The Official June 2015 Study Group Forum

[Rigo]

Grats on your PT PR.

PR?

Personal record.

[nlee10]

Grats on your PT PR.

PR?

Personal record.

PARALLEL REASONING.
jk.

[TheWalkingDebt]

Grats on your PT PR.

PR?

Personal record.

Oh okay (ETA: I actually initially thought parallel reasoning and was like wtf?). Thanks.

Think 2 months is enough time to improve another 10+ points? Timing and LR are my two biggest concerns right now. I'm really annoyed with LR because even as my overall score seems to either get better or stay roughly the same (this recent one is +2 from my previous high, which I think is negligible) the # incorrect on LR is about the same as it was from my diagnostic.

[McJimJam]

Post removed.

[JackelJ]

Think 2 months is enough time to improve another 10+ points? Timing and LR are my two biggest concerns right now. I'm really annoyed with LR because even as my overall score seems to either get better or stay roughly the same (this recent one is +2 from my previous high, which I think is negligible) the # incorrect on LR is about the same as it was from my diagnostic.

IMO there isn't much use in wondering if it is enough time right now. Just put as much work in as you can and plan to take it in June. If you aren't where you want to be a few weeks before the test then re-evaluate when you want to take the test

[RZ5646]

Grats on your PT PR.

PR?

Personal record.

Oh okay (ETA: I actually initially thought parallel reasoning and was like wtf?). Thanks.

Think 2 months is enough time to improve another 10+ points? Timing and LR are my two biggest concerns right now. I'm really annoyed with LR because even as my overall score seems to either get better or stay roughly the same (this recent one is +2 from my previous high, which I think is negligible) the # incorrect on LR is about the same as it was from my diagnostic.

Think I said this before but I don't remember if you answered: Why are you missing LR questions? Are they mostly of a certain type? Is there one key concept you're missing (e.g., quantification over individuals or possible worlds and how negation interacts with such quantifiers)? Are you just missing all hard questions regardless of type because you need to truly master the basics?

You can probably get good at LR in 2 months but you need to look into this more if you're actually going to accomplish that or get useful advice from us.

[TheWalkingDebt]

Think 2 months is enough time to improve another 10+ points? Timing and LR are my two biggest concerns right now. I'm really annoyed with LR because even as my overall score seems to either get better or stay roughly the same (this recent one is +2 from my previous high, which I think is negligible) the # incorrect on LR is about the same as it was from my diagnostic.

IMO there isn't much use in wondering if it is enough time right now. Just put as much work in as you can and plan to take it in June. If you aren't where you want to be a few weeks before the test then re-evaluate when you want to take the test

That makes sense. Despite the improvement so far, the amount of pressure I put on myself is causing me to be discouraged because my LR is basically the same damn thing from my diagnostic. In order from diag to current test:

-12, -6
-6, -9
-5, -3 (rated easier)
-7, -5
-5, -4
-8, -7

The improvement is just not very significant. I know everyone's response is to drill more. I've been through the Cambridge packets almost one full time and will likely do a whole second pass as well, but I am starting to think maybe this is my ceiling? IDFK

[TheWalkingDebt]

Think I said this before but I don't remember if you answered: Why are you missing LR questions? Are they mostly of a certain type? Is there one key concept you're missing (e.g., quantification over individuals or possible worlds and how negation interacts with such quantifiers)? Are you just missing all hard questions regardless of type because you need to truly master the basics?

You can probably get good at LR in 2 months but you need to look into this more if you're actually going to accomplish that or get useful advice from us.

I'm largely missing higher difficulty level questions.

My "high priority" LR questions from last two PTs, according to 7sage:

1 star difficulty: 1
2 star - 0
3 star - 6
4 star - 6
5 star - 4

[RZ5646]

Also compare your timed and untimed performance to rule out your reading ability or other timing issues. Some people have the reasoning skills but do poorly in timed settings because they read too slowly or agonize over the answer choices.

[JackelJ]

Think 2 months is enough time to improve another 10+ points? Timing and LR are my two biggest concerns right now. I'm really annoyed with LR because even as my overall score seems to either get better or stay roughly the same (this recent one is +2 from my previous high, which I think is negligible) the # incorrect on LR is about the same as it was from my diagnostic.

IMO there isn't much use in wondering if it is enough time right now. Just put as much work in as you can and plan to take it in June. If you aren't where you want to be a few weeks before the test then re-evaluate when you want to take the test

That makes sense. Despite the improvement so far, the amount of pressure I put on myself is causing me to be discouraged because my LR is basically the same damn thing from my diagnostic. In order from diag to current test:

-12, -6
-6, -9
-5, -3 (rated easier)
-7, -5
-5, -4
-8, -7

The improvement is just not very significant. I know everyone's response is to drill more. I've been through the Cambridge packets almost one full time and will likely do a whole second pass as well, but I am starting to think maybe this is my ceiling? IDFK

What is your accuracy for the cambridge packets like? It took me a little while to make progress on LR, but improvement is definitely possible. I took some time off and then went back in and I think it helped. I also re-vamped how I approached drilling and how I reviewed reviewed questions. I stopped taking shortcuts that I was in denial of taking and really tried to internalize the patterns seen in the types of questions.

[TheWalkingDebt]

Also compare your timed and untimed performance to rule out your reading ability or other timing issues. Some people have the reasoning skills but do poorly in timed settings because they read too slowly or agonize over the answer choices.

All of those questions I listed I got wrong on both the timed and untimed. I tend to push the pace on the untimed regardless, which I probably shouldn't. On about half of them I'd guess I was 50/50 and talk myself either out of the correct AC or into the wrong AC.

[TheWalkingDebt]

What is your accuracy for the cambridge packets like? It took me a little while to make progress on LR, but improvement is definitely possible. I took some time off and then went back in and I think it helped. I also re-vamped how I approached drilling and how I reviewed reviewed questions. I stopped taking shortcuts that I was in denial of taking and really tried to internalize the patterns seen in the types of questions.

It's anywhere from 60-80% on the Level 4 questions across question types. Even though most of the questions I'm getting wrong are higher level difficulty, I'm still getting more higher level difficulty questions right than wrong.

[RZ5646]

Who's read the Powerscore LR Bible? I read a couple chapters out of it a while ago and it seemed cool but everyone seems to say Manhattan is better, and I've already read Manhattan, so idk if it would be worth the time commitment. (I'm probably just trying to find an excuse to ignore LG lol.)

[GauchoMarx]

Anyone here retaking and want to share any specific strategies you have with regards to studying for the test this time around?

I got a 172 on my first take and I'm really looking to score a 175+ in June.

[Rigo]

Who's read the Powerscore LR Bible? I read a couple chapters out of it a while ago and it seemed cool but everyone seems to say Manhattan is better, and I've already read Manhattan, so idk if it would be worth the time commitment. (I'm probably just trying to find an excuse to ignore LG lol.)

How much do you even need to improve on LR?
Seems like an avoidance tactic, as you've admitted.

[RZ5646]

Tomorrow I'm going to lock myself in the library with a stack of LG again. That seems to be the most effective way of actually getting shit done. Might drill a couple LRs too... don't want to neglect a section and get rusty, and PTs 1-30 are pretty much ruined as PTs because I'm drilling the LG already so I might as well break them up.

[nlee10]

Anyone here retaking and want to share any specific strategies you have with regards to studying for the test this time around?

I got a 172 on my first take and I'm really looking to score a 175+ in June.

grats on the 172! I'm a retaker and I'm focusing a lot more on review this time around.

Btw. Did/do you currently go to ucsb? haha

[RZ5646]

Who's read the Powerscore LR Bible? I read a couple chapters out of it a while ago and it seemed cool but everyone seems to say Manhattan is better, and I've already read Manhattan, so idk if it would be worth the time commitment. (I'm probably just trying to find an excuse to ignore LG lol.)

How much do you even need to improve on LR?
Seems like an avoidance tactic, as you've admitted.

It might be worth it because I want to shoot for -0 on LR. I'd be really pissed off if I got worse than -1 or -2 (combined) on the real deal since it's supposed to be my best section and I need all the help I can get against LG.

But yeah I guess reading another book probably isn't going to help me there. There's a certain point where books and tutors can't help you and you just have to help yourself somehow by doing a lot of questions. That's probably how LR is for me.

[GauchoMarx]

Anyone here retaking and want to share any specific strategies you have with regards to studying for the test this time around?

I got a 172 on my first take and I'm really looking to score a 175+ in June.

grats on the 172! I'm a retaker and I'm focusing a lot more on review this time around.

Btw. Did/do you currently go to ucsb? haha

Thanks, I'm thinking I need to drill the tits out of the LR questions I have a hard time with, last time I spent most of my time taking PT's.

And yeah, I guess my username and avatar make it pretty obvious where I go to school haha

[RZ5646]

hope this thread by some miracle can becomes even just a bit more interesting

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD omg did your parents teach you NOTHING????

[msp8]

So I'm still scoring in the same range as ever. Maybe that's my ceiling? 169-172 range. Actually it's more like 169-171 now. I'm remarkably consistent (in underwhelming, it seems).

On BR, I always go 178-180. Usually on the higher end of that range.

Is it normal to consistently score in a range like that, and BR consistently like that? I'm no longer even spending much time on BR -- I can pick out my mistakes pretty quickly. No consistency in what the mistakes are, either. Simple misreads, ACs I didn't fully grasp or assumed I had graped, whatever. Could be question #2 or #22.

LG has only been a problem on one PT (B). It varies between some exceptionally poor LR section (-6) or RC (have had -5 recently).

I've been neglecting Trainer reading, so I'm still hopeful that remedies the situation a bit.


eta: I've retaken a few PTs that I did ~6 months ago, and scored 175-177 on them. Haven't seen the Qs since, for the most part. But it did feel somewhat familiar, even if I had to go through the same process to select TCR.

[Rigo]

But yeah I guess reading another book probably isn't going to help me there. There's a certain point where books and tutors can't help you and you just have to help yourself somehow by doing a lot of questions. That's probably how LR is for me.

Bingo. You know all the stuff. I think wasting time on another prep book is kicking the can.

[RZ5646]

Is it normal to consistently score in a range like that, and BR consistently like that?

I'd say so. The timing is what makes the LSAT hard. Any idiot could get 175+ untimed.

[msp8]

Is it normal to consistently score in a range like that, and BR consistently like that?

I'd say so. The timing is what makes the LSAT hard. Any idiot could get 175+ untimed.

Sure. Pretty frustrating nonetheless. Would sooner have a worse BR and clearly see issues to work on.

[RZ5646]

Is it normal to consistently score in a range like that, and BR consistently like that?

I'd say so. The timing is what makes the LSAT hard. Any idiot could get 175+ untimed.

Sure. Pretty frustrating nonetheless. Would sooner have a worse BR and clearly see issues to work on.

How much time do you have left at the end of a section? Sounds like you might actually be going too fast.