The greatest lsat advice I can offer Forum

[whodareswins]

Hi everybody.

What I have to say may sound obvious, but this advice could really help somebody come test day:

Always remember that every question is worth the same amount of points. If you find yourself spending more than 1.5 minutes on a question, it is definitely time to move on. Moving on when you're certain you got a question wrong is not easy for people that are used to getting straight As in college. The lsat truly is a "good enough" kind of test; you can miss eighteen questions and still get a great score.

Good luck everybody!

A little background: I managed to put up a 166 on my first try. I know my score could have been higher because I spent literally 4 minutes or so on this science related logical reasoning question. I ended up getting it wrong anyway

[maybeman]

This is bad advice because not every LR question is created equal. Easy LR questions should take 30 seconds to a minute to answer (often #1-10). But once you're in the high teens, there will be tougher questions that require more time. 1.5 minutes is not necessarily too much time to spend on a very hard question. This is especially true if you are moving through the section quickly and have time to spare.

The intent of this post is good. Don't get stuck, and certainly avoid, as you did, spending 4 minutes of a question. But this should not be a hard and fast rule.

[notgreat]

Pretty sure the best lsat advice is to not take it

[rwhyAn]

Pretty sure the best lsat advice is to not take it

+1

[BernieTrump]

.

[Impressionist]

Exactly... take the GRE.

[lakers180]

the bar exam is a good enough test, the lsat however, is not

its a do as good as you can to maximize options so get as few wrong as possible test

[listenersupported]

Just as far as my own skills go

[Platopus]

I'm on board with the intent of this post, but still a little skeptical of it's actual message, especially given it's audience. The majority of people on this site are shooting for 170+ which is like 10-12 wrong, and so for a majority of people just throwing in the towel on a question is not an option, especially since there are questions designed to be time sinks, even though they aren't particularly difficult (PR for example). I think better advice is to figure out a good timing rhythm for each section and make sure you aren't wildly missing your self imposed mark due to 1 stupid question.

[Slippin' Jimmy]

I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passages are from academics, and as we all know academics never want to be wrong so often they will avoid taking too strong a position on an issue.

More bad advice. There are plenty of passages where the author takes a strong stance on something, even if that stance is subtle.

[listenersupported]

[quote="Slippin' Jimmy"][quote="listenersupported"] I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passa

[VeiledProtectorate]

Just as far as my own skills go, in my practice test I have found that I can finish with five minutes left in LR sections but am getting down to the wire on LG and RC. Figure thats natural for LG, but just wish somehow I could quicken RC. I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passages are from academics, and as we all know academics never want to be wrong so often they will avoid taking too strong a position on an issue.

Yo, this advice stinks and no one should listen to it.

[listenersupported]

LSAT Reading Comp passages are, for the most part, pulled from actual publications (then edited down). So they’re written by academics who don’t like to be wrong. They rarely take strong viewpoints, and they rarely go out on a limb.
How does this help you? It’s almost always better to pick the blander answer choice. Something weak. Something that’s hedged a little bit with uncertainty. Something that lacks an absolute conviction.
So “might” over “does”. “Thinks” over “is certain”. “Possibly” over “definitely”. If you’re between two answers, pick the one with weaker language. If an answer choice uses strong words (“whole-heartedly”, “scathing”) skip it.

[listenersupported]

[quote="VeiledProtectorate"][quote="listenersupported"]Just as far as mycurves if more people listen to her.

[VeiledProtectorate]

I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passages are from academics, and as we all know academics never want to be wrong so often they will avoid taking too strong a position on an issue.

More bad advice. There are plenty of passages where the author takes a strong stance on something, even if that stance is subtle.

LSAT Reading Comp passages are, for the most part, pulled from actual publications (then edited down). So they’re written by academics who don’t like to be wrong. They rarely take strong viewpoints, and they rarely go out on a limb.
How does this help you? It’s almost always better to pick the blander answer choice. Something weak. Something that’s hedged a little bit with uncertainty. Something that lacks an absolute conviction.
So “might” over “does”. “Thinks” over “is certain”. “Possibly” over “definitely”. If you’re between two answers, pick the one with weaker language. If an answer choice uses strong words (“whole-heartedly”, “scathing”) skip it.

You don't know what you're talking about.

[Slippin' Jimmy]

I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passages are from academics, and as we all know academics never want to be wrong so often they will avoid taking too strong a position on an issue.

More bad advice. There are plenty of passages where the author takes a strong stance on something, even if that stance is subtle.

Well Jimmy, I will say from the 20 plus LSAT practice tests I have taken my view is that correct answers on RC veer more towards ambiguity than certainty... I understand that you feel differently. But if you look at the actual questions and correct answers, I am right. Calling that "bad advice" is laughable coming from Saul Goodman.

I've done way more than 20 RC sections buddy. and making such a strong unrelated assumption based off the fact that most of the passages are academic tells me you'll do poorly on this test and in law school. Take your shit advice somewhere else.

Also fuck your Avi.

[elliedawn]

I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passages are from academics, and as we all know academics never want to be wrong so often they will avoid taking too strong a position on an issue.

More bad advice. There are plenty of passages where the author takes a strong stance on something, even if that stance is subtle.

Well Jimmy, I will say from the 20 plus LSAT practice tests I have taken my view is that correct answers on RC veer more towards ambiguity than certainty... I understand that you feel differently. But if you look at the actual questions and correct answers, I am right. Calling that "bad advice" is laughable coming from Saul Goodman.

I've done way more than 20 RC sections buddy. and making such a strong unrelated assumption based off the fact that most of the passages are academic tells me you'll do poorly on this test and in law school. Take your shit advice somewhere else.

Also fuck your Avi.

I wholeheartedly agree

[dm1683]

I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passages are from academics, and as we all know academics never want to be wrong so often they will avoid taking too strong a position on an issue.

More bad advice. There are plenty of passages where the author takes a strong stance on something, even if that stance is subtle.

LSAT Reading Comp passages are, for the most part, pulled from actual publications (then edited down). So they’re written by academics who don’t like to be wrong. They rarely take strong viewpoints, and they rarely go out on a limb.
How does this help you? It’s almost always better to pick the blander answer choice. Something weak. Something that’s hedged a little bit with uncertainty. Something that lacks an absolute conviction.
So “might” over “does”. “Thinks” over “is certain”. “Possibly” over “definitely”. If you’re between two answers, pick the one with weaker language. If an answer choice uses strong words (“whole-heartedly”, “scathing”) skip it.

Agree with everyone else, this is a really broad generalization which doesn't hold water.

Also, change the damn avatar. Your ancestors of whom you are so proud are traitors to our country and should have been hung in the capitol mall like the vermin they were.

[Slippin' Jimmy]

I read that a general rule of thumb to help in RC is to always lean towards answers that give off ambiguity rather than certainty, because most of the passages are from academics, and as we all know academics never want to be wrong so often they will avoid taking too strong a position on an issue.

More bad advice. There are plenty of passages where the author takes a strong stance on something, even if that stance is subtle.

LSAT Reading Comp passages are, for the most part, pulled from actual publications (then edited down). So they’re written by academics who don’t like to be wrong. They rarely take strong viewpoints, and they rarely go out on a limb.
How does this help you? It’s almost always better to pick the blander answer choice. Something weak. Something that’s hedged a little bit with uncertainty. Something that lacks an absolute conviction.
So “might” over “does”. “Thinks” over “is certain”. “Possibly” over “definitely”. If you’re between two answers, pick the one with weaker language. If an answer choice uses strong words (“whole-heartedly”, “scathing”) skip it.

Agree with everyone else, this is a really broad generalization which doesn't hold water.

Also, change the damn avatar. Your ancestors of whom you are so proud are traitors to our country and should have been hung in the capitol mall like the vermin they were.

If he wants to fly the flag of the conquered let him.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Also fuck your Avi.

Yeah, you know what, we're not going to do confederate flag avatars here.

(Also agree that the RC advice is wrong wrong wrong.)

[Mint-Berry_Crunch]

Retake

[Nebby]

Also fuck your Avi.

Yeah, you know what, we're not going to do confederate flag avatars here.

(Also agree that the RC advice is wrong wrong wrong.)

My favorite part was the canned pan of academics

[TLSModBot]

Behold our next generation of lawyers

[A. Nony Mouse]

Also fuck your Avi.

Yeah, you know what, we're not going to do confederate flag avatars here.

(Also agree that the RC advice is wrong wrong wrong.)

My favorite part was the canned pan of academics

Well you know I loved that too.

[Caesar Salad]

Yeah, you know what, we're not going to do confederate flag avatars here.

Fuck yes, mouse in the house