JUNE 2013 Study Group / Study Partner Thread Forum

[okaygo]

I always (always) get stuck on 19. 19 is el diablo.

You're lucky. I usually get stuck on #14 or #15. Maybe that's psychological thanks to my method, lol.

Hahah honestly it probably is psychological. I still might try the work backwards method tonight.

[okaygo]

I always (always) get stuck on 19. 19 is el diablo.

+1, I did a tally of the number of questions I missed for each Q#, and #19 was the worst (with #16 and #18 not far behind).

Yes exactly. 16 - 19. I always just hold my breath and take my time. The last 5 - 6 I normally cruise.

[ManoftheHour]

I don't reverse once I've already reversed. If I get stuck on 11, I got straight to 26 and work backwards back to 11. But I don't think I've ever been stuck on 11. It's usually #14, 15,or 16. It's probably psychological. I'm sure that there is a hard problem from 19-26, but even if it's hard, I tend to finish it and move on. I never skip on the way back (unless it's clear that the problem is monstrously difficult. Then I'd cut my losses and move on).

That makes sense. The hardest questions seem to be #13/14-19/20 and they drop off a bit at the end.

Just finished a LR section. I usually circle the problems in which I am iffy about the answers that I chose for them. On this particular section, I circled 5 problems. 3 of them are all on one page, and behold: #14, #16, and #17. That page sucked major ass.

[NoWorries]

So I think I've determined that my bipolar performances of recent are partially due to me being a good deal worse at LR in the newer tests than the older ones. Does anyone have any advice or thinks I could look at which differentiate the newer LR sections?

[CardozoLaw09]

Did a few games sections today and went -5 on one of them (PT35) Lowest since I can remember. Trying not to panic.

[TripleX]

So I think I've determined that my bipolar performances of recent are partially due to me being a good deal worse at LR in the newer tests than the older ones. Does anyone have any advice or thinks I could look at which differentiate the newer LR sections?

hahaha I was doing the LR sections of tests 1-5 and absolutely killing them with ZERO prep. Getting -3, -2 thinking it was going to be a breeze. I did 65 yesterday and missed 17!! Definitely much much harder.

[nyjets2090]

So I think I've determined that my bipolar performances of recent are partially due to me being a good deal worse at LR in the newer tests than the older ones. Does anyone have any advice or thinks I could look at which differentiate the newer LR sections?

hahaha I was doing the LR sections of tests 1-5 and absolutely killing them with ZERO prep. Getting -3, -2 thinking it was going to be a breeze. I did 65 yesterday and missed 17!! Definitely much much harder.

It would make sense that the questions are a bit harder now. People figure out the exam so they have to either make new Q types or ramp up the difficulty. Also now that there's more test takers they need to make it harder. Although there are ALOT of people that put barely any time in at all.

I would say that LR is a bit harder, LGs have gotten easier in the past 3 years or so, and RC has changed.

[TheMostDangerousLG]

Found a PT I hadn't taken (other than 67, which I'm saving to take in the next couple of days). Almost didn't grade it; I was SO out of it during the test (TIRED), and I didn't want to kill my confidence this close to test day.

So WTF:

PT 44: 180
RC: -1
LR1: -0
LG: -0
LR2: -1
Total: -2 (RS: 98)

I think that's my first non-retake 180. I would be more excited if it wasn't such an old test and I wasn't so god damn tired right now.

The part I'm probably most excited about is that I started this test with an RC experimental first section, which meant two RC in a row at the very beginning, and (lo and behold:) I survived. Think I'm going to start every PT with RC from here on out. I don't want there to even be a "worst case scenario" test order come next Monday; I want to get to the point where I won't bat an eyelash if the first three sections of my test are RC. ;\

So.. how is everyone dealing with tiredness? I'm struggling between wanting to get in as many prep hours as possible before Monday, and .. you know, the physiological need for sleep.

[Daily_Double]

Thought I'd update this with some numbers. And to suggest something that hopefully you're doing already, so today I took 62 and 68 back-back, kind of; I went no breaks through the first five sections, only used the proctor app for three of the first five, and then took a 15 minute break and took the last three timed sections with the proctor app, all of this at my test center.

PT: 62, (-2), 180
An error in LG, and #25 in LR1

PT 68, (-4), 178
Two errors in RC, #15 in LR1, and #17 in LR2

On a positive note, I made sure not to misbubble anything this test, I had two misbubbles on 67 yesterday. That's my suggestion, it sounds dumb, but I almost always, LG from 68 was an exception today, finish before the five minute mark and take a look at questions I'm unsure about, what I did today is check my bubbles, then do that. On a less positive note, since I've taken these PTs before, all three LR errors I made today are ones, if not the only ones, I missed or was unsure about last time I took these.

[Daily_Double]

Also if someone wants to tell me why PT 68, S1, Q25, is not A that would be sweet. As a forewarning, it's in RC. (ETA: I think I got it, don't worry about this.)

Great work MDLG.

[CardozoLaw09]

Not sleeping tonight until I hit -0 on 3 LG sections to make up for that -5 today. I'll report back once I do - you can bet on it

[wtrc]

Wow, everyone seems to really be peaking now, congrats on those PT scores!

I misbubbled in 2 sections a few days ago, DD. It was the best thing that could happen to me-- because of it I've been super careful now and will be on test day as well. Misbubbles during prep= no misbubble on test day

[wtrc]

Not sleeping tonight until I hit -0 on 3 LG sections to make up for that -5 today. I'll report back once I do - you can bet on it

Start with a really easy section... It'll give you confidence to plow through!

[CardozoLaw09]

Not sleeping tonight until I hit -0 on 3 LG sections to make up for that -5 today. I'll report back once I do - you can bet on it

Start with a really easy section... It'll give you confidence to plow through!

I have 32 38 and 65 printed right now ready to be demolished (hopefully I can go -0 on these three so I don't have to be up toooooo late); didn't really look at the games to see their level of difficulty. Frankly, it shouldn't matter.

[the_pakalypse]

What's everyone's strategy when it comes to LG diagramming? Do you read the paragraph, the rules, and then diagram? Or do you diagram while reading rules? Do you diagram right after paragraph?

[TheMostDangerousLG]

What's everyone's strategy when it comes to LG diagramming? Do you read the paragraph, the rules, and then diagram? Or do you diagram while reading rules? Do you diagram right after paragraph?

I diagram while reading.

[wtrc]

Not sleeping tonight until I hit -0 on 3 LG sections to make up for that -5 today. I'll report back once I do - you can bet on it

Start with a really easy section... It'll give you confidence to plow through!

I have 32 38 and 65 printed right now ready to be demolished (hopefully I can go -0 on these three so I don't have to be up toooooo late); didn't really look at the games to see their level of difficulty. Frankly, it shouldn't matter.

65 is a bit tricky. I'm sure you'll see this after you destroy it though

[dubster101]

What's everyone's strategy when it comes to LG diagramming? Do you read the paragraph, the rules, and then diagram? Or do you diagram while reading rules? Do you diagram right after paragraph?

I diagram while reading.

Same. I diagram while reading the paragraph and add to my diagram after each rule.

[mvonh001]

Not sleeping tonight until I hit -0 on 3 LG sections to make up for that -5 today. I'll report back once I do - you can bet on it

Start with a really easy section... It'll give you confidence to plow through!

I have 32 38 and 65 printed right now ready to be demolished (hopefully I can go -0 on these three so I don't have to be up toooooo late); didn't really look at the games to see their level of difficulty. Frankly, it shouldn't matter.

65 is a bit tricky. I'm sure you'll see this after you destroy it though

It was a bit tricky. I went -3 on the last game. Idk if it was because I was running out of time because of game 3, though.

[Daily_Double]

What's everyone's strategy when it comes to LG diagramming? Do you read the paragraph, the rules, and then diagram? Or do you diagram while reading rules? Do you diagram right after paragraph?

Depends on the game, usually I write the rules that I can't diagram, but I set up the diagram first. I also note with an asterisk the rule which I think is the most important. All rules are not created equal.

[sublime]

..

[Daily_Double]

What's everyone's strategy when it comes to LG diagramming? Do you read the paragraph, the rules, and then diagram? Or do you diagram while reading rules? Do you diagram right after paragraph?

I diagram while reading.

Same. I diagram while reading the paragraph and add to my diagram after each rule.

That is my natural tendency but I am unsure whether I should try to change it, as most books suggest reading everything once, then diagramming, it seems.

Also, to piggyback, does anybody know of a good trick to quickly identify the "free agent" elements? Unless I put a mark next to them as I go, which is not ideal, it takes me longer than I should. Additionally, is that a sign that I have not "internalized" the game enough?

For me those are just the ones which aren't directly connected, either through a not block, a block, or in an ordering/conditional chain, for example, if the only thing I know about G is that it may or may not be next to F, think either F or H precedes M, then F is a floater. Or if all I know about X is that it can't be in one spot, depending upon the number of spots, it's a free floater. And if there's more than six elements, I'll do a quick hypo around the major rule.

[TheMostDangerousLG]

What's everyone's strategy when it comes to LG diagramming? Do you read the paragraph, the rules, and then diagram? Or do you diagram while reading rules? Do you diagram right after paragraph?

I diagram while reading.

Same. I diagram while reading the paragraph and add to my diagram after each rule.

That is my natural tendency but I am unsure whether I should try to change it, as most books suggest reading everything once, then diagramming, it seems.

Also, to piggyback, does anybody know of a good trick to quickly identify the "free agent" elements? Unless I put a mark next to them as I go, which is not ideal, it takes me longer than I should. Additionally, is that a sign that I have not "internalized" the game enough?

*shrug* I tick them off as I go, then circle the remainders. I have yet to hear of a more efficient system.

[sublime]

..

[Ambitious1]

PT66:
RC (-8)
LR1: -0
LG: -0
LR2: -1

171

It's becoming laughable how consistent this pattern is. -5 is all I want in RC, is that too much to ask? There were some MAD curveballs in LR that had me stuck and threw off my timing, particularly on the second section. I think I need to do some work with sufficient assumption questions this next day or two, particularly the sticky ones that have a lot of convoluted language and philosophical mumbo jumbo.

LG: Rule substitution questions continue to be an issue, fortunately I got this one correct. The easiest game in the section took me almost 11 minutes. I can't underestimate basic linear games. Sometimes they just suck.