So I was averaging -5 total in LR on the 50s and 60s but when I started taking some of the 70s (70,71,72) it went up to -9 total. And usually one of the sections will be a lot easier where I'll go -2, and then I'll bomb the other one with like a -7. I've tried reviewing these questions in depth and I noticed several things:
1) the LR stimuli are longer
2) answer choices are harder to comprehend,eliminate
3) NA questions are not as tight as they once were (check out the LR question in PT71 section 1 on predatory pricing and you'll see what I mean).
4) Lots of annoying principle/strengthen questions that are really time-consuming.
Perhaps it may take some time getting used to, but after taking PT72 LR#2 I had to vent since I found this section to be insanely difficult. And with the circular game, this PT is an absolute killer.
Has anyone noticed any other trends in the 70s LR? Or does anyone have any advice on how to tackle/approach these different questions? Thanks!!
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During her office hours, @allison.gill.sanford spoke to this change and really helped clear things up for me. Because the stimuli are longer and ACs are a bit more particular, you really need to remain focused during your read of the stimuli and ACs and stick to the question's objective. The LSAT demands high level use of the english language. If you want to finish these current sections in time/have the ability to review tough questions, you can't waste time reading then rereading questions/ACs over and over. These newer tests can really punish you for not fully grasping stimuli and ACs.
Another 70s trend I have noticed is more of the unconventional sufficient assumption questions. They're relying less on the formal logic we've burned into our brains and more of an intuitive understand of arguments and support structures.
Then assuming I've answered all of the ones I can get right away, I'll have some time to isolate the longer or more tricky questions and pick up some hard earned points
I took 66 today because I'm still waiting on 72-77 to come in the mail; I made a 172 on that one with only truly skipping 2 and saving them til the end. I know top scorers all do that skip stuff, but it's just so not intuitive to me that it's messing with my psyche.
I am "trying" to take a calm approach to embrace the skipping method. It really challenges you to know your strengths and weaknesses when reading a Q Stem/Stimulus and knowing when to skip. Just as you think you are starting to master the concepts and start to quickly answer certain questions with complete confidence, skipping strategy opens the door for opportunities to further master the rest of the test.
In my PT phase, lack of confidence or running into a tough stretch of questions has created a hiccup as I try to figure out what is the most optimum strategy for me to utilize skipping. I am so thankful for all of the Sages for sharing their experiences and how they are so supportive to say - it just takes practice - which is no different from any of the training/advice when you first started studying for the LSAT:)
I am re-taking sections to try to work on what is the best strategy for me. One section - I finished with 7 minutes left and couldn't figure out what questions to revisit sending me into a complete panic. Next section, I tried skipping fewer questions with a slower trigger to skip and almost didn't finish. Another section, I almost timed it to the best of my abilities.
Believe in all of the hard work for you to have achieved your current scores and put the same tenacity towards honing your personal skipping strategy:)
1. If I don't grasp the stimulus after my first read. I'm not talking about slight confusion, as that's common with this exam. It's that feeling of "what the hell did I just read??" Skip it!
2. If it's a flaw question, I don't move to the ACs unless I'm able to articulate a flaw in my head. As JY mentions a lot, flaw ACs are designed to play on your assumptions and trick you into making mistakes. It's crucial to take a moment to recognize the flaw, and if I can't do that..skip it!
3. SA and NA: same idea as flaw questions. Have an idea of what you're looking for before heading into the ACs. This will save you a ton of time, and help with immediately eliminating trap answers.
All in all, I think good skipping tactics stress putting the work in on your initial read, then making the reasoned decision about whether to skip based on how the question sits with you.
One note of caution though: you need to develop this into an efficient process. You can't be putting in the up front stimulus work, realize you've just spent 2:25 on a question then move on. The quicker you can recognize when to skip the better
I made two 168s last week on both PTs I took (I think it was 69 and 70). I took PT 67 and PT 66 this past weekend (170, 172 respectively).
Last weekend, I ended up taking both PTs after 4 pm, and I truly think that made the difference in score. My brain feels much foggier in the afternoon. I'm starting to fine-tune my PTing and notice the outside factors, beside just confidence/familiarity with the test, that can affect my score. I think thats what a lot of us are going through right now. We have the material, now it's just fine-tuning to what works best/doesn't work for us.
I'm also starting to get really anxious about the upcoming test date, and I"m having a hard time not letting that anxiety get to me. I
Regardless, I'm confident you'll begin to detect the differences, and I have no doubt that your score will get back to where it should be.
About the skipping issues you brought up - I wonder if making a super obvious system for yourself (dog ear pages, huge circles around skipped questions, circle the number on the scantron and fill in a random one before you move on) would help. It's definitely worth it to nail the skipping strategy, you just might need to experiment with how to create a notation system that helps you to not mess up the bubbling or get lost trying to come back.
I have a friend with significant dyslexia and we have edited a lot of papers together, and coming back to things in the middle is always harder for her than restarting a paragraph or some kind of reset. I'm not sure how similar her situation is to your learning needs but I think experimenting will be helpful!
@"Ron Swanson" I'm glad the office hours helped with discerning the differences in the 70s series. I definitely agree with your analysis here - the LSAT is rewarding precision with both language and understanding your task in each question.
It's definitely going to be something I need to work on/with, because I definitely see the advantages.
Complete skip Q #16 - write 16 huge at top of page and circle it
Question #20 in the 75-90% range - write 20 at the top of the page but smaller in size and not circled.
When I go back, I revisit the huge circled "skipped" questions and cross the number at top of page with a huge "X" when I choose my AC. After the skipped Q's, if time haha, I revisit the 75% Questions. While it works for many, I tried the markings on the Scantron and it did not work for me. Other than making sure I do not have any bubbling errors, I want to make sure my entire focus is on the actual test booklet and not spending time cross referencing back and forth. And for those that write the actual test with mini-desks, it would completely scare the crap out of my trying to juggle the test book and scantron using that system. (Pls always check out your test center:)
Of note during PT phase, I have always put a hash mark under the Question number for Q's that I want to make sure to BR for various reasons but ignore during timed sections.
Hope this helps because utilizing skipping strategy can be infuriating and frustrating when you first start to implement it. Find what works best for you with practice!
If you haven't seen it, watch Corey's https://7sage.com/webinar/timing-and-levels-of-certainty/
about the pyramid of levels of confidence. I still go back to his methodology when BRing to determine what type of questions I am skipping to get as many Qtypes as I can on level One. Wish I had the answers, but I am a work in progress:)
Second (just to clarify) my skipping problems come primarily from not filling in the bubbles; I get confused and overwhelmed with trying to keep up with the answer sheets (learning disability); on the last two drills, I just filled in "C" as a place-holder and wrote a "S" next to the question so that I knew to come back to it and that "C" wasn't really the answer I thought it was. That seems to be working so far. I guess even if I somehow forget or overlook that skipped question, at least i filled in SOMETHING and have a 20% at getting it right. I'm going to implement some combination of that, and putting in another "safety net" such as @allison.gill.sanford and @twssmith have suggested.
I also recommend bubbling something in when you skip, and making a mark, like you are starting to do. Otherwise it's sooo easy to misbubble (even without ADHD). Besides, like you said, if you don't have time to go back, at least you have a 20% chance of getting a point with a random bubble.