testmasters course vs. powerscore LR bible Forum

[apom]

I'm about 200 pages into the power score book. So far I would say the content and approach is about 85% the same. I like how the bible explains must be true questions but some stuff like transitive property arguments the testmasters approach is way better.

Should I keep reading the rest of the book or use the time to do practice tests? I'm writing the February test :S

[Judge Philip Banks]

I say finish the book - won't hurt. If you want to start on prep tests now, then go ahead. You've still got plenty of time until February to get in all of the prep tests.

[TLSanders]

Understanding the question types and the way to break them down is critical, but it's only one step and won't help your score if you're not comfortable implementing those strategies in a time-efficient way. If you're taking the test in February you should definitely be working with 35-minute timed sections by this point to get used to identifying the question types quickly and when they're in mixed format, making good decisions about where to spend your time and developing a sense of timing that will allow you to complete the section on test day.

[apom]

Speed is an issue. I can usually get to about question 20 on LR. Games I can usually do 3 pretty well. If I rush to do 4 I end up making mistakes and getting less questions right. Reading comp 3 passages with decent accuracy. I guess I will start doing more practice sections/tests and read the book when I'm to burnt out from doing practice tests, as brutal as that sounds.

[TLSanders]

Speed is an issue.

Speed is never the problem--not being able to get through a section is a symptom of not being familiar enough with the question types and not having ingrained a methodical approach that you can practically apply in your sleep. Keep doing the same thing over and over again, using the same steps every single time, and it will get faster with familiarity. But that doesn't just mean doing a lot of questions--it means understanding how to approach a certain type of question and then applying the same method over and over again, not skipping any steps (even when the question is easy enough that you can).

[apom]

I think your right. I find myself reading the stimulus several times. I can categorize the questions instantly but answering them takes some time. I usually find the conclusion when there is one and analyze the strength. But an instant pre phrase or correct answer doesn't always come to me right away. What kind of approach do you use for these questions?

For logic games I don't go in with a 100% confidence so some inferences/deductions are not apparent. For me the worst types of games are those with lots of local rules because I have to sometimes make multiple hypothetical's for one question.

reading comp: I'm looking for the structure, tone, viewpoints and similarities and differences but it's still hard for me to predict what the questions will ask of the passage.