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Advice on what PT's to take going forward

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:13 pm
by usernotfound
Hey guys,

So I've taken about 24 PT's thus far, and I'm trying to decide which ones I should take next before I sit for the exam in December.

I'm currently scoring around 164-171 with no great consistency, but I pretty much have LG down, and RC is currently my weak point along with LG here and there.

My question to you folks is, seeing that I have taken these: http://i.imgur.com/fUJbZtl.jpg,(in red) PT's so far, what should I do?

I know the typical response is to try to take the most recent exams before the earlier ones because they are more likely to be similar to the current tests, but I have a slightly different situation.

I took the BP course, and in doing so much of the practice work they gave me is easily recognizable on the recent PT's (50-60) and slightly less abundant on the tests in the 40s and much less so on the earlier exams.

So would it be better to:
Take PT's 20-30 first because there is more fresh material?
Take PT's 50-60 even though I have seen much of the RC, LG, and a bit of the LR?
Retake PT's in the 60's(haven't seen material in 1-2+ months)?

I'm don't plan on exclusively focusing on any one of these three categories above, but merely trying to determine what the best course of action is in the next month.

Would really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

Re: Advice on what PT's to take going forward

Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:07 pm
by gatorchomps
Just taking PTs may not be the solution you're looking for. Have you tried the Cambridge books or The LSAT Trainer?

The fact that you're scoring pretty well but "with no real consistency" is probably the most worrying thing you mentioned. Are you not only taking the PTs but then reviewing every single incorrect answer afterwards? I'm not familiar with Blueprint's assignments, unfortunately, so I'm not sure how heavy you've drilled each question type/RC passages, etc.

Re: Advice on what PT's to take going forward

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:09 am
by usernotfound
gatorchomps wrote:Just taking PTs may not be the solution you're looking for. Have you tried the Cambridge books or The LSAT Trainer?

The fact that you're scoring pretty well but "with no real consistency" is probably the most worrying thing you mentioned. Are you not only taking the PTs but then reviewing every single incorrect answer afterwards? I'm not familiar with Blueprint's assignments, unfortunately, so I'm not sure how heavy you've drilled each question type/RC passages, etc.
Well, I did do a lot of drilling initially. I am pretty good with LG, last 10 tests probably between -0 to -2. However, the weak point is RC. I'm wondering if I should explore new methods for that. Where I think the PT's are helpful is LR. Most of the ones I am getting wrong is mainly because I don't initially see the flaw, and after going over that it's not a problem. As I take more PT's and become more familiar with a wider range of LR content, I seem to be doing better. So I still think PT's are the best way to go. I really shouldn't say my scores are not consistent, because they are all within the same range, but they sometimes do span more than a few points from each other. What usually brings them down is a weak RC passage that usually has something to do with art or language of some foreign or historical people(hate those passages).

Re: Advice on what PT's to take going forward

Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 8:27 am
by bobtheblob916
Well, I did do a lot of drilling initially. I am pretty good with LG, last 10 tests probably between -0 to -2. However, the weak point is RC. I'm wondering if I should explore new methods for that. Where I think the PT's are helpful is LR. Most of the ones I am getting wrong is mainly because I don't initially see the flaw, and after going over that it's not a problem. As I take more PT's and become more familiar with a wider range of LR content, I seem to be doing better. So I still think PT's are the best way to go. I really shouldn't say my scores are not consistent, because they are all within the same range, but they sometimes do span more than a few points from each other. What usually brings them down is a weak RC passage that usually has something to do with art or language of some foreign or historical people(hate those passages).
I would definitely explore new RC strategies. If it is your weak point, then you're just not reading effectively enough. By the time I sat the LSAT, I could read through a passage in 4 or so minutes, tell you the main point of the passage, the opposing viewpoints, and the basic role of each paragraph.

If you can learn to get that information down on the first read-through, you'll be able to handle most questions confidently. You'll still need to look back in the text, of course, but if you've read structurally, then you'll know exactly where to look. In terms of understanding the content of the passage, you should be able to follow the flow of the argument, but remembering specific details is not important.

It sounds like certain subjects are giving you trouble. You should spend a bit of time, half an hour to an hour every day or so, reading magazine articles in that subject. For art passages, I'd recommend reading the Arts section (duh), of the New Yorker, or the Paris Review or something. You'll get used to the way they analyze things, and the passages should read easier.


As for what PTs to do, I'd do a mix of the 60s and the 20s. It's good to do fresh material, but honestly, I took the October test, and it was pretty much exactly like the late 60s PTs. The 60s are much closer in style to the current test than the 20s - LR prompts are longer, RC is harder IMO, so it'd be good to refresh on those.

Re: Advice on what PT's to take going forward

Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:16 am
by usernotfound
bobtheblob916 wrote:
Well, I did do a lot of drilling initially. I am pretty good with LG, last 10 tests probably between -0 to -2. However, the weak point is RC. I'm wondering if I should explore new methods for that. Where I think the PT's are helpful is LR. Most of the ones I am getting wrong is mainly because I don't initially see the flaw, and after going over that it's not a problem. As I take more PT's and become more familiar with a wider range of LR content, I seem to be doing better. So I still think PT's are the best way to go. I really shouldn't say my scores are not consistent, because they are all within the same range, but they sometimes do span more than a few points from each other. What usually brings them down is a weak RC passage that usually has something to do with art or language of some foreign or historical people(hate those passages).
I would definitely explore new RC strategies. If it is your weak point, then you're just not reading effectively enough. By the time I sat the LSAT, I could read through a passage in 4 or so minutes, tell you the main point of the passage, the opposing viewpoints, and the basic role of each paragraph.

If you can learn to get that information down on the first read-through, you'll be able to handle most questions confidently. You'll still need to look back in the text, of course, but if you've read structurally, then you'll know exactly where to look. In terms of understanding the content of the passage, you should be able to follow the flow of the argument, but remembering specific details is not important.

It sounds like certain subjects are giving you trouble. You should spend a bit of time, half an hour to an hour every day or so, reading magazine articles in that subject. For art passages, I'd recommend reading the Arts section (duh), of the New Yorker, or the Paris Review or something. You'll get used to the way they analyze things, and the passages should read easier.


As for what PTs to do, I'd do a mix of the 60s and the 20s. It's good to do fresh material, but honestly, I took the October test, and it was pretty much exactly like the late 60s PTs. The 60s are much closer in style to the current test than the 20s - LR prompts are longer, RC is harder IMO, so it'd be good to refresh on those.
Thanks, that's helpful. I think my problem with RC is that I am focusing too much on the details rather than the big picture, and the relation between paragraphs/main point. I'm going to try and read the passage faster and focus less on minute details and more on the structure. I think I'll definitely take a look at art readings, because I really never ever read those outside of the lsat, so both the content is unfamiliar and it doesn't do much to hold my attention or spark my interest in the subject.

I still have a fresh PT67, so I'm wondering if I should get that out of the way or save it for closer to the test date?

Thanks.

Re: Advice on what PT's to take going forward

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:28 pm
by Every_LSAT
usernotfound wrote:Hey guys,

So I've taken about 24 PT's thus far, and I'm trying to decide which ones I should take next before I sit for the exam in December.

I'm currently scoring around 164-171 with no great consistency, but I pretty much have LG down, and RC is currently my weak point along with LG here and there.

My question to you folks is, seeing that I have taken these: http://i.imgur.com/fUJbZtl.jpg,(in red) PT's so far, what should I do?

I know the typical response is to try to take the most recent exams before the earlier ones because they are more likely to be similar to the current tests, but I have a slightly different situation.

I took the BP course, and in doing so much of the practice work they gave me is easily recognizable on the recent PT's (50-60) and slightly less abundant on the tests in the 40s and much less so on the earlier exams.

So would it be better to:
Take PT's 20-30 first because there is more fresh material?
Take PT's 50-60 even though I have seen much of the RC, LG, and a bit of the LR?
Retake PT's in the 60's(haven't seen material in 1-2+ months)?

I'm don't plan on exclusively focusing on any one of these three categories above, but merely trying to determine what the best course of action is in the next month.

Would really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.
I would do the older tests that are fresh for you earlier, and then closer to test day, I would start doing the newer ones that you have some exposure to/have already taken. This gives you a little more time to forget some of the questions, but also gets you back in the mindset of the newest tests before you actually take the LSAT. I have some information on my blog about study strategies/reading comprehension advice that might be helpful for you as well SPAM Best of luck!