........... Forum

[sammacd25]

...................

[Manhattan LSAT Noah]

Depends on what you've done so far.

If you're just starting and you aren't hitting near the median of some schools that interest you, why not postpone until October.

If you've been at it for a while, then time to do 2-3 full 5-section preptests, with deep review.

If you still have some strategies to learn, get those down, AND do 2-3 tests per week.

[rubydandun]

What if you understand LG theory, but just can't get them done in time?

I get around -8 or -9 total across LR and RC, and when it comes to LG this happens every time:

Finish question 1 in about 9 minutes, -0
Finish question 2 by about 22 minutes, -0 (usually)
Finish question 3 by about 31 minutes, -1 or -2 total at this point
Do List question on question 4, guess D on the rest

Usually I get between -2 and -7. Don't know what the hell else to do...very frustrating. How can I improve LG timing in the next 3 weeks?

I am thinking I'm going to practice and do deep review on PT games 40-60; this is because i really feel like 1-39 are FUNKY and DIFFICULT. Like WAY MORE. So I figure it makes more sense to not let my confidence get rocked and focus on the easier, more straight forward games in PT40+.

Another question: Is it common knowledge that the 1st and 2nd game are easiest, while the 3rd and 4th are random? Should I do the first 2, then pick the game with the most questions?

[Manhattan LSAT Noah]

Sounds like you need to speed up! Either you don't really understand LG theory, or you're not putting it into practice (or you simply can't move any faster). The most likely reason for your timing issue is the first one, followed by the second and then the third.

Here's a good litmus test: if you find yourself testing out answer choices on more than 6 questions during an entire section, then you aren't approaching games in the most efficient manner.

You'll want to replay games until you can play them gracefully, without error, quickly, and with minimal use of trial and error or hypotheticals.

[rubydandun]

Sounds like you need to speed up! Either you don't really understand LG theory, or you're not putting it into practice (or you simply can't move any faster). The most likely reason for your timing issue is the first one, followed by the second and then the third.

Here's a good litmus test: if you find yourself testing out answer choices on more than 6 questions during an entire section, then you aren't approaching games in the most efficient manner.

You'll want to replay games until you can play them gracefully, without error, quickly, and with minimal use of trial and error or hypotheticals.

Thanks. I definitely over-use hypos. I'll look at the rules and think - crap, the only way I'm going to understand how thes interact is if i put together a few hypos..and then, for many many of the questions, I will do hypos - mostly because under the stress of the test, i feel like it's the only way to be entirely certain you're doing it right - whereas, if i took a second and actually thought about things and applied the techniques (deductions between rules, areas of restriction and restricted variables, using previous work) - i'd actually end up saving a lot more time than simply plugging and chugging.

also, do you believe that the games have gotten more difficult in the last 2-3 years?

[Flyer32]

I'm currently prepping for the June '11 test. Latest PT (PT50): LG: -2; LR: -4; RC: -3. I've found the best way to get quicker at the games is by simply doing a ton of them with deep review afterwards (and later doing these same games again). My approach has been to take the games slow, making sure my diagramming techniques are efficient and I am seeing all of the inferences necessary to tackle the questions. Familiarity and true understanding breeds speed.

My approach to these next three weeks will be a mixture of full-length PTs (2-3 a week with deep review afterwards, especially of ones I got incorrect) and study sessions focused on shoring up any remaining weaknesses I have: refining my RC notation strategy, paying specific attention to the LR problems that give me trouble (and understanding why I got them wrong, why the correct answer is indeed correct, etc.), reviewing sufficient/necessary conditional logic, gaining endurance for the real test (will be adding an extra section to my PTs next week), and continuing to do and re-do as many games as possible.