Supplementing PowerScore's Test Prep Resources

[d0nk]

I have been preparing with powerscore (PS) test prep resources for about a year now. I have read each of the Bibles at least twice and worked through their LSAT deconstructed series (43-45,51,62) and their workbooks. I would say that I have been satisfied with the level of their instruction. I have been working through Prep Tests , reviewing, and drilling specific question types. I believe that my study plan has been close to optimal and that I have exhausted all the benefits I could from PS. The problem is that I feel as though I have plateaued and need fresh source of instruction that will supplement, not supplant that of PS. I am taking the December LSAT so I don’t want to do anything catastrophically drastic, but I do want to keep learning and hopefully take my LSAT game to the next level. I achieved a top 1% SAT score and attended a Top10 University, so there should not be any mental limitations on my LSAT success. Despite being fluent with PS techniques and having completed over 30 prep tests (and thoroughly reviewing each) I have continued to struggle with improving my speed and rarely complete all the questions in any given Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension section.

I am seeking advice / tips on the best resources to improve my pattern recognition, skill set, and overall knowledge base for the LSAT.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey d0nk,

Glad to hear you are satisfied with the level of instruction in the Bible trilogy. You don't mention your current scoring range, but I suspect it's somewhere in the mid-160's, and you are shooting for a top-1%. You are probably missing (or at least getting stuck on) the most difficult questions in LR and RC, which might explain your pacing issues.

Here's what I would do: make a list of all the questions you have missed (or had trouble with) from the last 10 practice tests you've taken. Then approach them as if you had to teach them to a class: break down the arguments, prephrase several answers that would conceivably answer the questions, discuss the different techniques that would be applicable to each question, look for patterns in your misses, etc. Basically, analyzing the material on that level often brings deeper understanding of the process required to solve the questions correctly. That's also something we have tried to do in the Advanced Logical Reasoning course, which you might find helpful.

Good luck!