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June or September? Is one month ever sufficient close in on BR? + RC tips?
7Sageisthebest
Free Trial Member
Hello!
I wonder whether anyone here has been able to "close the gap" between their timed practice tests and their blind reviews in a short-ish period of time, especially when the errors are not in the LG section? If so, do you have any suggestions about studying habits for this next month? Normally I would just wait and take the test in September, give myself ample preparatory time. However, my schedule will be ramping up significantly in the coming months, and so June seems an ideal time to get this thing over with!
A bit about me: I am new to the site, and relatively new to the LSAT. I began studying about a month and a half ago. After familiarizing myself with the logic games, I took a couple practice tests near the end of March and scored in the mid-160s. Since then, I've improved; my last four tests have been 172, 173, 170 and 170 (from earlier to most recent).
This improvement is in large part due to 7Sage. Though I did not purchase the materials (I'm on a grad-student budget), I make extensive use of the analytics tool and read the forum often. I'm consistently amazed at this service and the generosity of its creators and users. And I'm really excited to be testing closer to my ideal range (173-180) for scholarships and admittance to my top choices for schools. BUT I am worried about my ability to break into that mid or high-170s realm in only another month of work. My blind reviewing is consistently in the high-170s (176-178), and the still-wrong answers are typically questions I don't circle and miss because of a reading error. My errors are almost all in LR and RC. RC varies wildly, from -2 in a section to -6. LR typically averages out to around -4 per test (i.e. -2 per LR section).
I've been doing 2 practice tests a week, a two or three-hour blind review the next day, and then a couple random sections from early tests on free days (timed and then reviewed untimed).
Finally: does anyone have tips for time management on the Reading Comprehension section? I am pretty sure that most of my errors come about because I panic about time and don't read the final two passages appropriately carefully.
Thanks for reading!
Comments
Hey! awesome job! I think I am in a pretty similar position (but my LG sucks) but I decided to sit for September instead. As for RC, how long does it take for you to read the first 2 passages? Since the first 2 passages are relatively easier than the latter 2, I would strive for 8 min and under 8 min total including the bubbling)
If you can't do them under 8 min, I think it either means that you are not comprehending the passage in terms of the structure (you are not reading the passages as efficiently as you can: slowing down to read important and relevant details and skimming through unnecessary ones) AND/OR you take a long time to answer each question. Based on where you are struggling, I suggest either refining your reading habits, or paying more attention to each answer choice (what answer choices did you consider? Why were you attracted to that answer choice anyway? What prevented you from being efficient?) during the BR. I would say RC takes a while before you see the fruits of your work...
@TheoryandPractice Thanks for the response! Those are helpful suggestions. I tend to read the passages relatively quickly (around 2-2.5 minutes), and then I answer the questions more slowly and often second guess myself and return to the passage. For the first two passages, I think I tend to take about 8.5-9.5 minutes each. I wonder whether maybe if I slow down slightly my reading, or change what I focus on, I may have better (faster) luck with the questions. I also wonder whether it'll take longer than a month to fix up these RC issues, and whether maybe it's a good idea to postpone until September. Or maybe keep myself open to taking both and hope for the best in June.
i think 2-2.5 min is way too quick, unless you are a super fast reader in general. I usually take about 4 min for passage, and usually the questions only take me 15-30 seconds. If a Q takes longer than 30 seconds, then I consider that either a really difficult Q / I messed up.
I do take 4 min upfront, but by the time I am done reading the passage, I can describe all the things below in detail with confidence: (and not point back to the passage)
1) What is the main point of the argument? What type of passage is it? (descriptive? argument-based)
2) Why did the author write the passage? What does the support structure of the author's MP look like overall?
3) What is the function of each paragraph?
4) What is the summary of each paragraph?
5) What are the opinions of the key players involved, if there are any? (What is their main point, and why?)
Honestly, developing this habit takes a while, and I don't know how long it will take for you. It took me a couple of months to refine notation skills, reading skills, and reading habits (and I am still in a process of refining), and not only that, it takes a while to refine the skill of answering questions ( how to eliminate quickly, know why each answer is wrong)
1 month might be enough for you. It might not be. Depends on how you feel.
The reason why I moved the exam date to Sept is because I think I will be about 85 to 90 percent ready by June. Given that the LSAT is quite difficult, I think that if I am 85 percent ready, then I might only able to show 70~80 percent of my potential/ ability during the exam. I think I would have to be 110 percent ready to show 100 percent during the exam. I don't think there is such a thing as overpreparing for the LSAT. But I know the dangers of under-preparing. Just my thought, tho.
@TheoryandPractice
Those are also great recommendations. I'll give 3-4 minute passage-reads a go and see how that turns out. I typically feel like I have a handle on the aspects of the passage you describe, but I tend to get bogged down in different questions, worried about whether I missed something or not perfectly certain about some points addressed. I'd think slowing down a bit might very well be helpful.
Thanks again for your advice, and best of luck in September!
@7Sageisthebest
Hey! I don't know for sure, but if you are getting all the structural nuances already, it sounds like you might be suffering from underconfidence (as in, you already know everything to attack each q confidently and efficiently, but think that you don't know enough). If that's the case, it might be worthwhile to do a drill on just going with your gut instinct and moving on quickly. Also, rc answers are never random. What I mean is that all answers are ultimately tied to MP, even if the question seems to ask for a detail. Ie) the passage most helps to answer which one of the following Qs? This q seems to be asking for a detail, but even the answers to Qs like this are ultimately tied to MP. So be confident in eliminating answers irrelevant to MP. See if this works! Good luck with either or both of the June/Sept exam
@TheoryandPractice
Even more helpful! I took your earlier advice today and tried a timed RC section (PT45) by reading a little more carefully and answering confidently rather than second guessing. Not only did I finish with 5 minutes to spare (I got to the last passage with 15 minutes left!), but I only missed one question, which is the best I've done on RC. That question was missed in part because I misread a word in the stem. So I'm feeling very good today about the chances of performing better on the RC! We'll see how the next practice test goes....
Thanks again for your help. I feel better prepared already!
To address your higher level question about June/September.. it depends.
What are you goals? It's safe to say that test day anxiety will likely (likely, but not always) claim a few points off your PT averages. So are you able to get your desired outcome with a high 16x or 170? If not, keep practicing. If you are, sitting for both tests might not be the worst thing in the world. Get the game day jitters out with the June test, so you don't have the build up of anxiety for the September test. If you slay the test, congrats, you don't have to sit again. If you lose a few points from your PT avg, well, you are know better prepared for September.
You will hear a ton of advice to not sit until you are ready, but you sound like you might be ready. It's also important to not waste takes, so if you can't achieve your goals with a 170 flat, you are likely better off waiting until September. Sept still is early in the cycle and will allow you to get your apps out on time, so I wouldn't feel bad about sitting that late in the year.
@Mellow_Z
Thanks for the advice! I think you're right -- it seems like the best option at this point (since I've already registered for the June test) is to practice hard this month, take the test in June and hope for the best, understanding that I can always retake in September if it doesn't go as well as I'd like.
@7Sageisthebest hey that's a great news! I also recommend start particing the pts in 60s and 70s. For RC, especially pt 62 and 63, which reflect the subtle changes in the recent PTs. It took me a while to adjust to the more recent pts.
Best of luck!
@TheoryandPractice
Once again, I wanted to thank you for the advice! I took PTs 62 and 63 this week, and they were my two highest scores yet. RC in both was -2.
@7Sageisthebest
Best of luck!
Hey! Congrats!! If you are able to score -2 on PTs 62 and 63, I dont think you will encounter much problem. I guess you are set for June?
@TheoryandPractice
Thanks! I'll see if my RC scores stay in that realm for the coming weeks, but it's a good sign and I'm ready and excited to enter the final month of studying. Best of luck back at you!