real The Official December 2016 Waiters Group - Patience is a Virtue Forum

[dj9i27]

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[batlaw]

I just did PT 79 (Sept 2016) and got a 177. I had taken the test in September, but cancelled my score. I never looked at it again or reviewed it before taking it today. How much do you think taking a test again, even without reviewing the first attempt, is easier than the first take? I didn't remember any specifics other than that the lacquer RC and virus LG were hard.

give me ur pt79 score because that's Monday for me and I have barely even looked at it since September as well.

also none, I think that the environment you take the test in has 90% to do with your performance at the level you're at

I took it at a loud Starbucks as the man next to me watched a Turkish gameshow on loud with no headphones for about 2 hours. Hoping if I can focus during that I can focus during anything.

Speaking of which... I have a funny story. So I live in LA and study at a Starbucks near my house most of the time. On Monday, I was taking a timed PT and really in the zone. I always try to sit close to people and distractions to try to challenge myself. So I took the first three sections and then on my 15 min break I get up to go to the bathroom and as I'm waiting I hear the people at the table next to mine talking about Kim Kardashian and I kind of listen because they didn't seem like people who would be talking about her and I'm nosey. They see that I'm looking at them and they say to me, "How crazy was that?". I'm like, "What?" and they say "You didn't notice? Kim Kardashian was standing next to you for like 10 minutes and asked her friend what you were doing. He told her it looked like you were studying for the LSAT and Kim said 'good for her' ". So basically, I'm hoping if I don't get distracted by Kim Kardashian standing over me, nothing can faze me on test day haha

This made me laugh... LSAT goals!

I too got mentally messed up on the SEP test day with every minor distraction and the proctor announcing 5 minutes left and not having a digital countdown so am trying to prepare for all that. However, I was happy today that I pulled a -1 on an RC when my office mate came into the office and left the door open ... so nothing compared to an LA Starbucks and Kim K ha.

I did use my computer to make a loud annoying alarm sound when 5 minutes left to help simulate test day though and it bothers me less and less.

[batlaw]

I spent literally 2 hours breaking down every single detail about 3 questions and then did PT60 today and got a 174: -5LR1, -0LG, -1LR2, -1RC.

For some reason, I really struggled with the first section and was tight on time and just felt awful after it. I almost was like forget this PT, I'm just getting worse and that 2 hours earlier was for nothing. However, I told myself that the same thing happened to me in September and I needed to just forget the section and that I could salvage it on the rest of it. And I actually did, so I feel really happy with my mental fight today ha.

Although, it has left me wondering if I need to examine whether I normally do worse on the 1st section and if I should perhaps do a practice section before the actual test.

[Greenteachurro]

I spent literally 2 hours breaking down every single detail about 3 questions and then did PT60 today and got a 174: -5LR1, -0LG, -1LR2, -1RC.

For some reason, I really struggled with the first section and was tight on time and just felt awful after it. I almost was like forget this PT, I'm just getting worse and that 2 hours earlier was for nothing. However, I told myself that the same thing happened to me in September and I needed to just forget the section and that I could salvage it on the rest of it. And I actually did, so I feel really happy with my mental fight today ha.

Although, it has left me wondering if I need to examine whether I normally do worse on the 1st section and if I should perhaps do a practice section before the actual test.

I like doing an old games section before a test just for a little mental warm-up

[34iplaw]

I missed one on the passing game, I usually double check all my answers on LG and still with a good amount of time to spare. I have not had the time to double check everything for the 70's PT. Even the more basic games are a tad harder and more time consuming due to the rules and questions, they just seem to throw in oddball variables in the simpler games. The abstract games are all well and good, and some people like those, though I like the very formulaic ones. Not quite as easy to to do the majority of games / questions in your head with minimal visual representation.

Yeah - IIRC, 3 of the questions on that were all the same inference. I think the same was true of viruses. I need to not get so frightened if I don't get a mastery of the scenarios... I think I just work a lot faster by thinking how everything relates, divining answers, and checking said answers. I need -0s on the LGs.

How do you generally review RC? I haven't really seen much improvement in RC, so I'm concerned I'm not reviewing correctly.

I have The Trainer, and I'm trying to make it a habit to read for reasoning structure. I generally miss detail Q's (especially inference ones). Do you guys have any particular techniques/strategies for answering detail Q's in RC?

Unfortunately, I believe that the majority of gains made in RC come through brute force and familiarization. You can improve, though in my opinion improving on RC is much harder and time consuming than the other sections. When you review carefully analyze each question, and make sure you know where you are drawing the support for the question in the passage. After a while you will start to pick up tends regarding what portions of the passage will be addressed in the questions, and the way which in which a question is worded will give you hints where to look.

Another issue is that RC is much less formulaic than LR and LG, so even when you pick up trends there will be exceptions and instances where those trends do not pan out.

As for questions regarding inferences, then your best bet is going to be searching the portion of the tests where arguments are made. Especially consider a portion of the text that contains a more detailed and elaborate argument and or multiple arguments. Take this advice with a grain of salt, each passage is done in a vacuum. Where as one passage may contain the answer to a inference questions in the argument portion, another may place it in with background information, appearing as if it a side note.

Hope this helps some, RC is not my strong suit.

TBH - I agree with this. One thing I would say is that, as dumb as it is, I think circling sign post words (first, second, third, however, furthermore, unfortunately, but, etc. etc. etc.) has helped me remember structure a bit better. I feel like it's one of the most basic things they tell you about LSAT RC, but it's almost amazing how critical those words are... it's borderline dumb and transparent. I'm looking forward to a totally fresh RC section. I think that 42 may have been totally fresh, but I'm not absolutely certain. I actually found the sengalese film maker passage kind of rough (-2 on that passage, -0 on rest of RC weeee).

As for improvements, I think you just need to keep on keeping. Look for why answer choices are wrong as opposed to just right. TBH, analyzing wrong answers is what has helped me on LR. I don't know why I didn't approach RC in a similar fashion. Working wrong to right (unless obvious) is the way to go.

[dj9i27]

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[34iplaw]

Late night PT check-in, college football rowdyness has somewhat died down and I had nothing better to do on a saturday night feelsbad.jpg
Regardless: PT72
Score: 172 (coincidence right)
RC: -4
LR1: -4 (srsly)
LR2: -2
LG:-0
Let make this clear, game 4 was a hail mary on 3/5 of the questions luck paid off for me in practice maybe it will on test. I need to find out what the hell is going on in my 1st LR section, I have not touched LR in like 3 days so that might be a factor also the fact I'm dead dog tired right now. Excuses dj, excuses are pointless.

I have been batting the idea around that a score of 175+ I sit out a cycle rhetoric if it is below 168

Good score though. I'd work on the games to know for sure. I think these weird games are here to stay. That game (IIRC) three of the questions were the same exact question.

[dj9i27]

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[34iplaw]

Late night PT check-in, college football rowdyness has somewhat died down and I had nothing better to do on a saturday night feelsbad.jpg
Regardless: PT72
Score: 172 (coincidence right)
RC: -4
LR1: -4 (srsly)
LR2: -2
LG:-0
Let make this clear, game 4 was a hail mary on 3/5 of the questions luck paid off for me in practice maybe it will on test. I need to find out what the hell is going on in my 1st LR section, I have not touched LR in like 3 days so that might be a factor also the fact I'm dead dog tired right now. Excuses dj, excuses are pointless.

I have been batting the idea around that a score of 175+ I sit out a cycle rhetoric if it is below 168

Good score though. I'd work on the games to know for sure. I think these weird games are here to stay. That game (IIRC) three of the questions were the same exact question.

I intend to drill the hell out of the ones like 72 and 79 daily until test day (and probably even test day). I actually liked 77s 'weird' game, i thought it was fun it is just those, "what the fuck is this shit" style games like 79 that catch me.

Also LR, so much more LR work.

I'm not sure if it helps, but, generally speaking, it seems like the really weird games are actually *super* simple... it's all about just understanding the basics of the game...I haven't seen one that has some like layered inference.

[dj9i27]

[.

[Greenteachurro]

Late night PT check-in, college football rowdyness has somewhat died down and I had nothing better to do on a saturday night feelsbad.jpg
Regardless: PT72
Score: 172 (coincidence right)
RC: -4
LR1: -4 (srsly)
LR2: -2
LG:-0
Let make this clear, game 4 was a hail mary on 3/5 of the questions luck paid off for me in practice maybe it will on test. I need to find out what the hell is going on in my 1st LR section, I have not touched LR in like 3 days so that might be a factor also the fact I'm dead dog tired right now. Excuses dj, excuses are pointless.

I have been batting the idea around that a score of 175+ I sit out a cycle rhetoric if it is below 168

Good score though. I'd work on the games to know for sure. I think these weird games are here to stay. That game (IIRC) three of the questions were the same exact question.

I intend to drill the hell out of the ones like 72 and 79 daily until test day (and probably even test day). I actually liked 77s 'weird' game, i thought it was fun it is just those, "what the fuck is this shit" style games like 79 that catch me.

Also LR, so much more LR work.

I'm not sure if it helps, but, generally speaking, it seems like the really weird games are actually *super* simple... it's all about just understanding the basics of the game...I haven't seen one that has some like layered inference.

oh yeah for sure, i just did game 3 on 77 and that one is stupid is easy. There's actually a couple of games like 77 on the very early games

[alpha kenny body]

I'm so nonchalant and ready to take this test. It's funny because my neuroticism has held my score from deep 170s for the last 2 times I've taken

[harveybirdman502]

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Yeah, that's why its so important to get off to a good start. A good start on the first section can really help you gain confidence and kill the rest of the test, whereas a bad one can really derail everything. Thats why I love having LR first. I took the Monday test in Sep and RC was incredibly hard, but at least it was my 3rd section. If I had that first I would've tanked even more.

Just did both LR's from 73 and went -3 total. Some really tough questions in LR 2. I'll spend the rest of the night writing my optional georgetown essay, and then get back to prepping tomorrow.

73s LR was a little harder but not abnormally hard imo. try PT77 both of those lr sections were killer. I might even reorder it for December just for extra practice

also I can't wait to start writing Why X essays, I've already "finished" my PS(I want to do a swap later on still a few little things need tweaking] but have been postponing those until the 4th

73 wasn't too bad. I was surprised to do as well as I did. Those bastards threw in some difficult questions in that second LR section, the last one of the test. That wasn't great and I was so burned out by then.

[harveybirdman502]

TBH - I agree with this. One thing I would say is that, as dumb as it is, I think circling sign post words (first, second, third, however, furthermore, unfortunately, but, etc. etc. etc.) has helped me remember structure a bit better.

I know this would be helpful yet I've barely heard anyone mention more than a few.

Where might I find a more complete list of words?

[34iplaw]

TBH - I agree with this. One thing I would say is that, as dumb as it is, I think circling sign post words (first, second, third, however, furthermore, unfortunately, but, etc. etc. etc.) has helped me remember structure a bit better.

I know this would be helpful yet I've barely heard anyone mention more than a few.

Where might I find a more complete list of words?

Not sure about a huge / complete list of specific words, but the words/items tend to fall in several categories it seems...and I think it's more useful to know the types of things to look out for rather than the specific list... anyone feel free to add, but this is what I can think of... sorry if the lists of words aren't as complete... this is sort of just the ideas I look out for and some words that may signify them

lists
any lists of something... it's good to know where these are

numbers/references
I think these are particularly useful for denoting structure... it's not too uncommon that the author will basically say this dude is wrong for three reasons. And those three reasons will start with, 'First ________', 'Second __________', 'third/finally ________'

examples
anything that denotes an example... this can play in with lists {for example, such as, illustrated by, etc.}

continuity
the author is talking in the same vein {furthermore, additionally, subsequently}

discontinuity
the author is changing directions {however, but, except, etc.} *I think discontinuity is hugely important

similarities
the author points out how two things share something in common {not necessarily a specific word}

distinctions/contrast
the author points out one thing lacks what another has {not necessarily a specific word}

unusually strong/emotive/certain language / use of first person
the LSAT tends to stray away from very strong language in RC, and any strong language is almost always the voice of the author. First person is obviously an indicator of authors' voice...

one word prepositional phrases
'Unfortunately, ______' these are pretty uncommon, but I feel like any time I see them that they are extremely telling. A one word prepositional phrase is like a giant pause button when reading, so it is a pretty effective method of changing directions or signaling that something important is about to come to a reader. They also are important since they almost always signify some form of continuity or discontinuity.

sequences
often in science passages I feel and they have had questions that test this. IIRC, there was one about fish dying in a pond or something, there was one where the distinction between right choice and sucker choice was where the electrons fired first

Kinda tired, but hopefully that's a decent list. I think LSAT Trainer has a list of specific words (probably)

[Tazewell]

Got my highest score today, and was one missed question from a 180!

PT 65
179

LR1 -0
LG -0
RC -4
LR -0


I'm all out of fresh material so there's an asterisk on this one, but it had been 3 months since I've taken it, so I recognized some wording on LR, but that was about it. Now to get some school work done that I've put off all weekend...

[dontsaywhatyoumean]

Got my highest score today, and was one missed question from a 180!

PT 65
179

LR1 -0
LG -0
RC -4
LR -0


I'm all out of fresh material so there's an asterisk on this one, but it had been 3 months since I've taken it, so I recognized some wording on LR, but that was about it. Now to get some school work done that I've put off all weekend...

Nice to see that a likely high achiever went -4 on RC the second time around on that section (sorry, but makes me feel better ). The agriculture game got me.

Also, HEY! You may have also just made me unintentionally very happy once again. I think this WHOLE time I may have been reading the score conversions incorrectly (I've been using a conversion chart from raw to scaled that I found online, and I think I move all the conversions up one level).

For a 180 you don't actually have to get all the answers correct, right? You can get like 2 wrong, right? At least very often?

I thought the chart I was using (https://www.cambridgelsat.com/resources ... on-charts/) showed a 180 as 101, or 100, but that was actually just the total number of questions??

[34iplaw]

Got my highest score today, and was one missed question from a 180!

PT 65
179

LR1 -0
LG -0
RC -4
LR -0


I'm all out of fresh material so there's an asterisk on this one, but it had been 3 months since I've taken it, so I recognized some wording on LR, but that was about it. Now to get some school work done that I've put off all weekend...

Nice to see that a likely high achiever went -4 on RC the second time around on that section (sorry, but makes me feel better ). The agriculture game got me.

Also, HEY! You may have also just made me unintentionally very happy once again. I think this WHOLE time I may have been reading the score conversions incorrectly (I've been using a conversion chart from raw to scaled that I found online, and I think I move all the conversions up one level).

For a 180 you don't actually have to get all the answers correct, right? You can get like 2 wrong, right? At least very often?

I thought the chart I was using (https://www.cambridgelsat.com/resources ... on-charts/) showed a 180 as 101, or 100, but that was actually just the total number of questions??

Not totally sure how to read it, but there are definitely converted scores that have more than one raw score associated with it. My guess for those PTs is that the number on the chart is the high number for that score...so anything over the 179 is a 180 but I'm not certain.

[Tazewell]

Got my highest score today, and was one missed question from a 180!

PT 65
179

LR1 -0
LG -0
RC -4
LR -0


I'm all out of fresh material so there's an asterisk on this one, but it had been 3 months since I've taken it, so I recognized some wording on LR, but that was about it. Now to get some school work done that I've put off all weekend...

Nice to see that a likely high achiever went -4 on RC the second time around on that section (sorry, but makes me feel better ). The agriculture game got me.

Also, HEY! You may have also just made me unintentionally very happy once again. I think this WHOLE time I may have been reading the score conversions incorrectly (I've been using a conversion chart from raw to scaled that I found online, and I think I move all the conversions up one level).

For a 180 you don't actually have to get all the answers correct, right? You can get like 2 wrong, right? At least very often?

I thought the chart I was using (https://www.cambridgelsat.com/resources ... on-charts/) showed a 180 as 101, or 100, but that was actually just the total number of questions??

I somehow understood and did well on the agriculture one, but the blackmail was the one I went -2 on. I thought I grasped the concepts of both articles, but the questions just seemed unusually hard to me.

And correct, every test is scaled differently. They're all close, but different. For this PT 65 you could miss 3 to get a 180, but one I did a few weeks ago, I actually went -2 on but scored a 178 because the conversions were different.

You can enter in all of your practice tests into 7 sage for free and they'll automatically scale the score for you.

[dj9i27]

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[theboringest]

Got a 172 on PT78 today, -3 LG -2 LR and -3 RC. About standard for me. If I can perform to that level of consistency on test day I'll be happy. I'm really really bad at RC inference questions, they don't seem to follow the same type of inference pattern as LR inference questions, so I have to throw out all my mental training. Pain in the ass. Also, anyone who says clay tablets was harder than lacquer can fuck right off.

[Tazewell]

Got a 172 on PT78 today, -3 LG -2 LR and -3 RC. About standard for me. If I can perform to that level of consistency on test day I'll be happy. I'm really really bad at RC inference questions, they don't seem to follow the same type of inference pattern as LR inference questions, so I have to throw out all my mental training. Pain in the ass. Also, anyone who says clay tablets was harder than lacquer can fuck right off.

Haha when I was seeing the clay tablets complaining, I thought the same thing! Clay tablets was actually easy for me because I thought it was interesting, but lacquer was absolutely brutal!

[dj9i27]

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[dj9i27]

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[Tazewell]

So, we are now about 12 days out; I'm getting the feeling that the general consensus around here is that they feel good and are ready to take it? Personally I just need to sit down and look at weird games for a couple afternoons and I think I'll feel good.

I AM NOT OKAY NEED MORE TIME JESUS GOD WHY

I pretty much have the same plan. Work on weird games on days I don't PT and just keep PTing and reviewing.

My two things that make me nervous are I haven't done PTs in distracting environments enough, and I feel like that hurt me a little in September. I'm also out of fresh PTs so that sucks but not the end of the world.

All in all, I'm ready for the test and definitely feel better two weeks out than I did in September. I'm not too excited or too anxious. It just feels like any other day.