Do you get better at this? Forum

[dsosah]

Hi there, I posted this last night but I realized it sounded a bit awkward the way I was asking, so I'm trying again to see if anybody feels like giving some feedback.
So I started studying for the LSAT about a month ago, I'm taking it slowly since I've got plenty of time to take the test. Right now I'm going through the advance Linear games, and I'm just starting with the logical reasoning section. However I've noticed I'm super slow in both sections.
For the LR, I always finish with 2, 3 questions left, and for the LG linear advanced games, it takes me like 12min to do some of them. With the basic linear ones, once I repeat them for the second or third time, my timing goes down to like 7min per question, but this is after repeating them.
I guess my question is, for those of you who are already towards the end of your studying or that took the test already, is it normal to start that slow, does it gets better? I would think it does, I'm trying to keep myself positive, but I'm getting kind of nervous that I might just be slow at this. I understand pretty much everything I've studied so far, but is just the timing that kills me.
Please if anybody can tell me their experiences on how much time took them at the beginning to finish a section, or a game, and if they did better after studying it would be great.
thanks

[tmon]

There are two goals behind practicing for this test. One is to be more accurate when answering questions. The other is to be faster at it. If you're drilling games individually and going back over them a couple times you're on the right track. It takes some longer than others to get to a satisfactory point, but it can definitely be done. Focus on finding both the most accurate AND most efficient way of setting up your diagrams when you review. You said you have plenty of time, so it sounds like you're not taking in October. If that's the case, you're definitely on the right track.

[tomwatts]

When I was first doing games, it took about an hour per section. After about two months of studying, I got that down to 35 minutes per section. Yes, people get faster. Much faster.

The thing to do is to figure out what's sucking up all your time and how you can speed that up.

[EarlCat]

With the basic linear ones, once I repeat them for the second or third time, my timing goes down to like 7min per question, but this is after repeating them.

Per question or per game?

If you mean per game, then all is well because what you'll eventually discover after enough practice is that every game is really a repeat of a previous game. tmon's post is right on. Focus on accuracy and efficiency and eventually the speed will come.

[TrojanHopeful]

Look for those inferences in advanced linear games. Often, inferences make these some of the easiest games in my opinion (sometimes they lead to only a few templates, which you can use to quickly power through the questions).

[CHIJAMES11]

Try focusing on doing 3 games in 35 minutes without error and then when you can confidently do that work on 4 games in 35 minutes. As you begin to recognize different game types and the inferences they bring you will increase in speed and efficiency which will hopefully correlate with working in a 4th game under the time restrictions.

Also, in "How I scored a 180" one of his goals was to complete the first 10 questions of LR in 10 minutes and then the first 15 questions in 15 minutes. Once you know how to properly approach each question type appropriately this may be a good goal to have as well.

Good luck (:

[dsosah]

thanks a lot everybody, great advice. I am still at the beginning, I will try your recommendations and just keep on practicing (and I meant 7min per game actually so maybe there is still hope for me). I am thinking of taking the LSAT in February of maybe June next year, I'm still in undergrad so I will just wait until I feel ready, so I have lots of time to practice. Thanks again!

[Tiago Splitter]

When I was first doing games, it took about an hour per section. After about two months of studying, I got that down to 35 minutes per section. Yes, people get faster. Much faster.

The thing to do is to figure out what's sucking up all your time and how you can speed that up.

+1.

The first game I did took me about 35 minutes. Thought I was in great shape until I realized you have to do four in that time. Keep at it.