Timing LG Forum

[mmkitkat]

I just started studying for the LSAT last week and I started out by doing at least one section of logic games a day all week, plus reading and doing practice questions in LSAT for dummies, the kaplan and the princeton review books and my accuracy (untimed) is pretty much perfect. However, when I do practice tests, I can only finish 1-2 games in 35 minutes. Will continuing to work games help me improve my speed or do I need to come up with a new strategy to improve speed without sacrificing accuracy? I always have tons of time to spare on both LR and RC questions, so I'm not really worried about those. Also, sorry if there's post like this somewhere on the forum (it's huge and I'm lazy :p).

[incompetentia]

How much time do you typically spend setting up the game, and how much time do you typically spend on each question?

[Jeffort]

Since you just started prepping for the LSAT last week, you should not be thinking about or worrying about timing at all.

Learn the test, concepts, techniques, etc. Study and practice that stuff without time pressure in order to build your approach, strategies, skills and accuracy.

Speed comes with improved understanding and LSAT problem solving skills. Learn how to solve the questions with consistent accuracy, then as test day gets closer (like a month or so away) put it all together and practice doing it timed to build endurance and stamina. It doesn't matter how fast you can finish a section if you are answering many of the questions incorrectly.

PS: dump those books (especially the LSAT for dummies one) and get quality ones.

[lawgod]

Guess "D"

[mmkitkat]

How much time do you typically spend setting up the game, and how much time do you typically spend on each question?

Because I don't really do diagramming (drawing anything is a bad idea when you're me, even if it's just arrows and crap), set up is only about a minute per game. Depending on whether or not the correct answer is an early choice (A or B) because I just test the answers I can't automatically/obviously eliminate or if there are easy to eliminate choices that obviously violate the rules, each question takes anywhere from 2-4 minutes.

Since you just started prepping for the LSAT last week, you should not be thinking about or worrying about timing at all.

Learn the test, concepts, techniques, etc. Study and practice that stuff without time pressure in order to build your approach, strategies, skills and accuracy.

Speed comes with improved understanding and LSAT problem solving skills. Learn how to solve the questions with consistent accuracy, then as test day gets closer (like a month or so away) put it all together and practice doing it timed to build endurance and stamina. It doesn't matter how fast you can finish a section if you are answering many of the questions incorrectly.

PS: dump those books (especially the LSAT for dummies one) and get quality ones.

Are the Manhattan LSAT books any better? I'm just using the ones that I can find at local bookstores right now (I ordered the bibles, but they haven't come in yet). Is there any other book I should order that will help me more?

and lawgod, as for guessing D, that's exactly what I did when I ran out of time. One of 12 correct with d.

[Sloth Hero]

Since you just started prepping for the LSAT last week, you should not be thinking about or worrying about timing at all.

Learn the test, concepts, techniques, etc. Study and practice that stuff without time pressure in order to build your approach, strategies, skills and accuracy.

Speed comes with improved understanding and LSAT problem solving skills. Learn how to solve the questions with consistent accuracy, then as test day gets closer (like a month or so away) put it all together and practice doing it timed to build endurance and stamina. It doesn't matter how fast you can finish a section if you are answering many of the questions incorrectly.

PS: dump those books (especially the LSAT for dummies one) and get quality ones.

As usual, he speaks truth.

When I started prepping my games took me ~15 mins each. I wasn't really concerned about time, I was more focused on being familiar. My times have naturally gone down significantly, I finish most games within 8 mins and I only started prepping 2 weeks ago. Just focus on learning. If time is still an issue months from now, then start planning a strategy that revolves around your time limitation -- but for now, don't worry about it.

I have had similar experiences in my symbolic logic classes. We were expected to solve these derivations within 15 minutes each, and when I started they took over an hour to solve. After a ridiculous amount of practice. I was able to get my time down to ~10 mins ea.


And anyways, trade your RC timing with me I seem to always need a few extra mins to accurately finish an RC section.

[cnyltiak]

If you're not doing any diagramming on logic games, its going to be nearly impossible for you to finish them accurately in the allotted time... Unless you're some kind of superhuman machine.

[JamMasterJ]

When I started studying for the LSAT the first time, I was working through LGs very slowly and now finish the section in 25-30 minutes the majority of the time. Accuracy comes first, then speed. Just keep working, you'll get faster.

By the way, I'd recommend using the Powerscore LGB or Manhattan LSAT LG guide instead of Kaplan.

[lsatdanny]

mmkitkat, I know nobody will agree with me but I'll just tell you how I improved my timing in LG.
I have never done any LG in my life and when I first tried to do a LSAT section I was horrible. I started reading the LG bible but I found it confusing. I looked at the problems and didn't even know how to begin with. I forced myself to solve the games but it was taking me twice the time allowed (that's right - I was finishing a LG section in one hour and ten). So, in an act of total despair I got the LG for dummies. It was clear, easy and simple.
Again, for me, it was wonderful.
I've done 23 PTs so far and I can get all answers right and in 30 minutes.
Off course that all the practing helped me but what I'm saying is that I changed the bible for the lg for dummies and it made me no harm at all.

[rinkrat19]

I went from -7/8 to -1 in LG with LG for Dummies. I knew it wasn't the best-regarded book, but I had a free copy. I'd planned to get the Bible if Dummies didn't work for me and if I had time, but it turned out I didn't really need it.

OP, diagramming is not really optional here. Unless you're some kind of Rain Man-esque savant, LG is pretty much impossible to do in your head (except for the first 1 or 2 questions in each problem).

[totaltest.milan]

Yeah, it's a bit too early to tell whether your approach is fine and you're taking a while because you just need more practice/familiarity or because there's something inherently wrong with your approach. So give it a bit of time. In terms of what you should be using as a study guide, the consensus is that the powerscore book is the best. And for the kind of approach it teaches it probably is. I don't teach using that approach, I have my students do a lot less deducing information from the original diagram. You might want to take a look at "The Big Fat Genius Guide to Logic Games", the approach that it teaches is one based on making test diagrams for the questions. I use a modified version of that approach and you can check it out on my website to get an idea of what I'm talking about.