I keep improving with every PT I take, but.... Forum

[MarkyMarkChez]

I feel like I'm peaking out.
What should I do?

PT7 (02/93)- 156
PT9 (10/93)- 162
PT11 (06/94)- 164

A common theme in all of these PTs is that I do well on LG and CR but then my LR scores bring me down. For example, on that last PT, I got a 22/24 on the LG section and 24/27 on the CR section but got a 20/26 and 16/24 on the two LR sections.

Not to mention that performance felt like it was the very best I could do. I was extremely focused and even then barely finished each section within 35 minutes.

Any advice?

[Tom Joad]

Keep doing them and get the newer tests because there is probably a 4 or 5 point difference in difficulty between the early 90s and middle 2000s.

[MarkyMarkChez]

Keep doing them and get the newer tests because there is probably a 4 or 5 point difference in difficulty between the early 90s and middle 2000s.

As in the mid 2000 ones are more difficult?

[Tom Joad]

Keep doing them and get the newer tests because there is probably a 4 or 5 point difference in difficulty between the early 90s and middle 2000s.

As in the mid 2000 ones are more difficult?

Yeah, especially logic games.

[Br3v]

Is it just me or is each of those numbers bigger than the one before it? Your fine

[shifty_eyed]

Don't be so hard on yourself because when you inevitably do worse on a practice test than you did before, you will have a meltdown lol. You've only taken three so far. Focus on how to fix your mistakes, not on the numbers.

[glucose101]

Ya...how do you figure you're peaking? You don't have a large sample size. I'm scared for your logic.

[kennethellenparcell]

I feel like I'm peaking out.
What should I do?

PT7 (02/93)- 156
PT9 (10/93)- 162
PT11 (06/94)- 164

A common theme in all of these PTs is that I do well on LG and CR but then my LR scores bring me down. For example, on that last PT, I got a 22/24 on the LG section and 24/27 on the CR section but got a 20/26 and 16/24 on the two LR sections.

Not to mention that performance felt like it was the very best I could do. I was extremely focused and even then barely finished each section within 35 minutes.

Any advice?

Don't worry! I think feeling like you have peaked is a totally natural thing for many people on the LSAT. I was stuck in the upper 160s for a long time before I felt like I finally made a breakthrough and started scoring constantly in the upper 170s.

The key for me was pattern recognition - which helped greatly in cracking the LR section. Have you been keeping track of your wrong answers in LR? If not, do so. Keep track of them and thoroughly analyze why you picked the wrong answer and not the right one. That's absolutely the key to improvement in LR. Sometimes it would take me 1/2 hour to analyze one question.

[MarkyMarkChez]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I've made a chart of the LR questions I've gotten wrong so far and grouped them into specific question types (Must Be True, Resolve the Paradox, Weaken, etc). I'll be sure to go back and check each one individually and see why I got each one wrong.

I feel pretty confident I can consistently score in the low 160s on PTs. I've got 36 PTs left. Do you think there's enough time between now and the June LSAT for me to break through and get to the high 160 range or even the magical 170 mark on the actual exam or should I cancel and prep for October?

[t14fanboy]

Only you can tell if your ready...
But if your goal is 170+ don't take the real thing before your practice test average is 170 and above (the higher the better because it is likely you will do 2-3 points worse on the real thing).

[MarkyMarkChez]

Update. Here's my PT progression so far.

2/93- 156 (LR I 16/25, LR II 12/25, RC 19/27, LG 18/24)
10/93- 162 (LR I 15/25, LR II 17/25, RC 20/27, LG 21/24)
6/94- 164 (LR I 20/26, LR II 16/24, RC 24/27, LG 22/24)
12/94- 166 (LR I 19/26, LR II 21/24, RC 21/27, LG 20/24)
2/95- 162 (LR I 19/25, LR II 20/25, RC 23/27, LG 18/24)


I feel really comfortable with the LSAT now and I realize that when I focus on the Logical Reasoning sections I do a lot better. On some recent sections I've gotten as few as 3 wrong! The thing is that when my mind drifts away, I tend to have to hurry to beat the time limit. Also I've had a couple of anxious moments on a recent Logic Game where I nearly had mental breakdown because I didn't understand a game.

Does anyone here notice anything in particular that's killing me on my PTs? Is it a combination of all 3 sections or is it mostly Logical Reasoning?

[mountaintime]

Consider taking a couple weeks off from PTs to really focus on your LR and LG development. Your LR is nothing special and could definitely use some improvement. Also, you really need to fix your LG if you want a top score. LG is by far the most learnable. You need to get your LG scores to no worse than -2. Look at all of the LR and LG section of your last howevermany PTs and try to figure out if there is a pattern. Do you always miss the same type of LR questions? Yes? Then reread that chapter of the LRB. Redo all the LGs you've already done. Then do them again. Until you get them perfect.

[lawschool4]

can anybody help me with the pattern recognition concept? I've been trying to improve my LR score since it is my weakest section, and I could really use some tips/advice on how to master the Logical Reasoning section

[princeR]

can anybody help me with the pattern recognition concept? I've been trying to improve my LR score since it is my weakest section, and I could really use some tips/advice on how to master the Logical Reasoning section

It isn't a "concept" it IS the LR section. This isn't a chapter or two you can read in a study guide and learn the patterns. You have to go back through tests and compare and contrast the way certain questions are asked and what the stimulus contains. Sorry man, no other way to put it, it takes time/work. You learn the patterns because of repetition, in depth analysis and review. Good luck!

[CarlBarker]

can anybody help me with the pattern recognition concept? I've been trying to improve my LR score since it is my weakest section, and I could really use some tips/advice on how to master the Logical Reasoning section

I'm not sure if you are still in undergraduate, but what I did was I took my university's basic logic class and it helped me ease into the Logical Reasoning section. I'm still not great at it, but as the poster above me pointed out, it really takes a lot of practice and from reviewing and learning from your mistakes.