Postponing, Reading the Q Stem, and LR

[Dave Killoran]

This reply is in response to the following:

HI dave i was wondering for some personal help. So far ive read your LR and LG bibles. I get consistently at least 90% correct on a LG section after the books help. UNfotunately i get only 14 right consistently on a LR section(i have read through the chapters on question types that give me trouble multiple times yet i dont seem to be making big improvements). All in all i average a score in the 155 range yet im not satisfied with that and want to get over a 165. I am signed up for the sabath observer test in only 16 days. At this point i kind of look at it as a way to practice till i take the december test which i hopefully will do way better on. My questions are 1)does it make sense to bother taking it in 2 weeks if i anyways dont think i'll do incredibly 2) how can i make the best improvement possible with LR and 3) i read all the reasons why you say not to look at the question stem before the stimulus but at the end of the day when i take but a super quick glance and see the key words in the question that indicate whats being asked that kind of helps me to zone in and focus on the part of the stimulus that will need weakening/strengthening etc... is it such a big deal to glance at the q first? Thanx waiting to hear back soon!

Hi,

Thanks for the message! Two of these questions are fairly easy, and the other one is tougher. So, let me start with the easier ones

1. I'm not a big fan of using real LSATs as practice runs, for two reasons: the first is that if you don't do well, the committee still sees that score even if they don't weight it (so why have it there if it's not a real try), and second, you can only take the LSAT three times in two years, including cancellations, so by taking a practice run you waste one of those three times. So, if possible, I'd say not to take it if you don't think you'll do well and that you are going to take it again anyway.

3. One of my true beliefs is that you have to do what works best for you. So, although the majority of people are better off reading the stimulus first, if you think you are better off reading the question stem first, by all means do that! It's not a problem at all and it can work just fine

Ok, on to the harder one:

2. This is a tough question because it's so broad. Can you tell me more about your performance possibly? Do you finish all the questions, or do you guess on some? Is there any pattern to the question types you miss? (Do you score your tests over in our free scoring system at http://students.powerscore.com/self-study/index.cfm ?) The breakdown of per test performance is incredibly helpful since it shows question type, reasoning type, and difficulty performance). How many tests have you taken and how consistent are your scores? Any you can provide would be helpful.

Hopefully, the above is helpful. Thanks!

[SCarolina]

Wow, I am having the same dilemma. Thank so much for positing these questions. I plan on taking the LSAT on October 3, but I feel so uncomfortable with taking the test because I don't feel prepared. With all the practice sections I complete, I am only averaging about 1 maybe 2 more questions correctly than what I get wrong; this is bad.

I've only taken timed sections of the LSAT, never a whole LSAT all the way through. I was going to take the LSAT on October 3, with the intentions of signing up for the December test. I was told that Within 3 days of taking the LSAT, I can choose not to have my score submitted to the schools and I was thinking about that option. What do you think Dave?

I have all three bible books ( I find myself skipping around so I can get a little knowledge in each area) and I am currently enrolled in the Online Live Weekend course. Sometimes I get the questions right, but if I look at that questions again, a few days later, I may get the answer wrong. Why is that? I don't understand how to effectively break down the logical reasoning passages? Am I able to diagram all of them with the "sufficient/necessary" diagram or "Conclusion/Premises?"

Please help! I feel so lost.

[Clay Cooper]

Hi SCarolina,

These are great questions. I will try to deal with them in order.

First, as to whether you should take the October test, I agree with Dave that using an actual LSAT as a practice run is not generally advisable. If you have not yet prepared to the point that you feel at least fairly confident that your score will actually reflect your ability, I would recommend not taking the October test. You are correct that a score can be cancelled - but what would be the advantage of taking the October test only in order to cancel your score on it? If your primary purpose in doing so would be to have realistic LSAT-taking experience, you can achieve that with published prep tests. That leaves in the pro column only the possibility that you might do unexpectedly well on the October test (and, to boot, be certain enough that you did well to be confident in not canceling your score) - and, in my experience, that is rare.

As for your next question, I think that if your understanding of a LR question can commonly change after a few days, that would seem to suggest that your knowledge of specific question types and stimulus mechanics may be a good place to work. In other words, if you have gone through the books thoroughly, most stimuli will probably look much the same upon multiple readings, even if they remain quite difficult; the various pieces and parts don't change between readings, so if they appear to change, we may need work at recognizing them.

Finally, not every stimulus can be broken down into terms of conditional reasoning with necessary and sufficient conditions, but every stimulus can be evaluated in terms of premises and conclusions (though, to be clear, not all stimuli contain conclusions; some, for instance must be true stimuli, have no conclusion and are best thought of as sets of premises). Indeed, familiarity with premises and conclusions and the ability to analyze and distinguish between them is one of the most important LR skills.

Hang in there - it may seem overwhelming right now, but hard work will inevitably show in LSAT prep.