Do they tell you what section is experimental on the LSAT? Forum

[silentbob]

Just wondering if I would know which one doesnt count? Or is it always the last section before the essay? Also, is the essay even worth prepping for really? From everything I have heard it doesnt count as anything.

[Birdnals]

1. They don't tell you until after
2. It is mixed up where it is
3. A half day of prep for written is more than enough, i didn't do any personally.

[silentbob]

that sucks, I was hoping I would know before hand and be able to take it easy. Is it usually logic games? Or do they randomly pick a section type to experiment with?

[flem]

that sucks, I was hoping I would know before hand and be able to take it easy. Is it usually logic games? Or do they randomly pick a section type to experiment with?

This is the exact reason they don't tell you.

[Birdnals]

that sucks, I was hoping I would know before hand and be able to take it easy. Is it usually logic games? Or do they randomly pick a section type to experiment with?

Randomly pick. I think mine was RC

[Mr. Pancakes]

Don't waste time prepping for the writing part.
Talked to an attorney who was an adcom at gtown and he said they never read them.

[rinkrat19]

How would they use the experimental section to set the "curve" (it's not really a curve) on a future test, if everyone didn't take it and try their hardest?

[MrPapagiorgio]

Traditionally, the experimental is in the first 3 sections, before the break (something about not wanting the experimental to be affected by fatigue bias). Therefore, you won't be able to even make an educated guess about which one was experimental until after the break. If you have 3 LRs, one was experimental. If you have two games in the first 3 sections, one of those is experimental. If you have 3 RCs, one was experimental.

FWIW, I had an experimental RC section. By the 3rd passage, I deduced (guessed?) that it was experimental because it was obnoxiously difficult (for those who took the October 2011 LSAT, you know what I mean with the comparative reading section with Mozart).

edit: I meant October 2010.

[Micdiddy]

Traditionally, the experimental is in the first 3 sections, before the break (something about not wanting the experimental to be affected by fatigue bias). Therefore, you won't be able to even make an educated guess about which one was experimental until after the break. If you have 3 LRs, one was experimental. If you have two games in the first 3 sections, one of those is experimental. If you have 3 RCs, one was experimental.

FWIW, I had an experimental RC section. By the 3rd passage, I deduced (guessed?) that it was experimental because it was obnoxiously difficult (for those who took the October 2011 LSAT, you know what I mean with the comparative reading section with Mozart).

You mean 2 RC's one is experimental btw.

What did you do when you realized it was experimental? Still try your damned hardest in case you were wrong?

[99.9luft]

Last year the experimental was AFTER the break (i.e. 4th or 5th section).

[Mr. Pancakes]

Last year the experimental was AFTER the break (i.e. 4th or 5th section).

I still think this has only happened once.

[MrPapagiorgio]

Traditionally, the experimental is in the first 3 sections, before the break (something about not wanting the experimental to be affected by fatigue bias). Therefore, you won't be able to even make an educated guess about which one was experimental until after the break. If you have 3 LRs, one was experimental. If you have two games in the first 3 sections, one of those is experimental. If you have 3 RCs, one was experimental.

FWIW, I had an experimental RC section. By the 3rd passage, I deduced (guessed?) that it was experimental because it was obnoxiously difficult (for those who took the October 2011 LSAT, you know what I mean with the comparative reading section with Mozart).

You mean 2 RC's one is experimental btw.

What did you do when you realized it was experimental? Still try your damned hardest in case you were wrong?

You're right my bad. It has been a while since I have even thought about the LSAT. I still tried, because I couldn't sit through a month of waiting and wondering if I was right (fortunately, I was). Although when I got to my second RC in Section 3 and it was noticeably easier, I was pretty much convinced that the first was experimental.

[Micdiddy]

Traditionally, the experimental is in the first 3 sections, before the break (something about not wanting the experimental to be affected by fatigue bias). Therefore, you won't be able to even make an educated guess about which one was experimental until after the break. If you have 3 LRs, one was experimental. If you have two games in the first 3 sections, one of those is experimental. If you have 3 RCs, one was experimental.

FWIW, I had an experimental RC section. By the 3rd passage, I deduced (guessed?) that it was experimental because it was obnoxiously difficult (for those who took the October 2011 LSAT, you know what I mean with the comparative reading section with Mozart).

You mean 2 RC's one is experimental btw.

What did you do when you realized it was experimental? Still try your damned hardest in case you were wrong?

You're right my bad. It's has been a while since I have even thought about the LSAT. I still tried, because I couldn't sit through a month of waiting and wondering if I was right (fortunately, I was). Although when I got to my second RC in Section 3 and it was noticeably easier, I was pretty much convinced that the first was experimental.

At first I was treading an RC experimental, but if it comes before the real RC I can see the upside, feeling that the real RC is much easier could give one confidence and make them perform better. All in all I'm hoping for a LG experimental still.

[princeR]

I am taking most of my PTs with an RC experimental preparing for the worst! I think my final ones I am going to do some 6 section PTs with an LR/RC experimental. Praying for an LG experimental!

[dkb17xzx]

I am taking most of my PTs with an RC experimental preparing for the worst! I think my final ones I am going to do some 6 section PTs with an LR/RC experimental. Praying for an LG experimental!

I sure hope so. I am afraid of a 3 section LR or 2 consecutive RC's!

Traditionally, the experimental is in the first 3 sections, before the break (something about not wanting the experimental to be affected by fatigue bias). Therefore, you won't be able to even make an educated guess about which one was experimental until after the break. If you have 3 LRs, one was experimental. If you have two games in the first 3 sections, one of those is experimental. If you have 3 RCs, one was experimental.

FWIW, I had an experimental RC section. By the 3rd passage, I deduced (guessed?) that it was experimental because it was obnoxiously difficult (for those who took the October 2011 LSAT, you know what I mean with the comparative reading section with Mozart).

edit: I meant October 2010.

But they don't mind fucking up our score, potential acceptances, scholarships, and employment opportunities by this fatigue bias.

[Br3v]

All part of the game brother

[bp shinners]

Last year the experimental was AFTER the break (i.e. 4th or 5th section).

I still think this has only happened once.

But it has happened, and recently. I would expect to see it happen more in the future.

To OP - spend maybe 15 minutes prepping for the writing section, if that. I teach it in 20-30 minutes in Blueprint's course.

[MrPapagiorgio]

Last year the experimental was AFTER the break (i.e. 4th or 5th section).

I still think this has only happened once.

But it has happened, and recently. I would expect to see it happen more in the future.

To OP - spend maybe 15 minutes prepping for the writing section, if that. I teach it in 20-30 minutes in Blueprint's course.

1. Take a side and support your argument.
2. Say why the other side could be right, but then refute those arguments.
3. Make a conclusion.

[rinkrat19]

Last year the experimental was AFTER the break (i.e. 4th or 5th section).

I still think this has only happened once.

But it has happened, and recently. I would expect to see it happen more in the future.

To OP - spend maybe 15 minutes prepping for the writing section, if that. I teach it in 20-30 minutes in Blueprint's course.

1. Take a side and support your argument.
2. Say why the other side could be right, but then refute those arguments.
3. Make a conclusion.

With passable spelling and grammar.

[Br3v]

Aka any paper you have ever written since middle school

[dingbat]

I noticed the experimental section when I was about 1/3 - 1/2 of the way through it - the questions seemed not as polished
I still did my best, just in case I was wrong

[suspicious android]

Thousands of people take the test, and I'm sure thousands of them are quite confident they know what the experimental is at some point. The ones who are wrong find out about it soon after the test is over, and then keep quiet about it, probably soon forgetting that they ever thought they knew.

The ones who were right get confirmation soon after the test, and are much more likely to share their post hoc predictions, and to remember being correct.

[rinkrat19]

The experimental questions become real questions on future tests, so I am extremely skeptical that anyone can truly identify the experimental section. I know I had no clue on the Oct 2010 test. (I had 2 LG, which was awesome. By far the least boring/fatiguing section.)

[dingbat]

The experimental questions become real questions on future tests, so I am extremely skeptical that anyone can truly identify the experimental section. I know I had no clue on the Oct 2010 test. (I had 2 LG, which was awesome. By far the least boring/fatiguing section.)

I just noticed that the wording needed tidying up here or there, or the question could be perceived as being somewhat ambiguous. Wasn't 100% sure until I got the results, though

[rinkrat19]

The experimental questions become real questions on future tests, so I am extremely skeptical that anyone can truly identify the experimental section. I know I had no clue on the Oct 2010 test. (I had 2 LG, which was awesome. By far the least boring/fatiguing section.)

I just noticed that the wording needed tidying up here or there, or the question could be perceived as being somewhat ambiguous. Wasn't 100% sure until I got the results, though

I doubt they'd change the questions...statistically, the scores they got on the experimentals wouldn't be valid anymore.