PT Variances Forum

[teiswei]

I am looking for a little advice on what I may be doing wrong or a way to help increase my consistency. On my last six PTs I have scored as follows:

163
167
170
165
163
160

I have been taking 2 tests a week and studying using a book filled with some of the toughest questions (about 2 hours a day and I take the weekends off). Besides PTs and the book, I have been taking it easy. Should I ramp up my studying on a daily basis? Should I quit taking weekends off? Should I focus on my weaknesses (RC primarily)? Any advice is appreciated.

Oh, and because my mediocre 3.3 GPA, I am really needing a 170 or so. I know I can achieve it with a 10 point curve but the higher I can score, the more likely I am to get into some T14s. I work FT in a professional role so all day study sessions are out of the question.

[teiswei]

I am looking for a little advice on what I may be doing wrong or a way to help increase my consistency. On my last six PTs I have scored as follows:

163
167
170
165
163
160

I have been taking 2 tests a week and studying using a book filled with some of the toughest questions (about 2 hours a day and I take the weekends off). Besides PTs and the book, I have been taking it easy. Should I ramp up my studying on a daily basis? Should I quit taking weekends off? Should I focus on my weaknesses (RC primarily)? Any advice is appreciated.

Oh, and because my mediocre 3.3 GPA, I am really needing a 170 or so. I know I can achieve it with a 10 point curve but the higher I can score, the more likely I am to get into some T14s. I work FT in a professional role so all day study sessions are out of the question.

I'd like to add that all of my PTs have been in coffee shops (which has been terrible) due to my schedule. I am going to take one today in the office in a reserved conference room to see if the environment has had an impact.

[NoodleyOne]

Definitely ramp up the day-to-day studying. That range of scores tells me that you have some systemic issues to work out, and an unfriendly test could really crush your score. I would suggest inputting all of those tests into lsatqa.com and finding out what areas are causing you the most trouble. Also, I would once again recommend checking out Manhattan LR. Their strategy for the argument core approach makes roughly half of the LR section make a lot more sense... and that's just the first five chapters!

The good news is because of the dramatic range of the swings you can see that you need more work. Getting used to testing with distraction is good, but don't get so used to it you freak out in a quiet room. I would switch it up and do it in as many different environments as possible. A loud coffee shop is actually a lot different than a quiet room with one person sniffling... the second can actually be a lot more distracting for some people. Vary it up and get used to a lot of different situations.

Lastly, I would recommend taking a week off of PTing while you drill and do book work. You may just be reinforcing bad habits, so a week of heavy drilling and studying may make all the difference in the world.

[teiswei]

Definitely ramp up the day-to-day studying. That range of scores tells me that you have some systemic issues to work out, and an unfriendly test could really crush your score. I would suggest inputting all of those tests into lsatqa.com and finding out what areas are causing you the most trouble. Also, I would once again recommend checking out Manhattan LR. Their strategy for the argument core approach makes roughly half of the LR section make a lot more sense... and that's just the first five chapters!

The good news is because of the dramatic range of the swings you can see that you need more work. Getting used to testing with distraction is good, but don't get so used to it you freak out in a quiet room. I would switch it up and do it in as many different environments as possible. A loud coffee shop is actually a lot different than a quiet room with one person sniffling... the second can actually be a lot more distracting for some people. Vary it up and get used to a lot of different situations.

Lastly, I would recommend taking a week off of PTing while you drill and do book work. You may just be reinforcing bad habits, so a week of heavy drilling and studying may make all the difference in the world.

Thanks for the quick response! What do you mean by drilling? Sections? How much time per day do you recommend? Thanks again

[NoodleyOne]

There's no set amount of time, but by drilling I am talking about studying specific question types (as in Necessary Assumption, Sufficient Assumption, Weaken, Linear Games, etc.).

Also, what materials have you used? If you're PTing there without much book work, adopting a cohesive strategy could be REALLY beneficial.

[teiswei]

There's no set amount of time, but by drilling I am talking about studying specific question types (as in Necessary Assumption, Sufficient Assumption, Weaken, Linear Games, etc.).

Also, what materials have you used? If you're PTing there without much book work, adopting a cohesive strategy could be REALLY beneficial.

I took a blueprint course for the October test but decided to delay when I was only testing in the low 160s. I have most recently been using"Advanced LSAT Practice: 905 Difficult Logical Reasoning, Games, and Reading Comprehension Questions" and I do believe it has helped me.

[NoodleyOne]

There's no set amount of time, but by drilling I am talking about studying specific question types (as in Necessary Assumption, Sufficient Assumption, Weaken, Linear Games, etc.).

Also, what materials have you used? If you're PTing there without much book work, adopting a cohesive strategy could be REALLY beneficial.

I took a blueprint course for the October test but decided to delay when I was only testing in the low 160s. I have most recently been using"Advanced LSAT Practice: 905 Difficult Logical Reasoning, Games, and Reading Comprehension Questions" and I do believe it has helped me.

I'm sure it has, but I will definitely recommend the Manhattan Guides. My guide to retakers has a link to the bundle.

[teiswei]

There's no set amount of time, but by drilling I am talking about studying specific question types (as in Necessary Assumption, Sufficient Assumption, Weaken, Linear Games, etc.).

Also, what materials have you used? If you're PTing there without much book work, adopting a cohesive strategy could be REALLY beneficial.

I took a blueprint course for the October test but decided to delay when I was only testing in the low 160s. I have most recently been using"Advanced LSAT Practice: 905 Difficult Logical Reasoning, Games, and Reading Comprehension Questions" and I do believe it has helped me.

I'm sure it has, but I will definitely recommend the Manhattan Guides. My guide to retakers has a link to the bundle.

Ordered, thanks!

[teiswei]

There's no set amount of time, but by drilling I am talking about studying specific question types (as in Necessary Assumption, Sufficient Assumption, Weaken, Linear Games, etc.).

Also, what materials have you used? If you're PTing there without much book work, adopting a cohesive strategy could be REALLY beneficial.

I took a blueprint course for the October test but decided to delay when I was only testing in the low 160s. I have most recently been using"Advanced LSAT Practice: 905 Difficult Logical Reasoning, Games, and Reading Comprehension Questions" and I do believe it has helped me.

I'm sure it has, but I will definitely recommend the Manhattan Guides. My guide to retakers has a link to the bundle.

I decided to go ahead and take another PT last night because I had already mentally prepared for it prior to our discussion. I scored a 171. Definitely going to heed your advice and take a week off (I will be in Vegas anyways). Thanks for your help and positivity, it is appreciated.