Best way to drill LR? Forum

[bob311]

Hello everyone,

So I am a December retaker and I have been practice scoring from 167-172 but I feel I can do better. My problem is not in games or reading, rather in reasoning. Some sections I get 1-2 wrong, others I can get up to 7 wrong. I have been taking timed single sections, timed double sections and full-pts of 5 sections.

A lot of my fluctuation seems random. The one question type I consistently struggle with I have been drilling through the LR bible and going through every section.

The question here is what are some effective ways to drill or suggestions to help try to eliminate the fluctations in the score at the moment in reasoning. Rarely have I gone over a section and not understand more than 1 question as being down between two choices, with usually selecting the wrong answer. Any help would be great, would really like to be able to score in the mid-170s in a week and a half.

[mornincounselor]

Post removed.

[Jon McCarty]

Agree completely with referring back to the conclusion (if an argument) to help reduce some simple mistakes. Many of the most attractive incorrect answer choices modify (strengthen, weaken, etc.) a conclusion that is slightly different than the one stated so being absolutely crystal clear on the conclusion can help you stay away from those choices.

Also once you get it down to 2 answer choices, I find it easier to eliminate the incorrect one. By trying to find the correct answer choice I've found myself forcing the square peg into the round hole because I want it to fit, whereas if I focus on eliminating I can usually avoid these issues. Plus the whole answer choice has to be good for it to be correct whereas if one word is incorrect then you can eliminate that choice, making elimination an inherently easier task.

Hope this helps

[bob311]

Thank you both for the tips so far. I appreciate the time. I do generally underline the conclusion, but I should try to be more diligent with other important factors in the question: Agree, disagree etc. Also I do think it getting rid of the wrong answer might be the way to go. I will try it on my next practice test. If anyone else out there has more suggestions or hints or ways to drill, keep them coming!

[GreenTee]

Thank you both for the tips so far. I appreciate the time. I do generally underline the conclusion, but I should try to be more diligent with other important factors in the question: Agree, disagree etc. Also I do think it getting rid of the wrong answer might be the way to go. I will try it on my next practice test. If anyone else out there has more suggestions or hints or ways to drill, keep them coming!

I just want to stress the point that the strength of your elimination process is the most significant factor that determines how well you do on an LR section. If you're looking for the right answer, you're doing it wrong.

When you're reading answer choices, focus all of your attention on finding faults with them. Rip them to shreds. If you don't find anything wrong with an answer choice, leave it alone and come back to it. When you're left with one, choose it and don't look back. If you're left with more than one, go back to the stimulus and look harder. You missed something.

That goes for your reviewing and drilling strategy as well. Always spend the majority of your time explaining in detail what's wrong with the incorrect answer choices. Once you develop an elimination process that is efficient, ruthless, and reliable, you'll master the section.

[monadologist]

Thank you both for the tips so far. I appreciate the time. I do generally underline the conclusion, but I should try to be more diligent with other important factors in the question: Agree, disagree etc. Also I do think it getting rid of the wrong answer might be the way to go. I will try it on my next practice test. If anyone else out there has more suggestions or hints or ways to drill, keep them coming!

I just want to stress the point that the strength of your elimination process is the most significant factor that determines how well you do on an LR section. If you're looking for the right answer, you're doing it wrong.

When you're reading answer choices, focus all of your attention on finding faults with them. Rip them to shreds. If you don't find anything wrong with an answer choice, leave it alone and come back to it. When you're left with one, choose it and don't look back. If you're left with more than one, go back to the stimulus and look harder. You missed something.

That goes for your reviewing and drilling strategy as well. Always spend the majority of your time explaining in detail what's wrong with the incorrect answer choices. Once you develop an elimination process that is efficient, ruthless, and reliable, you'll master the section.

Excellent advice, IMO this is the single most important fundamental skill of LR