Scores Regressing

[bsis304]

I'm in need of some dire help. My RC and LR scores are going downward and I can't seem to get them back. A little background first:

I've been studying since April. I bought the 3 PowerScore bibles and have since read them all and most sections in the books twice. My diagnostic test score was a 150 (before reading anything). My logic games score was the worst and LR/RC were the best. After I started studying I was steadily increasing my scores in LR and RC. I was consistently getting 19-22 correct in LR and 20-24 in RC at my best. My highest timed score so far was 161 (I've also had two 160's) about a month ago and untimed the best I've done is 166. However, the last month I've been making a push to get my score up to my goal of 167. My first main objective was to improve my logic games score because I was consistently scoring 11-13 correct. Since this push I've improved this section a lot (I'm always getting 16-19 correct). Naturally, I also was working to improve LR/RC and to do this I got the LR flashcards and have been working on going through all the primary objectives and questions types as I go and also working with identifying question types etc in RC. This was not my first encounter with all of this since I read the bible and have been working with it since April (on a consistent weekly basis). I understand that scores regress a little when you try new concepts etc, but they weren't exactly new and since that 161 I've gone down in this order, 156, 157, 154, 153, and all this while my Logic Games score has been increasing. I'm signed up for the Sept LSAT and I just don't know what to do. I'm really nervous I'm not even going to get to a 165 with a little over a month left. Any help would be INCREDIBLY appreciated. Thank you.

[David Boyle]

I'm in need of some dire help. My RC and LR scores are going downward and I can't seem to get them back. A little background first:

I've been studying since April. I bought the 3 PowerScore bibles and have since read them all and most sections in the books twice. My diagnostic test score was a 150 (before reading anything). My logic games score was the worst and LR/RC were the best. After I started studying I was steadily increasing my scores in LR and RC. I was consistently getting 19-22 correct in LR and 20-24 in RC at my best. My highest timed score so far was 161 (I've also had two 160's) about a month ago and untimed the best I've done is 166. However, the last month I've been making a push to get my score up to my goal of 167. My first main objective was to improve my logic games score because I was consistently scoring 11-13 correct. Since this push I've improved this section a lot (I'm always getting 16-19 correct). Naturally, I also was working to improve LR/RC and to do this I got the LR flashcards and have been working on going through all the primary objectives and questions types as I go and also working with identifying question types etc in RC. This was not my first encounter with all of this since I read the bible and have been working with it since April (on a consistent weekly basis). I understand that scores regress a little when you try new concepts etc, but they weren't exactly new and since that 161 I've gone down in this order, 156, 157, 154, 153, and all this while my Logic Games score has been increasing. I'm signed up for the Sept LSAT and I just don't know what to do. I'm really nervous I'm not even going to get to a 165 with a little over a month left. Any help would be INCREDIBLY appreciated. Thank you.

Dear bsis304:

I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties. I can't say exactly what is happening, but is it possible that you are actually studying too hard, or overworking yourself? This happens sometimes. Or sometimes, "extraneous factors", such as sleep issues, nutrition issues, or other "life issues" outside of LSAT study itself can creep in. Things like "burnout" really do occur.
So, do keep working with any new, or old, concepts until you are comfortable with them (however long that is), but maybe try and see if you are maintaining "balance" in other aspects of life as well, which can always be helpful.

Hope this helps,
David

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi bsis304,

Let me add my 2c to David's post. I realize it's difficult to diagnose issues that might affect your score "remotely," as it were, but I'll do my best:

First, the fact that your LR score initially improved is a good sign! However, judging from some of the remarks you made in your post, I think your recent attempts have been somewhat counterproductive. At this point in time, you should be able to reach your primary objectives intuitively, as if by habit - you should not be thinking about what they are. Put the flashcards aside: I trust that you know what they say already. Same thing with question types in RC - you need not identify the question type precisely. Instead, focus on your VIEWSTAMP. Our RC question taxonomy is arguably complicated, and most students find it unnecessary to categorize every RC question type. Heck, even I get confused by it sometimes. As long as you know what the question is asking you to do, there is little value in attempting to categorize it while you're being timed.

David's right: you're overthinking this. I bet your scores are decreasing not because your accuracy is going down, but because you are either 1) rushing at the end; or 2) guessing on a large number of questions. This may be the result of overthinking easier questions, but it could also stem from lack of confidence. Trust your gut instinct more!

Here's what I would suggest: While conceptual understanding is key, make sure you don't adhere to our methodology blindly. With enough practice, your approach to each question and game should start resembling an instinctual response to a stimulus, rather than a belabored step-by-step process. Test mentality is absolutely crucial, and I think you're letting the test get you down. Take a look at a few Blog posts we've written on the issues you're experiencing:

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid/309 ... st-Go-Down

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/get-a-g ... -lsat-prep

Also, check out our seminar on Test Mentality here:

http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/help/

I should also mention two additional resources that, while not free, are designed precisely for students hoping to reach a top-1% score:

http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/advanced-logic-games/

http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/advanced ... reasoning/

Hope this gives you a good starting point! Let us know how it goes.

[RickMiranda]

Bsis 304

I see you were getting ready to take the PowerScore class in September. Did you take the LSAT in December?

Regarding your regression with scores, I was wondering which series of tests you were taking. Did you take any different set of tests between the time you were scoring in the 160s and the time you started decreasing in the 150's? What I mean is, between the two sets, did you take older practice tests in one set and newer Prep Tests in the other set...

Not sure if this matters but I've heard some reviews on the older PTs that these are quite different when compared to the newer PTs. With me, for example, my LGs started going up when I was taking the newer set of PTs (June 2007, PT 52 and PT53). But I didn't want to burn all the newer material so I bought PTs29-38, I took the PT29 today and totally regressed on the RC and LG. Total of about 8 points less overall. So I was wondering if it had anything to do with taking newer tests with one sample set and older tests with another sample set...

I'm very discouraged.

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi Rick,

There may be certain differences in the question composition and language between, say, a 1994 Logic Game section and one from 2014. Personally, I feel like older games rely a lot more on the "shock factor" of introducing novel game types (profile charting, pattern, circular, etc.); newer games sections usually - thought not always - contain predictable games, but bump up the difficulty by wording the rules in an unusual way. Modern-day games also contain new question types (see, e.g. "rule substitution questions"), which increase the average difficulty of the section by default.

That said, the LSAT is ultimately a standardized exam. Test-makers take great strides to ensure that any two scores can be compared properly and without bias. To that end, all scores are equated, as you know. The regression you experienced when taking older tests may be due to the more unusual nature of some of those games, but you need a bigger sample to establish a reliable correlation. It's never a waste to take older tests, even if they have slightly lower predictive validity when it comes to your performance on a 2015 test.

Good luck!

[RickMiranda]

Thank you Nikki.