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My deal:

Okay I have been studying for 3 months and just started nailing out PTs like everyday for the past 2.5 weeks for the December 1 LSAT.

My score has been leveling around 150-151 and i really need to get this to about a 160!!

My questions:

1.)For logic games: when given 2 sets of variables how do you know which set to make the placeholders?? Like if given XYZ to fit with ABCDE and vice versa, how do you know which to use as the placeholders and which to be the letters added in?? I eventually get the right way to do it, but this takes up a lot of time.. is there a general rule for overfunded/underfunded games?

2.)Attitude during LSAT.. I usually get real anxious during the test and frustrated at times... Is it true you can get a significant increase in your score with a positive attitude? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but is there anyone out there that got a score increase by just changing your attitide?

3.) I need to find a way to finish the LR section, I only get to about problem 21-22 before running out.. and I never get to the last RC passage either..



Thank you so much! It's well appreciated

For your second question, I used to get super anxious and stressed when parts of the test sections got difficult, or several questions didn't "click" for me back-to-back. This led me to feel burned out really quickly for the remaining sections. I changed my mentality and began to think to myself that the LSAT was just toying with my pacing, among other things. I improved at least three points alone when I kept that in mind. When things get super hard during the test, don't sweat it or freak out. Laugh it off (to a degree) and attack it with a positive mindset!

For 1) - have you read the PS Bible? Look at the games you got confused on and watch the 7sage or Velocity video of the game (7sage is free, Velocity has some videos for free). I also would get confused on this (very occasionally) - when confused, I would always look for the question that is "which one of these is a realistic option? a) red: ABC green: DEF blue: G", and then I would be like "Oh! they're making green/blue/red the base! I will too!"

3) How is your reading speed in general? It sounds like you need to speed up your reading. For LR - aim to get questions 1-10 done in the first 10 minutes, leaving more time for the more difficult questions (which generally appear after #10).

This question is hard to assess without additional information. What takes you so long? is it the passage? is it reading through the answer choices? do you freak if you read a question you're not sure of the answer to and then spend too long searching the passage?

If it's simply reading speed, there are techniques on the internet for how to learn to speed read, but I don't really know them. I would say, based on where you're currently testing, consider putting the test off until next cycle and go for June. You may need 6 months or so to get your reading speed up to snuff if you're literally just reading too slowly.

Best of luck!

nosleeptillsuccess wrote:My deal:

Okay I have been studying for 3 months and just started nailing out PTs like everyday for the past 2.5 weeks for the December 1 LSAT.

My score has been leveling around 150-151 and i really need to get this to about a 160!!

My questions:

1.)For logic games: when given 2 sets of variables how do you know which set to make the placeholders?? Like if given XYZ to fit with ABCDE and vice versa, how do you know which to use as the placeholders and which to be the letters added in?? I eventually get the right way to do it, but this takes up a lot of time.. is there a general rule for overfunded/underfunded games?

2.)Attitude during LSAT.. I usually get real anxious during the test and frustrated at times... Is it true you can get a significant increase in your score with a positive attitude? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but is there anyone out there that got a score increase by just changing your attitide?

3.) I need to find a way to finish the LR section, I only get to about problem 21-22 before running out.. and I never get to the last RC passage either..



Thank you so much! It's well appreciated

I cannot emphasize this enough. Go through the games you've already done and figure out why it should be written the way you eventually figured out it was. Are you using the Logic Games Bible? You'll note that which set of variables you write down first depends on the game type. Once you've figured out why each game should be written the way it is, look for similarities between games. Like there might be a whole bunch of games that are the same type, and you realize the reasons for the way you diagram them are the same. The goal is to study this enough that it becomes intuitive. Here are some tips to get you started:

For the first one, look at how the question is written. If one set of variables goes in order (like days, anything numbered 1 through n, basically anything where you can put them in an order and it won't change) then those are the ones you write down first, and you try to assign the other variables to them.

Where it gets tricky is if neither goes in order. You can usually find clues in the setup. Here are some tips:

1) Read the setup carefully. Determine whether you are being asked to sort one set into categories (for example, sorting students into dormitories) or assign one set to the other (for example, assigning a group of students one or more classes from a list).

2) If you are assigning one set to the other: Usually it tells you that one set of variables is assigned to the other. If it says you're assigning tasks to workers, write the workers down first and then figure out which tasks to assign to them. If you're assigning sets of clothes to mannequins, write down the mannequins first. If you're assigning special options to cars for sale, write down the cars first.

For example, if you get a game that starts like this (note: i made this up, it's just to illustrate my point, don't use it to actually study): There are five students, Anna, Brad, Charlie, David, and Emily. They will each be taking at least one class in the history department this semester. The possible classes are American History, World History, Chinese History, Islamic Civilization, History of the Mongols, History of Law, and History of Chocolate Teapots.

You would start by writing this:
Anna
Brad
Charlie
David
Emily

and then use the rules of the question to figure out who takes which class. Same if you're assigning multiple items of clothing to two mannequins, tasks to workers, etc.

3) If you are sorting them into categories: Write down the categories first. For example, maybe you are figuring out which doctors in a list work at each of two clinics. Write down the clinics first.

Example: Five people, Adam, Betty, Carol, Dewayne, and Elspeth all go to get a haircut. There are three salons they might go to: Supercuts, Fringe Salon, and Kiwi Salon. Etc.

In this case, you are sorting the five people into three salons. So write down the salons first, then use the rules to figure out who goes to which salon.

4) I know you probably don't want to hear this, but consider waiting to take the test. If you've been studying for three months and are 10 points below your target score with a few weeks to go, that's a problem. You probably won't be able to internalize this stuff before the test. Since it's too late to withdraw, go anyway, take the test, and see how you do. If you feel like you're struggling on the test (for example, if you know you've finished only as many questions as you did on a ptest where you scored 150) then cancel. Take the attitude that this test is practice (maybe this will help with your anxiety, if you don't feel so much is riding on it), and if you do feel like you've done pretty well at the end of the test, don't cancel. It's up to you to cancel or not: just decide between the benefit of knowing which questions you got right/wrong versus the risk of a bad score.
You're probably going to have to retake. I would recommend finding a good tutor who can help you with the specific problems you're having.