February 2013 LSAT Study Group Forum

[gspiel1232]

Jumping in, after getting a 167 in Feb....by no means do i consider myself an expert AT ALL, on the LSAT, but i think my one tip for new takers especially is:

Focus on mastery of the questions before focusing on taking PTs.

This goes mainly for the people trying to score in the high 160s +, but from my limited experience, this is by and far where the improvements are made...for this retake ill be focusing about 80+ percent of my time on specific question type drilling, up to test day

[griffin.811]

Anyone reviewing PT41 with weathercoins? If so, when is this taking place? Or....
Is anyone else in an online PT study group?

[wtrc]

Hey all,

Regarding the study group, send me your email/ PM me, and I will link you to the Google Doc that we are using for collaboration on each PT. I think this is the best way to post what we found difficult and come up with strategies that work for those questions. Doing PT 41 now, PT 42 Tuesday, PT 43 Saturday (12/15).

[shehadehr]

Pm'd

[xxmomo]

Also PM-ed.

[lebasy]

I know other people do Tiny chat should we try that?

Also does anybody have any time suggestions for RC and LG? I hate rushing on the last thing because I don't have my proper time markers. I know they're not set in stone because some passages/games take longer than others but it'd be nice to have a rubrik to go by.

[griffin.811]

I know other people do Tiny chat should we try that?

Also does anybody have any time suggestions for RC and LG? I hate rushing on the last thing because I don't have my proper time markers. I know they're not set in stone because some passages/games take longer than others but it'd be nice to have a rubrik to go by.

Try 8 min per game/passage. Try reading the passages in 3 min.

Of course as your diagraming, if the game seems easy you want to finish faster (6:00-6:30), same for passages.

In my opinion though, all depends on style. You have to understand what you read, but if takes you longer to answer the questions, you have to keep that in mind as well.

I also try to limit myself to 2:00-2:30 for diagraming games.

[shehadehr]

I know other people do Tiny chat should we try that?

Also does anybody have any time suggestions for RC and LG? I hate rushing on the last thing because I don't have my proper time markers. I know they're not set in stone because some passages/games take longer than others but it'd be nice to have a rubrik to go by.

Try 8 min per game/passage. Try reading the passages in 3 min.

Of course as your diagraming, if the game seems easy you want to finish faster (6:00-6:30), same for passages.

In my opinion though, all depends on style. You have to understand what you read, but if takes you longer to answer the questions, you have to keep that in mind as well.

I also try to limit myself to 2:00-2:30 for diagraming games.

This! Also, perhaps try something like 7-7-10-11 for RC; I'm looking to try it on LG too, also easier games should be around 4-6 mins. Last, try leaving the comp passages in RC for last. Although, one thing to remember about skipping over in RC/LG/LR is risking missbubbling on game day (though im sure it's not really an issue for personal insofar as we're careful, but still ).

[rheannabanana]

I took the LSAT a couple years ago, but with so much stacked against me (pretty much no studying or prep, no practice tests, the day after a break-up, long commute to test center) and I am almost certain I could do a lot better. Logic games were *by far* my biggest weakness; I was consistently running out of time without figuring out what went where.

I've decided to retake in February for a fall 2013 start date and just hope for the best.

I'll be purchasing my LSAT study materials in the next week or two (just waiting on some funds) and would love to stay involved here to keep motivated! Hopefully I will have my practice test collection soon enough to at least take the test you all have planned for the 15th.

I live in southern California (IE/High Desert area but could travel to LA) too if anyone wants to meet up to study. Once I take my first practice test I'll post a score so I know more of my strengths and weaknesses compared to everyone else.

Good luck all!

[lebasy]

I know other people do Tiny chat should we try that?

Also does anybody have any time suggestions for RC and LG? I hate rushing on the last thing because I don't have my proper time markers. I know they're not set in stone because some passages/games take longer than others but it'd be nice to have a rubrik to go by.

Try 8 min per game/passage. Try reading the passages in 3 min.

Of course as your diagraming, if the game seems easy you want to finish faster (6:00-6:30), same for passages.

In my opinion though, all depends on style. You have to understand what you read, but if takes you longer to answer the questions, you have to keep that in mind as well.

I also try to limit myself to 2:00-2:30 for diagraming games.

This! Also, perhaps try something like 7-7-10-11 for RC; I'm looking to try it on LG too, also easier games should be around 4-6 mins. Last, try leaving the comp passages in RC for last. Although, one thing to remember about skipping over in RC/LG/LR is risking missbubbling on game day (though im sure it's not really an issue for personal insofar as we're careful, but still ).

Thanks ya'll! I'll take it into consideration for tomorrow's PT. Currently doing some drilling for it tomorrow. On PT 41 the circular game took me by surprise and I ran out of time and -3 on that problem alone. I was going to drill it but not sure it's worth my time. But then again, the LSAT is preying on different/rare game types so you never knowww. Looking for a list of circular games.

[EEguy5]

After a little over a month of studying I took my first PT, the superprep A. Results:

LR -3
RC -8
LG -5
LR -5
Score: 162.

11/21 questions I missed were due to running out of time (1 LR, 3 LG, and 7 on RC). My RC time is really messing me up. The entire last passage I didn't get to. I consider myself a good reader, and I could read a lot faster than I am, but it just seems like in order to really grasp the point of the passage I usually have to go a lot slower. However, I am an engineer, so my undergrad curriculum did not consist of much reading especially compared to other majors.

So any suggestions on RC?
Any predictions for how much I can raise my score? My goal, like most on here, is upper 170's/180. 15+ points in 2 months possible?

[griffin.811]

I know other people do Tiny chat should we try that?

Also does anybody have any time suggestions for RC and LG? I hate rushing on the last thing because I don't have my proper time markers. I know they're not set in stone because some passages/games take longer than others but it'd be nice to have a rubrik to go by.

Try 8 min per game/passage. Try reading the passages in 3 min.

Of course as your diagraming, if the game seems easy you want to finish faster (6:00-6:30), same for passages.

In my opinion though, all depends on style. You have to understand what you read, but if takes you longer to answer the questions, you have to keep that in mind as well.

I also try to limit myself to 2:00-2:30 for diagraming games.

This! Also, perhaps try something like 7-7-10-11 for RC; I'm looking to try it on LG too, also easier games should be around 4-6 mins. Last, try leaving the comp passages in RC for last. Although, one thing to remember about skipping over in RC/LG/LR is risking missbubbling on game day (though im sure it's not really an issue for personal insofar as we're careful, but still ).

Thanks ya'll! I'll take it into consideration for tomorrow's PT. Currently doing some drilling for it tomorrow. On PT 41 the circular game took me by surprise and I ran out of time and -3 on that problem alone. I was going to drill it but not sure it's worth my time. But then again, the LSAT is preying on different/rare game types so you never knowww. Looking for a list of circular games.

For the circle game I just drew a circle with lines as place holders around it. Drew a line at the top and bottom. then three spaces inbetween them on both sides (so a space on the top, one on the bottom, and three to both the left and right). I drew an arrow inside the circle connecting all the spaces to those other spaces three spaces away which signified the spaces were "directly across" from one another. Then attacked the questions as usual.

I too ran out of time though, but It had more to do with being slow on the other games smh!

Its always something

[loomstate]

PT 40 today - 169

LR -1/-3
LG -3
RC -5

I was disappointed with the answers I missed, they were silly. I'm hoping to do some drilling to get some more accuracy and hopefully that will eliminate silly mistakes - which might have been brought on by rushing. RC is still a clear weakness...Also WTF LG? I'll drill and take 44 tomorrow.

[loomstate]

After a little over a month of studying I took my first PT, the superprep A. Results:

LR -3
RC -8
LG -5
LR -5
Score: 162.

11/21 questions I missed were due to running out of time (1 LR, 3 LG, and 7 on RC). My RC time is really messing me up. The entire last passage I didn't get to. I consider myself a good reader, and I could read a lot faster than I am, but it just seems like in order to really grasp the point of the passage I usually have to go a lot slower. However, I am an engineer, so my undergrad curriculum did not consist of much reading especially compared to other majors.

So any suggestions on RC?
Any predictions for how much I can raise my score? My goal, like most on here, is upper 170's/180. 15+ points in 2 months possible?

I'm struggling with RC as well. My plan is do an RC passage everyday until the test and also do at least two hours of reading everyday. I'm currently playing with different styles but it seems like the minimalist approach works best for me. What approach are you using?

[TheThriller]

Have been lax with studying because of finals (ill be done tomorrow thank god) which will give 2 months exactly for crunch time!

[lilhugsy24]

Just did my first PT in a while and hoping to take it in February. But if I'm not consistently scoring well into the 170's then I'm probably gonna have to push it back to June.

PT 42

LG: -3
LR:-4
RC: -6
LR: -2

Scaled Score: 167
Raw Score: 86

Logic games were really easy and definitely should have been a -0, but misread those questions, which caused me to lose a few points. I gotta drill some must be true and flaw questions for LR since I missed 4/6 on those and hoping to get that close to -0 by test day. Got killed in RC and missed 3 questions in the second passage. Stupid pop art crap. Just ordered the Manhattan RC guide so hopefully that will help me get down below -4 consistently.

Felt pretty rusty while taking this test and hoping to see some improvement soon. Good luck to the rest of you and I'm always up for a review if anyone wants to.

[EEguy5]

After a little over a month of studying I took my first PT, the superprep A. Results:

LR -3
RC -8
LG -5
LR -5
Score: 162.

11/21 questions I missed were due to running out of time (1 LR, 3 LG, and 7 on RC). My RC time is really messing me up. The entire last passage I didn't get to. I consider myself a good reader, and I could read a lot faster than I am, but it just seems like in order to really grasp the point of the passage I usually have to go a lot slower. However, I am an engineer, so my undergrad curriculum did not consist of much reading especially compared to other majors.

So any suggestions on RC?
Any predictions for how much I can raise my score? My goal, like most on here, is upper 170's/180. 15+ points in 2 months possible?

I'm struggling with RC as well. My plan is do an RC passage everyday until the test and also do at least two hours of reading everyday. I'm currently playing with different styles but it seems like the minimalist approach works best for me. What approach are you using?

I've tried a few different approaches. First being something similar to MRC guide, just putting a 1, 2 etc near viewpoints. I have also tried Voayger's method a little bit, but thought maybe writing notes on the side was the main reason it was taking so long. Now I'm not sure, I think I may experiment some more with both of those. Maybe read the MRC guide again, although I didn't find it all that useful the first time, maybe I will see things now that I didn't before.

I think the main thing for me is going to be just getting use to the dense material. So my goal is to do every passage currently released by LSAC (68PTs, 2007, A, B, C x 4 makes it just under 300 passages). Which means about 20 per week until test day (I have already completed over 50). Not all will be drilling obviously, in fact a lot just while taking whole PTs. Hopefully that coupled with actively searching for the best method that works for me will help me start seeing improvement soon.

[JustinDC]

2014 Cycle here

I'm most likely junior to everyone in this group and probably everyone on this forum...But I need support from people who know what this grind is like.

I started right after Thanksgiving and have devoted about 2 hours a day plus... I currently am battling Mono and have final exams but Im still trying to study and take at least 1 every 3 days. My library just got some of the PS Bibles in for me to grab a hold of since money is tight right now. I got my brother to finance LSATMax for the iPad and its really helped (It's pretty new especially lately with a big update, ask me anything about it I have the full product). My initial diagnostic was an 70/101 (I believe scaled scores are false hope, just a personal thought though, I wont put that on anyone). Since then I have gone 70-66-68-72-75-80-84. My massive jumps have been facilitated by the fact that I have aced Logic Games every single PT so I can focus my energy on RC (Which I am so bad at, 50-60% every time) and logical reasoning which I am finally pushing to 42/50+. I've gotten a subscription to the economist, and am doing multiple RCs in a row just trying to get some endurance in my head. All those active reading homework assignments in high school, yeah I should have done them.

Like most of us, 172+ is do or die. But I never want to put 180 out of the picture. Thats really why I look at raw more than scaled.

[loomstate]

PT 45 today: Raw: 83, Scaled 167

LR: -4/-4
LG: -0
RC: -9 (45 minutes)

Wow, I'm disappointed with RC. I bombed one passage (missed 5/8). I'm getting frustrated because I really have been working on RC over the past few weeks - not sure where to go from here. I've been doing an RC section everyday and reviewing. I also consider myself a good reader, but I feel like these RC passages aren't necessarily the same as most reading I do for class/pleasure. Anyone have have any advice? Should I just keep brute forcing it?

[lebasy]

PT 45 today: Raw: 83, Scaled 167

LR: -4/-4
LG: -0
RC: -9 (45 minutes)

Wow, I'm disappointed with RC. I bombed one passage (missed 5/8). I'm getting frustrated because I really have been working on RC over the past few weeks - not sure where to go from here. I've been doing an RC section everyday and reviewing. I also consider myself a good reader, but I feel like these RC passages aren't necessarily the same as most reading I do for class/pleasure. Anyone have have any advice? Should I just keep brute forcing it?

Well what is your strategy when you're testing?

[loomstate]

Well what is your strategy when you're testing?

I go through and bracket the key words that will likely be asked about, and at the end of each paragraph I write a short sentence summarizing it. I'm going to try a minimalist approach today and see how it works.

[d0rklord]

I think I'm the only Feb taker applying this cycle...??

*cricket... cricket...*

[JustinDC]

I think I'm the only Feb taker applying this cycle...??

*cricket... cricket...*

Where are you applying?

[tygastyle]

JustinDC, I sent you a PM about LSATMax.

Has anyone else used this tool or heard about it? I'm thinking about getting it just to give me a little more structure over Christmas break

[loomstate]

PT 46 today - 85 scaled - 166

LR: -7/-5
RC: -0 (45 minutes)
LG: -4

Completely random test performance for me. I'm usually -5/8 on RC and -2/4 on each LR section. RC performance is encouraging considering that's what I've been focusing on these past few weeks, but at the same time this encouragement is mitigated by the slide in LR performance particularly. I tried to focus more on the main ideas in the RC passages and leave the details for specific reference when called upon in the questions - it seemed to work much better. I will review this test tonight and then take two days off from any major review, hopefully I come back refreshed for PT 47 on Monday.