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Hi guys,

I've been studying for the December LSAT the past month or so, and while I consistently perform well on RC and LG, I've noticed I have a tendency to fluctuate scores with the LR sections. I always review my mistakes, and an constantly looking/reading materials aimed at the section, and I often perform quite well. But there are also numerous instances where I will miss anywhere from 6-8 questions in one section of a preptest, and then miss 1 or 2 on the next (or vice versa).

I personally feel the LR sections require the clearest head and highest level of confidence of any of the sections, and sure that can vary day-to-day. But I was wondering if anyone has advice or techniques they used to banish this issue and consistently score well each time around.

Thanks for any input you all may have!

This isn't going to be the most helpful answer, but the most effective thing you can do with the amount of time that you have before the December exam is practice, practice, practice. Over time you should see your scores starting to become much more consistent. Other than that, look to see if specific question types (strengthen, weaken, must be true, etc.) are tripping you up and go over your strategy for attacking those questions.

You also hit the nail on the head with LR requiring a lot of focus. Practice clearing your mind before each section you take, during the real exam the biggest issue you'll probably have is being distracted by the time pressure/nervousness. The great thing is you still have time to focus and learn how to calm yourself down and stay in the zone for a whole section.

WiltyMIZ wrote:Hi guys,

I've been studying for the December LSAT the past month or so, and while I consistently perform well on RC and LG, I've noticed I have a tendency to fluctuate scores with the LR sections. I always review my mistakes, and an constantly looking/reading materials aimed at the section, and I often perform quite well. But there are also numerous instances where I will miss anywhere from 6-8 questions in one section of a preptest, and then miss 1 or 2 on the next (or vice versa).

I personally feel the LR sections require the clearest head and highest level of confidence of any of the sections, and sure that can vary day-to-day. But I was wondering if anyone has advice or techniques they used to banish this issue and consistently score well each time around.

Thanks for any input you all may have!

Yes, LR definitely takes a lot of concentration. Unlike the other two sections, which are divided into 4 big chunks, an LR section is made up of ~25 independent questions, and you need to look at each one as a fresh start. So it's important to not get bogged down - if you feel uncomfortable about one of your answer, you need to learn to let it go. After all, it's just one point on the test, and ultimately not that important. But if you let it nag you in the back of your head, your stress level will slowly build, making it harder to focus, and making you more likely to make careless errors.

This is more of a general test-taking philosophy - I generally recommend that students spend 10-15 minutes per day practicing mindful meditation in the form of simple breathing exercises. It's a great de-stresser, and the more you do it, the faster and more effective it becomes. If you ever get bogged down by pressure during a real or practice LSAT section, you can close your eyes for a few seconds, take a few deep breaths, and re-center yourself. I found myself doing this several times on the actual LSAT, especially during the first section, where I was feeling very anxious. The LSAT is a marathon, and managing your anxiety is an important skill to work on.

Other than that, I'd second what woopig said about practicing and trying to look out for weaknesses in specific q.types. Another strategy that I used late in my prep was to put together sections of hard LR questions. I'd take the last 10 questions of a few different sections and put them together, then work on that as if it was an independent section. The last 10 questions are the hardest, and working exclusively on these will force you to concentrate at a higher level. It's tough, but really good practice, as it makes regular sections much less intimidating.