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Comments
One interesting approach I have heard is to take the PTs out of order. For example, 51, 61, 71, 52, 62, 72, etc, etc. That will give you exposure to the newer tests and their differences without burning through them.
This is a great idea! I'd also say there isn't really THAT big of a difference between 50s and 60s/70s. Maybe some slight wording choice differences but nothing that should cause you to suddenly drop multiple points**. 70s' games sections contain more unorthodox games (one per set of four) but as the June test showed, that's not a guarantee it will happen in September. If you are confident in games, you should probably be fine.
**I went in order so it's possible the changes occurred very subtlety for me and there actually is a larger difference, but taking just one in the 70s should allow you to figure out if that's the case.
I'd also advise at a minimum taking one mid 70s test just to prevent psyching yourself out about it come September.
I think you should start prepping in the 70s, because your score is likely to fluctuate greatly at first. The 70s are a bit weird and difficult for several reasons.
1) The stimuli in the LR sections are incredibly unorthodox in that cookie-cutter "context" "premise" and "conclusion" indicators fade into the background as each sentence kind of melds into the next. As a result, the reasoning is harder to parse out. The underlying logic is the same, but it becomes harder to see the reasoning and can slow you down.
2) The question STEMS in LR are also tricky and different. They throw in a lot of miscellaneous questions in some tests like "which one of the following would be most useful to know in order to evaluate the argument" and "which one of the following principles helps to reconcile" (a hybrid question stem).
3) The games are more of the hybrid/miscellaneous types and it will take some getting used to in terms of set up and making inferences "on the fly." Also, some games are just plain brute-force, which also took me some time getting used to them.
4) The RC is incredibly difficult. The passages are significantly harder to get through, and the questions are LR-heavy (weakening/strengthening and even NA questions come up). The inferences are more subtle and difficult to parse out.
Given these changes, I think one month should be sufficient in carrying out your prep until September since you're already scoring in the mid-high 160s (so you know your stuff). But I would focus on the 70s tests only until your September test.
Good luck!
So personally I took one diagnostic exam in May and got a 158.
Then I spent 1 whole month (May) on Logic Games only.
Then I spent the next month on RC only (June).
Then I spent the last month on LR only (July).
Now in August I've just been taking PrepTests and haven't gotten below a 170 (highest ever 179, lowest 170).
Honestly I think what helped me get to this point was really really really drilling in the basics. I wouldn't advise anyone to start taking full length exams until they've EXTENSIVELY gone through some core curriculum (I went through all 3 Powerscore Bibles, Manhattan Prep Books, and parts of 7Sage I needed to brush up on).
If you've already gone through so many PrepTests already, I highly recommend you move on to some other books and systems. 7Sage is great, but there's a lot to be learned from other company's and tutor's perspectives and systems, and the more tools you can steal from other people's toolboxes the more avenues to success you'll have on test day.
Hope this helps!
Definitely like the strategy of drilling the basics a ton before moving on to PTs.
Safe to say, I think your strategy worked and your test score will reflect that!
@pcainti Thanks for sharing your strategy. Question: in each month, did you use Blind Review, Full Proof LG with BRs and RC Memory Method with BRs or some other approach(es)? Thanks.
Once youve got your teeth sunk in the fundamentals,it doesnt really matter, with the exception of some grammer. I personally enjoy the 70s more than the 40s/50s.
Sure!
First i'll preface this by saying this is just what worked for me and everyone has to tailor their prep according to their own needs and preferences.
So in each month I didn't take any PrepTests; I've only began Preptests now August. I did an amalgamation of different prep books (Bibles, Workbooks, Manhattan Prep) that each gave me a different set of tools and perspectives for approaching questions. I bought 7Sage to fine-tune my fundamentals, add some more tools to my toolbox, and drill (J.Y's explanations are great!). I also went through all of the PowerScore books that had compiled Question Types from PrepTests 1-20 (doing this won't overlap with actual PrepTest material (aka PrepTest 35+)).
When it comes to actually doing PrepTests, I did a modified version of BR. I must admit (I know JY would disapprove) that I check my answers immediately after a PrepTest. Let me explain my reasoning.
When I would do BR, I found that my BR score wasn't too different from my normal score. This is because I would often justify my own BAD reasoning back to myself and keep my answer as correct. I found this to be reinforcing bad behaviors on my part. By checking my answers first, if I got a question I circled and wasn't 100% certain on right, then I can go back and REINFORCE my correct reasoning. If I got an answer wrong, I could quickly discard that reasoning from my head and replace it with the correct reasoning. This is what has helped me, but there are many pathways to success. Just have to find your own.
There are also a bunch of subtle tips and tricks I'm picking up from JY and others that I'm employing to bring me from 170-174 to 175+ (like broad question strategies for LR, LG, and RC).
If y'all wanna hear more feel free to PM me. We're all on this LSAT journey together and I'm happy to share what has helped me
!
PS - one other thing that helped me was really beating myself up over wrong answers. I know this sounds unhealthy, but if you dwell on a mistake after you make it chances are you won't make it again.
AKA - if you get an answer wrong don't just be like "Welp." Be like "Gosh darnit I'm so much better and smarter than that and there's no reason I missed it except for me being silly."
@pcainti Thank you for sharing. I greatly appreciate it and You! Best wishes on your exam.