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Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 11:59 am
by boaltbound
So it's ironic, but I get the harder questions right- rarely missing any, but I miss 1-3 consistently on the first 10, and another 1-2 from 11-15. After 15 I miss 1-2 MAX.
Any ideas on why? Or strategies on how to improve this?
What sucks even more is that I spend too much time on the first 10-15, and I STILL miss questions....if I can just correct this, spend less time and miss less questions I should have NO problems getting a 170.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks a lot guys!
Re: Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:08 pm
by dakatz
A problem with the first 15 that I had is that I tried to overthink them. Typically, earlier in the section, they aren't trying to fool you or pull any tricks. So don't assume there is something buried that you must search for. By doing tons of questions, you get a feel for the types of things they tend to ask early in a section. Just go with your gut on these. Also, if you get a slightly hard question in the first 15, don't hesitate to circle it and come back to it later. You obviously have no prob with the last few questions, so you will certainly have some time left over to come back and finish it up once you know you have the time flexibility to do so.
Re: Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:31 pm
by Atlas LSAT Teacher
This will probably spark a lot of discussion about whether to predict answers or not (our position is roughly to prepare for the answer, perhaps even predict, but then switch gears and start eliminating wrong answers instead of choosing the right one), but you may find it useful to try working from wrong to right, i.e. process of elimination, even on those easier ones. It's easy to get fooled when you find the argument easy, as you have a clear vision of the answer and the test-writers may put in some tempting words.
What I tell students is that when they see an answer they like to either say "that's good, but let me see if there's something better", or "I like that, but I've probably been fooled."
Give it a whirl on a full section and tell me how it goes.
Good luck!
Re: Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:42 pm
by boaltbound
dakatz wrote:A problem with the first 15 that I had is that I tried to overthink them. Typically, earlier in the section, they aren't trying to fool you or pull any tricks. So don't assume there is something buried that you must search for. By doing tons of questions, you get a feel for the types of things they tend to ask early in a section. Just go with your gut on these. Also, if you get a slightly hard question in the first 15, don't hesitate to circle it and come back to it later. You obviously have no prob with the last few questions, so you will certainly have some time left over to come back and finish it up once you know you have the time flexibility to do so.
The thing is, if you DO eliminate all/most of the answers on the first 10/15, then you're really pressed for time on the harder questions. I think the reason I miss as many as I do is because I try and pre-phrase, quickly locate an answer choice that matches my pre-phrase, and move on. I eliminate answer choices on the harder questions, but it's not possible to do that for all 25-26 questions.
Re: Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:59 pm
by Woozy
boaltbound wrote:dakatz wrote:A problem with the first 15 that I had is that I tried to overthink them. Typically, earlier in the section, they aren't trying to fool you or pull any tricks. So don't assume there is something buried that you must search for. By doing tons of questions, you get a feel for the types of things they tend to ask early in a section. Just go with your gut on these. Also, if you get a slightly hard question in the first 15, don't hesitate to circle it and come back to it later. You obviously have no prob with the last few questions, so you will certainly have some time left over to come back and finish it up once you know you have the time flexibility to do so.
The thing is, if you DO eliminate all/most of the answers on the first 10/15, then you're really pressed for time on the harder questions. I think the reason I miss as many as I do is because I try and pre-phrase, quickly locate an answer choice that matches my pre-phrase, and move on. I eliminate answer choices on the harder questions, but it's not possible to do that for all 25-26 questions.
I think you have identified the issue. I really think it is nearly impossible to reach 100% accuracy without eliminating all wrong answers. This is probably why you are doing worse than expected on the earlier questions. If you focus on improving your speed, it is possible to have time to eliminate every answer choice.
Re: Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:36 pm
by boaltbound
What are some "speed" techniques that I'm not doing that would be helpful?
Re: Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:45 pm
by Woozy
boaltbound wrote:What are some "speed" techniques that I'm not doing that would be helpful?
I'll paste some stuff I've posted in another thread on this topic; the main idea is to move with urgency during practice and identify any wasted time. Also, the more you read and the more you practice, the quicker you'll get.
Woozy wrote:C) Think efficiency and speed. Every second needs to be spent productively. Try to move as quickly as you can from question to question and from answer sheet to test booklet. It sounds simple and obvious, but it is not so easy in practice to identify every wasted second. A few examples of things I did:
i) Practice turning pages and beginning immediately. Attack the questions. Feel a sense of urgency during practice and the test. In LG practice setting games up as quickly as possible; often you can just skim the opening paragraph. You should be able to immediately identify what type of setup to use.
ii) Late in practice when you have internalized your sense of timing, stop looking at a watch. Every second spent looking at a watch is a second not spent on the LSAT.
iii) Use dull pencils - they fill an oval quicker.
D) Practice is the time to develop your focus! When you go through problems, try to move with a sense of urgency and do not let your mind wander. Whether you are doing practice tests or just random problems, if at any time you find yourself thinking about anything other than the problem in front of you, give yourself a mental slap and bring your focus back to the test. If you are constantly thinking about random crap during practice you will be thinking about random crap during the test.
Re: Missing questions on first 10
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:09 pm
by existenz
boaltbound wrote:What are some "speed" techniques that I'm not doing that would be helpful?
When you are taking the PTs, what do you think might be slowing you down?
With some people, they get stuck on one hard question and can't let go. Sometimes blowing 3 minutes on one question. Obviously, that will kill you on test day. If you are confronted with a killer formal logic question, or something that just doesn't compute, circle it and come back later (though make sure you either fill in the answer bubble or remember to leave it blank).
Other people are simply slow across the board. If you find yourself having to reread the stem and stimulus constantly, that will slow you down a lot. Even 15 seconds x 25 questions equals over 6 minutes! Of course, going too fast will lead to missed questions. Finding the right balance of speed and accuracy is the key to cracking 170.
I'd say total focus, and not letting your mind wander, are the best things you can do.