Advice on little tweaks/timing strategies for LR Forum

[ilovethelaw]

If I have like 40 minutes per section, I can get 0-2 wrong per section. Timed, I fluctuate between 2-6 wrong per section (the majority of them being careless errors or just skipping over something important, etc). I tend to finish the last question with a few minutes to spare, and then I just go back and glance over any questions I thought were kind of troublesome. I rarely change any answers.

Anyone have any tricks for how to delegate timing? The only thing I've heard of is the first 15 problems in 15 minutes. However, I tend to get a couple wrong in the first 10 or so, even though they are really easy.

Anyone tried starting from the teens and then finishing, then going back? I'm just afraid that I'll use up too much time and then have to rush through the beginning ones anyway, which doesnt seem to help..

I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong. I need to stop making stupid mistakes in LR...

[shifty_eyed]

If I have like 40 minutes per section, I can get 0-2 wrong per section. Timed, I fluctuate between 2-6 wrong per section (the majority of them being careless errors or just skipping over something important, etc). I tend to finish the last question with a few minutes to spare, and then I just go back and glance over any questions I thought were kind of troublesome. I rarely change any answers.

Anyone have any tricks for how to delegate timing? The only thing I've heard of is the first 15 problems in 15 minutes. However, I tend to get a couple wrong in the first 10 or so, even though they are really easy.

Anyone tried starting from the teens and then finishing, then going back? I'm just afraid that I'll use up too much time and then have to rush through the beginning ones anyway, which doesnt seem to help..

I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong. I need to stop making stupid mistakes in LR...

Start paying attention to how much time it takes you to do the first 15 questions. If you are doing them in 12 minutes or less, you are probably rushing a bit and missing some of the easy questions. I find it easier to start from the beginning because the questions are easier, generally.

[ilovethelaw]

what are your systems for checking over answers? as you go, do you circle a question you weren't 100% on and then move onto the next one, then at the end go back and look at the ones with circles around them?

[Crowing]

I like to put a question mark next to any question that I wasn't sure about and then come back to those after I finish. I have a personal policy to never change an answer though unless I am absolutely sure that the alteration is to the correct response.

[twenty]

I don't like 15 in 15. There's always ONE question in 11-14 that takes me an extra minute to think through. Wouldn't start from the teens, either, or you'll end up rushing the otherwise easy ones at the end.

Usually what I'll do is 1-11, skip to the "next page", which is usually 15 or so, and come back with the last five minutes. I do 4 out of 5 thoroughly, and I'll drop kick the last one, hopefully an obnoxious MBF.

May not work for you. Does for me.

[ilovethelaw]

Also, does 1 LR section tend to be a lot harder than the other?
I almost always do much poorer on the first LR than the second... like -6 compared to -2.

Do you think this is just more of me "getting in the zone" and used to LR, or do the two sections actually tend to vary a lot in their difficulty.

[LSutton721]

Studies have shown that your first instinct is right more often then you think. Don't change answer unless your sure. I mark the ones I'm not 100% about but rarely change unless I'm super confident.

[Clearly]

Naturally, the only way to save more time on harder questions is by using less time on easier questions. I spent 10-15 seconds sometimes on a strengthen weaken flaw type question. Don't second guess your answer here. Make a prediction, find it, move on. Don't reread it, don't analyze it. I usually finish LR sections with 10 minutes to bubble in and do the 1-2 questions I question marked.

Def do not start in the middle. Your doing the hardest questions first, and saving the easy ones for when you have no time left, there worth the same points, it's absurd. If anything do 1-14 then 25-15 in that order so you still have the tougher questions at the end, but even that I don't usually condone, you need to answer them all in 35 minutes any way, it doesn't matter what order you do them in, you need to get fast enough to answer them all well educated under 35 minutes to have a great score.

Keep practicing and the timing will come, recognize patterns, and answer questions... Applying a complete analysis to each individual pattern based question is a waste of resources. Keep practicing and you will start to predict these patterns easily, and you'll start saving more time.

[LexLeon]

Studies have shown that your first instinct is right more often then you think. Don't change answer unless your sure. I mark the ones I'm not 100% about but rarely change unless I'm super confident.

Which studies?

[2014]

Just practice practice practice. I never developed any distinct timing strategy I just did enough sections, questions, and full PTs timed until I was finishing early.