Posting on Behalf of a 7Sage User: Reading the stimulus first or the question stem in LR sections?

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• 3 Likes

  Matt Sorr Alum Member ⭐

  September 2022 edited September 2022 2245 karma

  Opinions on this are extremely mixed and I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer. Some prep companies teach it one way and some teach it the other. Since everybody differs a bit in the ways they read and process information, I think you've got to figure out which way you personally prefer. A possible way to do this is to take four (or more) LR sections and alternate each time between reading the stem and stimulus first. Then, if you're performing noticeably better with one of the methods or if one method just "works" for you, go with it.
• 2 Likes

  rzee0913 Alum Member

  September 2022 64 karma

  There's actually a lesson on this in the core curriculum:
  https://7sage.com/lesson/logical-reasoning-general-approach/
• 2 Likes

  mcv.villalobos22-1 Member

  September 2022 18 karma

  Reading the stem first
• 3 Likes

  julia.greve Member Sage 7Sage Tutor

  September 2022 193 karma

  I recommend reading the question stem first before the stimulus.

  It's important to have a targeted focused in every question of the LSAT. Knowing the question type gives you a much better sense of a focused task rather than starting with the stimulus. Of course, what it comes down to is the individual student. What works for some will not work for all. Try out a few sections using either technique and see which one does better for you!
• 1 Like

  If Glory then Guts Member

  September 2022 175 karma

  In timed I think reading stem first is good. But when you're in an untimed setting I also think reading the stimulus first can be a really valuable heuristic. It can help foster a sense of the broader unity of logical reasoning and the ways in which a given stimulus can lend itself to a variety of different stems.