardest question in each passage. If you have put in enough time to truly understand the passage, the questions should go quickly. If the questions are bogging you down, take more time reading. You can think of RC like LG, invest the time up front.

  • LawschoolhereIcomeLawschoolhereIcome Member
    258 karma

    I've started skipping (which I didn't really do before on LR and RC) and I can definitely see that it's helped, especially with regard to finish everything on time whereas before I would still have 4-5 questions left to answer with only a minute left. Is the skipping passages strategy helpful for RC? I've been hesitant to do this because I already have trouble with time on RC. Most times by the 4th passage, I only have 5-6 minutes left. I think I need to stop second-guessing myself as well - sometimes I'll pick the other answer choice simply because I feel like my gut reaction to the first answer may not be correct (and in BR I find it was after all).

  • alaina.valdesalaina.valdes Core Member
    10 karma

    Hey! I'm also taking the November LSAT and, like you, have some issues with timing. I wanted to share what I've done for RC, which has seemed to work pretty well for me. At least on the most recent PTs, the first passage has had the least number of questions and for me at least has seemed fairly simple to understand, so I would skip it and start with the 2nd passage. By the time I came back to the 1st passage, I would have only 5-6 minutes left, but since it was simpler and had fewer questions, I was able to skim/quickly read it and get through all the questions. Although I would have liked more time to complete the passage and questions, I still have seemed to fare well on that 1st passage/questions that I saved for the end. I used to get around -8 and sometimes even -11 on RC. Most recently, I've gotten -3 to -5 using this strategy (and others, such as spending more time up front reading and really trying to engage with the passage). Hope this helps and good luck!

  • Clementine-2Clementine-2 Member
    208 karma

    This may or may not be your issue also, but I find that when I'm not understanding a stimulus it's because I'm either trying to rush or my anxiety is very bad. If I find myself constantly re-reading something that's relatively simple. I stop for a few seconds and breathe then continue. If the stimulus is just very difficult and it's taking me a while to finish, then I skip it and come right back. RC clicked for me when I started reviewing the answers BEFORE I read the passage. It helps me know what parts are most important and what to pay careful attention to. While reading, I tend to make lots of notes. I outline the structure of the passage and how each paragraph relates back to the main point and I summarize each paragraph as well. This helps me cruise through the answer choices really fast so I can spend most of my time understanding the passage. I also realized that in RC they want you to plagiarize the text. Don't read between the lines. Repeat back to them what the stimulus says. So I always look for answers that regurgitate info. Using this method I'm now -3 on RC. In LR, I learned that having strong elimination skills and being EXTREMELY detail oriented about checking answers is vital high scoring. You have to be a jerk about eliminating answer choices. If there's anything wrong with it, get rid of it.

  • DarinnnnnDarinnnnn Member
    244 karma

    What worked for me was depending on how much you studied for this exam, your practice test scores is where you want, I just relaxed the last few weeks before my exam. I studied, but I only did a PT on Sundays and reviewed that deeply through the whole week and take another PT and do the same thing again. There is no need to go hard by doing a shit ton of games because your just going to get nervous when you see the actual games on the exam. Confidence is half the battle. I was super relaxed leading up to the exam because I 'barely' studied. I basically saw my PT's as a Sunday workout. So if I were you, start enjoying the last few weeks and get your mind right because being calm during the storm is how to score high!

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