pt 63 curve vs dec 2011 curve Forum

[180asBreath]

If the curve is single digits, I'm going to cry.

I cannot answer for December 2009, but I took December 2010 and it was brutal for me. This test went much smoother (I think). lol

AGREED. I did that for a PT and got something like 162; hardest one i've seen since the new millennium.

I got one of my best scores on 12/09 and my second best score on 12/10; after taking those, I realized that there's no significant difference in how hard each test is - as they were a couple of the easier ones I've done.

It'll be interesting - I just think the 95% CI is -12 to -14. Ruling out -14, or thinking -11 is in the running, is illogical.

[Glaucon]

oops sry 180, misquoted. Made you out to look like the one that said dec10 was difficult. Maaa bad..

[180asBreath]

Oh, no worries; I just took it that you replaced my quote with the answer to my question. Kind of like I asked for a missing piece of information, and you filled it! Haha

[revahp00]

I know everyone says that dec 11 had a difficult RC so I should have a decent curve, however I'm a little concerned because pt 63 had a crazy hard RC (I think 63 was Kate Chopin and the underwater science passage) and it only had a -9 curve! Why would it only get -9 for an RC like that?! It seems like RC difficulty doesn't mean much to lsac. So wouldn't dec 2011 end up in the same situation?

Kate Chopin passage was ridiculously easy. I took the sabbath observer exam, and our reading comp, though different, was on a level of difficulty (abstraction and language wise) that I have extremely rarely encountered. (equivalent to or perhaps harder than basins)

[swtlilsoni]

I know everyone says that dec 11 had a difficult RC so I should have a decent curve, however I'm a little concerned because pt 63 had a crazy hard RC (I think 63 was Kate Chopin and the underwater science passage) and it only had a -9 curve! Why would it only get -9 for an RC like that?! It seems like RC difficulty doesn't mean much to lsac. So wouldn't dec 2011 end up in the same situation?

Kate Chopin passage was ridiculously easy. I took the sabbath observer exam, and our reading comp, though different, was on a level of difficulty (abstraction and language wise) that I have extremely rarely encountered. (equivalent to or perhaps harder than basins)

Would your curve be the same as ours?

[180asBreath]

Well, they don't release curve info. But that would be interesting if it did turn out that the curve was the same; however, the curve wouldn't have to be the same to ensure that the tests were of similar difficulty.

[willwash]

Impossible to guess the curve based on a few anecdotal reports from various test takers on Top Law Schools.

Exactly. Worrying about it will just give you an ulcer. We already took the test, nothing that can be done now.

Not true until the cancel window expires...just playin' devil's advocate here...

[3v3ryth1ng]

I know everyone says that dec 11 had a difficult RC so I should have a decent curve, however I'm a little concerned because pt 63 had a crazy hard RC (I think 63 was Kate Chopin and the underwater science passage) and it only had a -9 curve! Why would it only get -9 for an RC like that?! It seems like RC difficulty doesn't mean much to lsac. So wouldn't dec 2011 end up in the same situation?

PT 63 had a -11 curve. Kate Chopin is the only reason it wasn't -9. Get your facts straight.

[3v3ryth1ng]

I know everyone says that dec 11 had a difficult RC so I should have a decent curve, however I'm a little concerned because pt 63 had a crazy hard RC (I think 63 was Kate Chopin and the underwater science passage) and it only had a -9 curve! Why would it only get -9 for an RC like that?! It seems like RC difficulty doesn't mean much to lsac. So wouldn't dec 2011 end up in the same situation?

Yeah, LG seems to have a much bigger effect on the curve than RC or LR.

You are right about this, I'm certain of it. People can power through RC and LR on intuition much more easily. LG can be "learned" to a greater extent, but that also means people who aren't familiar with LG (but otherwise gifted) may have trouble with them.

...and after further reflection, I think these Dec. '11 games would appear harder to the average person than those on PT 63 (which, except for the first absurdly easy grouping game, were all ordering games). The Dec. 11 games were a couple steps above what I believe the average person could power through easily, especially game 3, which was not complicated by most LSAT prepper standards. Therefore, coupled with the not-so-easy RC, I believe the curve will be -12.

[Jeffort]

This is a pointless thread by definition since the LSAT is not graded on a curve. Reported scores are calculated by a predetermined raw points to scaled score conversion that is designed to equate test forms since there are always slight differences in the overall difficulty of each assembled test that is administered.

Perhaps one of the causes for low or lower than expected/desired scores, especially for people that miss many questions in the RC section, is substandard English vocabulary and grammar skills. You have to know the recognized dictionary definitions of commonly used words in order to interpret the meaning and function of them correctly in sentences. On the LSAT the meaning of obscure words will be able to be determined from the context in which they are used. That is one of the many skills the LSAT tests and measures. If your vocabulary and grammar skills suck, the LSAT will punish you for it, especially in the RC section.

Slang/casual/conversational ways people (especially young college students) commonly use many words in everyday communication are frequently incorrect as compared to the true meanings of the words.

Let's start improving this by calling it the SCALE rather than the curve, since the two words mean completely different things.