October 2010 Test Prep Forum

[Hedwig]

I haven't reached the 30's yet. I'm still mucking around in the 20's, mostly using it for section practice with the occasional full prep test timed in there. I think starting soon I'm going to make the switch to more full prep tests, with a few scattered timed sections in there for days when going over or doing a full prep test isn't possible.

In other news, I had my BEST LR section yet!! -1 in 24 minutes. Fairly excited about this. I do need to figure out what happened on that one question. Something to do with Akabe tribe and why they don't drink a caffeinated beverage in the morning. This makes me hopeful that maybe -0 on an LR might exist in the future .

Oh and to that question about what to do after you finish the LGB - I'd test out your games skills on a few isolated games sections (I actually went through 10 Actual prep tests and did all the games in there) before moving on to the LRB (to make sure the concepts are stuck in your head all nice and tight, then do the LRB, then make a move to full prep tests. Just make sure you don't waste newer tests with your games practice, stick to the 10 Actual or lower numbered ones.

P.S., I totally wrote "130's" up above there, haha... the LSAT is slowly engraining itself in my brain. I won't be surprised if by October, I'm consistently misspelling "last," lol.

Im very curious what your diagnostic was... you are doing so well!
How long have u been studying and is October a retake for you or first time? Any classes taken?

Thanks! I just hope that -1 isn't an outlier. It seems like I'm getting more consistently -2 or -3, which is an improvement from -4, so I'm pretty happy with that - this is all since using the LRB .

I didn't have an actual proper diagnostic - I messed about with June 2007's games section, then realized there's a timing section involved, gave up on that (it was around 11 at night) and printed it off the next day and took it, but I don't think I timed the games section properly (shame on me). Got a 159 on that sucker, then my next proper real timed test, after having been exposed to the test of course, was a 163.

I've been studying since the end of June. October will be my first (and hopefully last!) time taking it. I haven't taken any classes, just been self studying. I've been doing a couple timed prep tests alongside section work for the past month, and I worked through both the LGB and the LRB.

[Barbie]

I start monday and i'm still confused as to which PTs I should start with. the older ones?

[Sell Manilla]

I start monday and i'm still confused as to which PTs I should start with. the older ones?

That's my vote. Work your way toward the new.
But there's no way you've finished the bibles yet.

[HOV]

Im very curious what your diagnostic was... you are doing so well!
How long have u been studying and is October a retake for you or first time? Any classes taken?

yes, these updates you've been providing indicate BOSS status. kudos.

Just finished LGB. What should be the next move?

6) shots shots shots

[3|ink]

I start monday and i'm still confused as to which PTs I should start with. the older ones?

If I were you, I'd take a first diagnostic between PTs 20-30 to see where you stand before making that decision. If you score 160 or higher, you might be best off using PTs 1-19 as individual practice sections and using the rest of the PTs as they are.

[Barbie]

I start monday and i'm still confused as to which PTs I should start with. the older ones?

If I were you, I'd take a first diagnostic between PTs 20-30 to see where you stand before making that decision. If you score 160 or higher, you might be best off using PTs 1-19 as individual practice sections and using the rest of the PTs as they are.

this is my 3rd LSAT take, and I'm so clueless because I didn't really study before... just took 3/4 random PT (dont know which ones... haha) so this is my first time really getting into it. I got a 163 in June so I defiintly need to buckle down.


Sell Manila-- should I not take any PTs while I am working through the bibles? I thought, since RC is actually my worst section, I would take 2 PT a week regardless of what I could put into studying that week and how far I got. bad idea?

[AverageTutoring]

I start monday and i'm still confused as to which PTs I should start with. the older ones?

If I were you, I'd take a first diagnostic between PTs 20-30 to see where you stand before making that decision. If you score 160 or higher, you might be best off using PTs 1-19 as individual practice sections and using the rest of the PTs as they are.

this is my 3rd LSAT take, and I'm so clueless because I didn't really study before... just took 3/4 random PT (dont know which ones... haha) so this is my first time really getting into it. I got a 163 in June so I defiintly need to buckle down.


Sell Manila-- should I not take any PTs while I am working through the bibles? I thought, since RC is actually my worst section, I would take 2 PT a week regardless of what I could put into studying that week and how far I got. bad idea?

If you have already taken the LSAT twice and received a score of 163 I doubt working through the bibles will be all that beneficial. Taking PTs and reviewing each section question by question would be my recommendation. The only difference between a 160 and a 170 is focus/active reading. I firmly believe this, hence my name!

So yes, PTs and Bibles will be fine.

[Sell Manilla]

Sell Manila-- should I not take any PTs while I am working through the bibles? I thought, since RC is actually my worst section, I would take 2 PT a week regardless of what I could put into studying that week and how far I got. bad idea?

If you feel the need to start studying now, you're probably best off listening to your gut & doing so.
However, I recommend JUST doing RC sections now. Doing LR & ESPECIALLY games sections before you've read the bibles will give you less usefulness out of them.

You might consider making at least one copy of all the RC sections for complete PTs later, not to mention extra RC practice.

[Hedwig]

Im very curious what your diagnostic was... you are doing so well!
How long have u been studying and is October a retake for you or first time? Any classes taken?

yes, these updates you've been providing indicate BOSS status. kudos.

Haha, thanks - you seem to be doing pretty well yourself.

[nStiver]

I like and use power score's LGB methods, but I agree that some of their set ups are off the wall complicated, especially in the more complex games. I just finished the ID The Templates and ID The Possibilities part of the LGB. The amount of time it took me to diagram every single possibility was crazy. I usually just diagram the rules and a few key inferences.

Power score's strategies are just another tool in your kit. Use them when it makes sense, skip them when you can find a faster way. I usually go through the games in the LGB once under timed conditions as I normally do: using the diagrams when necessary. Then I do it again their way, reading their explanations. It helps me to really understand the mechanics of the game. Often there are inferences that I missed which would have made it easier. The LGB is certainly thorough in its explanations. Unlike my Kaplan instructor who just shat out a cursory sketch of the rules on the white board and left the rest to us.

I think ultimately everyone who is really fluent in logic games develops their own unique style. My diagrams have morphed into a perversion of the original power score techniques I learned from the bible.

[Sell Manilla]

I think ultimately everyone who is really fluent in logic games should develops their own unique style. My diagrams have morphed into a perversion of the original power score techniques I learned from the bible.

+1.
Yeah I skipped most of the extraneous diagramming of non-game stuff as well.

[rbhesser]

Just started prep for October. I've had some major mental blocks to studying lately due to all sorts of reasons but I've realized that I can't put it off any longer. I took the test last September and got a score significantly lower than what I had been practicing. I have to make sure that doesn't happen again. I was hoping that already having a score would relieve some of the pressure, but so far its just made it worse. Hard not to dwell :/ Anybody else having this issue?

[northwood]

Just took prep test 44, after a month of studying. Got -4 on the games section ( did 3 sections, with only -1 on it, got the 2 questions that i attempted right on the last game correct, and my letter of the day didnt help on the rest.) USed another lg section as experimental, got -5. ( Drastic improvement from -13 on diagnostic!!!)

LR is still killing me. Got -9, and -11 on section 2, and 4.

RC -12.

I am extremely disappointed in LR. It seems as though I am missing more questions types. I tried looking for causal assumptions, and ended up switching from the right asnwer to a wrong choice on 2 of them. Didnt get to the parallel questions though.

RC i need to slow down. -2 passage 1, -3 passage 2, -5 passage 3, -3 passage 4. Did the pasages 1, ,2, 4, 3. Rushed through passage 4. Caught myself not going back to the passages to verify ( was afraid of timing issues.)

Any suggestions for LR and RC are greatly appreciated!( My scores have not increased in these sections, unlike the games sections. I have been spending a lot of time stuyding these parts, perhaps i need to re evaluate my studying approach for them??)

[nStiver]

I think ultimately everyone who is really fluent in logic games should develops their own unique style. My diagrams have morphed into a perversion of the original power score techniques I learned from the bible.

+1.
Yeah I skipped most of the extraneous diagramming of non-game stuff as well.

Good observation.

[Hedwig]

I agree. I really liked their diagramming style for linear, but I substantially change it in Grouping games. I also really hated it for games that had morning and afternoon shifts, Powerscore put the afternoon above the morning. That just made no sense to me.

[iamcutdacheck]

Im reviewing a little bit and never really hammered down the application for 'numerical distribution' in Powerscore's Logical Games Bible in chapter 1, anyone with any insight on that?

[lparker]

I agree. I really liked their diagramming style for linear, but I substantially change it in Grouping games. I also really hated it for games that had morning and afternoon shifts, Powerscore put the afternoon above the morning. That just made no sense to me.

Ha! I agree. Afternoon is on bottom.

[Day2Daze]

What do people think about Atlas' games setups for Linear and Pure Sequencing? The numbered, 3d numbered ordering and relative ordering??

I like those more, but have learned both PS and Atlas...Ive morphed them both together and it helps alot, sometimes I just use the tree. I havent gotten to their Open/closed assignment methods yet...anyone here that can vouch for those?

[TWB1525]

I'm taking October 2010 as well. Just started prep. Took the June 2007 test with no prep, no reading, no study, just to establish a baseline and got a 146.

Glad to be a part of the thread.

[Hedwig]

Hating RC right now. Just finished Prep Test #21, got a 92 raw, 174 scaled. -1LG, -1LR, -3LR, -4RC. Three of those RC questions I had narrowed down to two answers, and all three I obviously picked the wrong one! Need to go over that and somehow figure out a strategy for figuring out how not to pick the wrong answer, lol.

LR, I got a Strength question wrong, and again I had it narrowed down to 2, picked the wrong one! Then a Pattern of Reasoning question, again had it narrowed down to 2, picked the wrong one. Then a weaken question, where I had it narrowed down to three, picked the wrong one (the right answer was in my Contenders section).

Tomorrow I'm going to in depth review #21, then I think on Tuesday I'm going to take a 5 section Prep Test, probably cracking open my Next 10 book and do a random test from the 30's, with an experimental from the 10 Actual book. And NO scoring the sections until I'm done. I get so anxious to see what I've got, sometimes I score after every section. I need to get used to not scoring until I'm completely done.

[arewhyaen]

Just took my second proctored diagnostic with testmasters, and scored a 160. It was the October 2008 test, and the third LG absolutely killed me. I really need to look over that. I'm having particular trouble with strengthen and weaken questions, but I think its more of an issue of time. It was only my second diag and Im sure I'll be able to improve. Luckily, theres still a lot more to learn in the class and the class is only a little more than half way over.

I'm aiming for a 165, anyone wanna give me hope and say this could happen?

[Barbie]

Just started prep for October. I've had some major mental blocks to studying lately due to all sorts of reasons but I've realized that I can't put it off any longer. I took the test last September and got a score significantly lower than what I had been practicing. I have to make sure that doesn't happen again. I was hoping that already having a score would relieve some of the pressure, but so far its just made it worse. Hard not to dwell :/ Anybody else having this issue?

Kind of. It puts you at a place where you can do worse. I feel like if I study my ass off, put a lot of effort and thus sacrifice other thigns in my life, and do worse-- it was all a waste...

[northwood]

Kind of. It puts you at a place where you can do worse. I feel like if I study my ass off, put a lot of effort and thus sacrifice other thigns in my life, and do worse-- it was all a waste...[/quote]


I a feeling that way right now.... starting to wonder if its all worth it, or if i should focus my attention on other careers

[Barbie]

Kind of. It puts you at a place where you can do worse. I feel like if I study my ass off, put a lot of effort and thus sacrifice other thigns in my life, and do worse-- it was all a waste...

I a feeling that way right now.... starting to wonder if its all worth it, or if i should focus my attention on other careers[/quote]

Either way I'm going to law school. I debated insanely on whether to retake or not. I was actually (even though everyone on here would bash it) pretty content with my score. It seems that even going up one point, though, is worth the retake (UGA hopefully staying at its 164 wall this cycle). Also, most schools take the highest score.. and I called a handful of my target schools (UF, FSU, etc) and asked them if it could POSSIBLY hurt me at all if I retook and did worse-- they said no. So I was like ... OK! but it will still feel like a HUUGE waste if I do worse

[nStiver]

Im reviewing a little bit and never really hammered down the application for 'numerical distribution' in Powerscore's Logical Games Bible in chapter 1, anyone with any insight on that?

It helps you get an idea on numerical limitations, like how many sheep can go in each corral, etc. It is more important with games that have do not have a 1-1 distribution. Having a solid concept of how many variables fit in each spot can sometimes be the key to the game.

Once again, you don't have to write it out exactly like they do, as long as you figure it out and have a way of remembering it.

I myself just re-read the chapter on numerical distributions. Just give it a good once over; the LGB can explain this much better than I can.

P.S. I put the afternoon on the bottom too lol.