163, -15 RC, retake? Forum

[archangel326]

i was bummed when i got the score, as I studied for a long time, but then I noticed a big dissonance in my score.

In
LR 1 = I got -2
LG = -2
LR 2 = -1
and RC = -15

On PTs, I usually do well on LR (I usually do -1 per LR section, but sometimes I go -4 on a bad day), and on RC, i usually do badly. It would be my third time retaking if i do so (i cancelled on february..) but,if i focus on rc, would i have a chance to do better?Im also thinking about taking a prep class.

Update:

It's been a while since I updated this, but I actually retook the LSAT for the last time and got a -3 on RC for the October 2011 LSAT test. I messed up on LG though. The RC for the October 2011 test is easier than the June 2011 test, so that helped me improve my score.It took me a while to improve RC. When I first began studying for the LSAT, I could only finish 3 sections, but by the end of my studying, I was able to consistently finish all 4 sections.


I just wanted to encourage anyone who's struggling with RC. It's possible to improve on that section!

[citykitty]

If you think you can buckle down, study, and improve, I'd retake. There is a ton of room for improvement on that RC. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[zozin]

Those are fantastic scores in LR/LG. Look at this way, you've mastered 75% of the test. If you can improve RC, you're looking @ 170s.

[imbored25]

im facing a similar delima

LR -2
LG -2
LR -6
RC -11

the only thing that worries me is that maybe next time one of the other sections turns out to be really hard and i do the same, got a 162

[archangel326]

thanks, guys, for replying to me !!

it's so hard to see myself ever improving rc. with lg and lr, i always felt that there was some pattern as to what is the correct answer (e.g., with cause and effect lr questions, there is really only so much strengthen, weaken, assumption, parallel answers). but with rc, as evidenced by my low score, i can't seem to grasp what the correct answer is..

i'm envious of those who are good at rc!

i'm going to continue trying though and see if i can super-focus on rc while doing okay on lr/lg.

im going to take the testmasters prepcourse and talk to them about my rc

again, thanks for the reply

[wvu]

I've been told that, of all the sections, RC is definitely the hardest to "learn". However, having said that, I'd recommend studying it intensely and taking several more PTs, and if you can consistently get your score up to go ahead and register to take the test again.

[bk1]

Yes.

[UofO]

If all else fails, consider doing 3 RC passages in 35 minutes.

Imagine getting nearly perfect on 3 passages (7/7, 8/8, 6/7) and guessing on the one with the fewest questions (e.g. 1/6).

You could potentially end up with a ~ 6 RC or so.

Something to think about...

[BrightLine]

Unless there is a reason (reading related learning disability) that you cannot improve the RC section, this one is a no brainier. Retake.

[omeezy4sheezy]

RC was my strongest section, although I got a mark in the high 150s. I was only ~4 and usually score in that range too. Yah my overall score sucks, but thats a different story. I accredit my high mark to the amount I read regularly, so maybe picking up a book whenever you have the chance (i.e. commute, free time instead of watching tv etc.) would really help you with your studying + overall RC.

[MarineLaw]

I went -1 on RC, but ended up with a 158 overall.

I think reading quickly, like it's a book or something, helps. All the stupid highlighting, underlining, searching for main ideas, blah. I think it makes you forget the overall flow of the passage as you get bogged down in details. I really think that just mentally picturing it like a Nat Geo article or piece of lit for english class really helps.

Now I got completely owned on LR and LG (obviously) so don't be TOO "jealous" of those good at RC, as it can be a nasty tradeoff between skill sets.

Good luck. If you have any good LG and/or LR advice, please send it my way!

[mattviphky]

congrats on awesome results from the other sections...but yeah, retake man, just getting a -10 rc would get you like a 166. -5 would be like a 170. Do it man.

[Law Sauce]

yes, RC Bible is the worst Bible, but its still very helpful. Its the least you can do

[archangel326]

Update:

It's been a while since I updated this, but I actually retook the LSAT for the last time and got a -3 on RC for the October 2011 LSAT test. I messed up on LG though.

The RC for the October 2011 test is easier than the June 2011 test, so that helped me improve my score.


It took me a while to improve RC. When I first began studying for the LSAT, I could only finish 3 sections, but by the end of my studying, I was able to consistently finish all 4 sections.


I just wanted to encourage anyone who's struggling with RC. It's possible to improve on that section!

[dowu]

[Incubateus]

IMO RC is the most difficult area to improve. It requires you to read faster and analyze passages in a certain way, two things that are very difficult to untrain. That being said, it is what held me back from a 170+. If you can break that wall, I'm sure you'll be able to get there.

[SaintsTheMetal]

Interested to hear advice for studying RC as well.. in my last 2 PTs (37 and 38) my RC went from -4 to -11, and -13 on my "experimental" RC section from PT7. This is with -0 on LG and -0/1 on each LR section often I am only answering like 2 questions on the 4th passage

[Micdiddy]

RC improvement is possible, it takes a lot of conscious effort that will only after a long period of time feel natural.
Learn to "read for understanding" instead of reading to make the "right" annotations. This means, with an in depth understanding of the points of the passage, the details are only of secondary concerns and questions about them can be answered by referring back to the passage anyway.

Which brings me to my second point, consciously refer to the passage to justify responses as much as possible, then over time it will become natural and quicker. Once you get used to it you can quickly locate the material you need and will know what sentences constitute proof of an answer, and which ones are used to trick you into picking a wrong answer.

Find a strategy that works for you, not the one that's recommended in your book or class. The most important thing, imo, is staying engaged with the material. My strategy while reading is not to underline key words, circle direction words, paraphrase each paragraph or whatever, I make whatever notes are necessary for me to feel comfortable absorbing the information. Often this is just a checkmark at the end of each paragraph that lets my mind know "I understood this" and move on.

Compare answers to EACH OTHER instead of just the passage. This is advice straight from thetalksmore (give credit where it's due). When dealing between two answers you like, before scanning the whole passage for the info in both of them, compare them to each other and often the better one becomes clear in relation to the other choice. Which one does the author really care more about? Is one easier to prove than the other (or more specific/general/whatever the questions calls for). This helps saves time and illuminates why wrong answers can be tempting, but ultimately fall short to right ones.

Lastly, review and re-do. Review why yo got answers wrong, find the justification in the passage that eliminates your wrong answer and/or justifies the right one. Re-do RC sections (after a few weeks or so) and see if you can improve on the same one. Why did you improve? What did you learn that you can apply to new RC passages?

[nshapkar]

i was bummed when i got the score, as I studied for a long time, but then I noticed a big dissonance in my score.

In
LR 1 = I got -2
LG = -2
LR 2 = -1
and RC = -15

On PTs, I usually do well on LR (I usually do -1 per LR section, but sometimes I go -4 on a bad day), and on RC, i usually do badly.

It would be my third time retaking if i do so (i cancelled on february..) but,
if i focus on rc, would i have a chance to do better?

Im also thinking about taking a prep class.

PS Kate Chopin owned me.

forget the class, buckle down for a couple of months and retake. While studying keep lr/lg fresh by doing a timed section or two every couple of days but zone in on rc. 170+ is a definite possibility

[Br3v]

Retake

[dowu]

RC improvement is possible, it takes a lot of conscious effort that will only after a long period of time feel natural.
Learn to "read for understanding" instead of reading to make the "right" annotations. This means, with an in depth understanding of the points of the passage, the details are only of secondary concerns and questions about them can be answered by referring back to the passage anyway.

Which brings me to my second point, consciously refer to the passage to justify responses as much as possible, then over time it will become natural and quicker. Once you get used to it you can quickly locate the material you need and will know what sentences constitute proof of an answer, and which ones are used to trick you into picking a wrong answer.

Find a strategy that works for you, not the one that's recommended in your book or class. The most important thing, imo, is staying engaged with the material. My strategy while reading is not to underline key words, circle direction words, paraphrase each paragraph or whatever, I make whatever notes are necessary for me to feel comfortable absorbing the information. Often this is just a checkmark at the end of each paragraph that lets my mind know "I understood this" and move on.

Compare answers to EACH OTHER instead of just the passage. This is advice straight from thetalksmore (give credit where it's due). When dealing between two answers you like, before scanning the whole passage for the info in both of them, compare them to each other and often the better one becomes clear in relation to the other choice. Which one does the author really care more about? Is one easier to prove than the other (or more specific/general/whatever the questions calls for). This helps saves time and illuminates why wrong answers can be tempting, but ultimately fall short to right ones.

Lastly, review and re-do. Review why yo got answers wrong, find the justification in the passage that eliminates your wrong answer and/or justifies the right one. Re-do RC sections (after a few weeks or so) and see if you can improve on the same one. Why did you improve? What did you learn that you can apply to new RC passages?

[indo]

If all else fails, consider doing 3 RC passages in 35 minutes.

Imagine getting nearly perfect on 3 passages (7/7, 8/8, 6/7) and guessing on the one with the fewest questions (e.g. 1/6).

You could potentially end up with a ~ 6 RC or so.

Something to think about...

+1 Great alternative

[bigmoney]

I had a similar situation and I overcame by reading the Evelyn Wood speed reading book. You can't speed read the LSAT by any means, but I practiced speed reading on some really dense, boring books, and that increased the speed/comprehension I can achieve when reading at a normal pace. After a few months of work I was scoring -2 or -3 instead of the -10 I was scoring before. I ended up getting a -3 on test day.

Hope it helps.