Looking for some final advice before I throw in the towel. Took the June Lsat, pulled a 169:

-2RC
-1LR#1
-1LR#2
-7LG

The -7 on LG is not a fluke. I can't finish on time without sacrificing accuracy. Studied for 4 months and did basically every game via testmasters. Feel like I'm wasting a good shot at 170+ because everyone always said the LG is the easiest section to learn, but I've hit a wall. Any notes on similar experience would be appreciated. Thanks

theres your problem. Do powerscore or manhattan...heard good things about velocity as well.

That's interesting. Didn't know testmasters wasn't as good at games.

consider getting the powerscore logic games bible..i went from missing -15 on logic games to -1 on the actual test (the one i got wrong was a stupid mistake on my part as well so it shoulda been -0)..i cant testify to how a powerscore course is since i only bought the book..but i felt their overall technique to be great...

like i said, others have said manhattan lsat (which is similar to powerscores strategy) and velocity is good as well

I also had a lot of luck with the PowerScore Logic Games Bible. I think most courses, once you get to your level (around 170) will be insufficient on their own to give you that final bump. While I didn't follow the Pithypike method completely, that's something you should check out. Just make copies and then do games over and over again, separated by type. It'll come to you.

Best of luck!

How do you approach games? I mean, everyone has their own separate methods and I'm not convinced that any company's is better than anyone else's (though the LG Bible is credited)

I vote Manhattan. Although PSB is legit too. I think the trick is familiarity. After doing simple ordering games dozens of times, they really should only take about 5 or 6 minutes, banking time for more difficult games.

Try working on your mechanics. Diagram faster, combine rules faster, get faster at the first question which is usually just a rule eliminator. All of that should require very little thinking since its basically just muscle memory.

A random trick is to pay close attention to the variable that is not listed in the rules. They are often forgotten, but usually key, because they are the most movable piece.

I read the game, figure out what type of game it is, see if many of the questions are local or global to determine how detailed a diagram i should go for, and then I go to the questions. I mostly run out of time. At one point I realized I needed to go slower to make bigger deductions before hitting the questions- I was going fast because I know I am pressed for it, but that often means your not spending enough time on the diagram.

Yeah, I'm pretty good at that stuff. The problem now is I've done all the games. Maybe If I wait until September to do a one month crash course they will be fresh again.

broseph/sisseph,

i'll address the issue briefly in two different ways: prep tactics and actual game strategy

1) actual game strategy: screw testmasters. Get the powerscore games bible. Go on the Velocity LSAT website free videos and watch any and all LG vids (conditional reasoning is explained very well). When you learning the games, repeat each one 3-4 times. people will tell you this: LG is all about redundancy. learn the way to do each different type of game. take your time in learning these steps. repetition is key.

2) Prep tactics: Pithypike strategy for games. it's stickied in the prep forum. Repetition, repetition, repetition.


You have a solid chance at crossing 175+. If you are thinking about October, I strongly recommend spending up till Aug 15th or so focusing 60-70% on games. best of luck

Bro you shouldn't be spending a ton of time on the diagram. Just draw a basic diagram, highlight random/unrestricted variables, look for overlap in the rules to make deductions, and THEN draw out a couple hypothetical scenarios. Then move on.

velocity, velocity, velocity.

i was in the same situation as you. did multiple retakes < 171 because of games with just -2 or -3 on the rest of the test.

Heard about Velocity, signed up for LG only and prepped my ass off. Got my June scores back: 177, -1 lg.

highly highly recommend the lg only course for someone like you. happy to answer questions over pm if you like. anyway, good luck!

You may remember the variables but I doubt you could possibly remember all answers. Might as well drill non stop, even if you have seen the games. Youre score will be slightly inflated, but think of it as shooting free throws. It still helps your shot. Maybe save games from pt 52-66 till Sept.... But I would recommend drilling 1-51 non stop, even if you have seen them several times before.

I had that problem as well. take a week or two to refresh but redoing the work with a new method will still help you.

Actually now that I think of it, I've done all the games from testmasters. Maybe they dont cover all the games?

...

Interesting because i understand them theoretically. Not the most organized person. Whats your strategy?

...

Is there a good ref book on formal logic?

In response to OP, I had a similar, though not quite as dramatic experience. I was regularly getting 6 or 7 wrong in LG while I was almost perfect in LR and RC. I had a friend who literally never got over 170 before his actual LSAT, because while he had mastered LR and RC, he could not get the hand of LG.

I used the LG Bible, and it took time, but I got better. Keep working, first you get what's going on, then you start to pick up speed. Even when I took the LSAT, I was only about 96 percent comfortable with LG, but I was infinitely better than I had been. My test was non-disclosed, so I don't know what I messed up, but based on the score it couldn't have been more than -2.

My friend finally spent the last two weeks before the LSAT doing LG and nothing else. When he took the test, he got a 177. Great scholarship, works for a firm now.

I guess the point is, don't be discouraged. Get the Logic Games Bible and keep working. If you are smart enough to rock the other sections, you are smart enough to rock LG. And it really is worth it to put in the effort, because it results in a big payday.

.

This is approximately what I was doing in practice. On the real thing, nailed the games and finished all four for the first time, so booyah.