February test

[kristinaroz93]

Hey guys,

You have all been so wonderful to me thus far, as I do post quite a lot on this forum and I am beyond thankful for all your help and patience with me. I would love some advice from you guys on my current situation. I have gone over the bibles over the past 4 months and did each bible 3 times for both games and lr. I am actually not kidding (towards the last two times, each one only took 10 days and then 5 days as I was flying through the material and consistently finding things I missed or forgot from the time before). I know every rule, detail, and can even remember some questions from various sections of the top of my head. Essentially I know very well how to diagram out any game to exactly how you guys would explain it and all lr problems that exist and how to attack them for the most part (of course, however, there are still times the lr problem categorization process throws me off a bit esp under timed test conditions). Also, due to the fact that there is no exact science to solving lr problems as there is to games, since they involve not just your knowledge of how to attack certain problems, but your own ability to use logic and reason + absorb lots of information quickly, I find they are very challenging to succeed in. I have taken my second timed test yesterday (I know this is weird given my story, but I usually learn everything about a test before I try it).

I am thinking to do a test a day this month and maybe 1 or 2 days break allowing me 18 tests in total most likely. I do not need to do anymore learning of the material, just spending full days on tests and going over them (since I will not be doing the reading bible, but will just look over tips from the lesson book from the powerscore class on how to do that section). Yesterday I scored a 159 (mostly because of timing as I didn't get to an entire logic game in the section due to not practicing before under timed conditions even though I can solve these problems perfectly without the timing aspect). I also didn't finish 1 or 2 other questions within some of the other games either, but everything else I finished. I had 3 LR wrong in the first section (I was excited about this) and 6 in the other (this I wasn't excited about) and 6 wrong in reading comp (which I will not really get my hopes up for improving). What are my chances to succeed on the Feb exam given my knowledge of the test so far from doing each of those 2 bibles 3x each and ability to possibly do 18 exams from now until before the test (and fully going over each test) which will ofcourse improve my timing and confidence and give me even more exposure to the problems, and I will ofcourse make sure to do as many recent exams as possible. I will also dedicate the final week before the test going over the toughest LR problems, logic games problems, and reading comp problems out there. Do you think this will allow me to score at least in the high 160s by test time (i.e. 167-168, which is 8-9 points from where I am now? (If possible, feel free to go over a few of my other posts to see how I think about and process questions).

So my goal is to essentialy master lr and games over the short period I have before the test with increased practice from actual tests given my in depth knowledge of the material already. And reading comp I just don't know how to improve it, so I guess I am working around it basically and accepting 1-3 wrong per section.

Also, burnout is not really an issue since I am not working or going to school this month so this is my only focus. I do not think it is unreasonable to do a test a day when I wake up and then dedicate the rest of that day going over material so lets put burnout aspect of it all aside for now.

I look forward to your thoughts and advice . And of course be as brutally honest as possible, I can take it=)

[Adam Tyson]

First, congratulations on all the good work you have been doing so far! You're putting in a lot of time and effort, and that dedication is paying off and will continue to do so.

That said, without pulling any punches, I think your study plan for the rest of this month is terrible. I hope some of my colleagues will chime in with their take on it.

Taking test after test, day after day, is a plan that will lead to one thing (other than burnout, which you said to ignore, so I will, even though I think it will still be a problem for you) - it will lead to repetition and reinforcement of the same problems and bad habits that have you scoring where you are right now. Doing that many tests, without taking time between to analyze and study to find new ways to approach the problems, will not lead to much of an improvement in either accuracy or time.

Speaking of time, you mentioned that you can do all the games when working untimed, which is great, but of what use is that really when this is a timed test? The issue isn't whether you can do them untimed, but whether you can find better, more efficient ways to do them so that your accuracy stays high while your timing gets better. That's where analysis comes into play - after taking a test you need to spend time carefully reviewing each game, each diagram, each inference, each question, all while asking yourself how you might have done things differently to be more efficient, more powerful, more complete. Did you rush and miss an important inference? Was there a better way to show that rule, and how will you be sure that you will do it that way the next time? I think you would be better off with a plan that looked more like this:

Day 1 - Timed practice test, including an experimental section or two (yes, two - a 6 section practice test is a great way to build up stamina); score the test afterwards, then rest and do something unrelated to the LSAT
Day 2 - question by question analysis of the test, not only looking at the ones you got wrong but also carefully studying the ones you got right. Was there an easier way, a better prephrase, something that would have made for less of a struggle and saved a little time? Look for patterns - what types of questions are tripping you up, what types of games, are the same sorts of mistakes cropping up.
Day 3 - Focused, untimed practice designed to improve in one or two very specific areas identified as weaknesses in your analysis. Emphasis here on untimed, especially regarding LR - it's not about speed, but about finding new approaches that will lead to better prephrases, more confident sorting of answer choices, and more accurate answer selection. Speed will come later. Maybe some timed test sections, maybe not.
Day 4 - start the cycle over again

This means not 18 tests, but only 6, and that's plenty. That's a ton, actually. In my experience, students who take test after test after test without careful post-test analysis and pre-test narrowly focused study don't get much improvement, and many of them see their scores degrade.

Can you get 9 more points in the time you have? Yes. Can you do it the way you were planning to go about it? I doubt it, but maybe. Will my approach get better results, and get you closer to that goal (if not all the way)? I think so - it's been working for my students for years. No guarantees, it's all up to you. Build better habits, now, rather than reinforcing the old ones, and you should see results.

Good luck!

[kristinaroz93]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for responding!

The problem is I have already spent 4 months doing things in untimed conditions and just learning basics and building a foundation. The whole things is that I lack timing ability which is why I wanted to do so many tests so as to build stamina. I do thoroughly go over each test, in fact on this very forum i did prep test 29 and probably posted about 5 or so questions give or tkle on just that test a lone. I currently use LSAT hacks and this forum to do each and every question and go through all the answer choices even if I got that question right. I plan to spend the morning doing a test and the rest of the day scrutinizing each answer and seeing why one answer is right and another is wrong. Maybe I will be forced to spend two days going over each test because it does take me quite some time, but then that gives 10 tests total before test day.

So lets say I did ten tests (just a bit mote than your plan), should I do games from other tests on the side when I finish going over exams to build up speed and accuracy for them? As well as reading comp on the side? As in doing bits and pieces on the side to better time myself and not actual full exams.

What is some of the best ways to do lr problems given I did the lr bible 3x already and still got 6 wrong in one section and I do throrouhgly go through each question and answer choice after doing a test. And I am capable of doing well since I had 3 wrong in one section, so I am just not sure what is going wrong=/

Also, how can I increase my reading comp score? What blog is there out there produced by powerscore that goes over this. And I do have the reading bible but I don't think there is enough time to dedicate myself to it as I had to the other bibles, so I think just some tips for aproaching that section would be best.

My two options are:
1) a test a day and then one day close careful analysis of each question and aswer choice + doign hardest lr, reading comp, and games week before test
2) 10 tests before the exam and 2 days going over each test + doinghardest lr, reading comp, and games week before test

But in both options I will go over everything. The only concern is that maybe one day is not enough time to go through every little thing phsycially on the test esp when I do get stuck soemtimes.

[Adam Tyson]

Speed doesn't come from repetition - doing more games doesn't make you do them faster (in my opinion). Sure, there might be some small improvements as you get more familiar with them and more comfortable, but it sounds like familiarity and comfort are not your major concerns. Instead, you need to really put some thought into what is holding you back - what strategies are you not employing to their fullest, what types of rules are confusing to you and how can you cut through the confusion, what question types tend to trip you up. Also, look at your overall test strategy - are you strategically selecting which games you will do, in what order? Are you skipping questions that appear to be time-consuming, maybe doing the questions out of order so you can learn from the easier questions and apply those lessons to the harder ones? Just doing games is not going to get you those insights. It's sort of like that old quote, attributed over the years to more people than I can count (so I will take credit for making it up) - insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Time to do some real zen stuff, gaze at your navel a while and see what you learn about yourself in the process. Think about what changes you can make, not on a micro level dealing with specific games but on a macro level where you deal with strategy and even your whole philosophy of approaching the games. You have the mechanics down, you know the material, so stop pounding on that level so much and start thinking on a higher plane for a while. That, not repetition, should get you moving onward and upward.

[kristinaroz93]

But without doing many tests, how can I get the answers to the questions you pose; "what strategies are you not employing to their fullest, what types of rules are confusing to you and how can you cut through the confusion, what question types tend to trip you up"

As in if not doing tests, where do you uncover knowledge for that?

Do you mean in the few tests you recommend to do during this period to look for all those things?

[Adam Tyson]

You've done enough problems and games (and even reading passage, I hope - don't neglect those) to have all you need to get that insight. You don't have to pound out a dozen tests to explore those big ideas. Look at the last test you took, or the last section you did, or just the last game you diagrammed, and start there. Try doing one game, untimed, and when you are done spend as much time as you need trying to determine what you could/should have done differently. Be aware of what concepts slow you down along the way, what questions give you pause. Consider skipping around and doing them out of order. What approach are you taking on list questions? Rule by rule is usually best, but sometimes answer by answer is better - try to figure out which one is right in a given situation.

I'm going to step away and see if any of the other instructors want to jump in. You may get some different insight that is more helpful for you, or a new way of looking at things. For that matter, maybe someone will chime in and say I am completely off my rocker and that your approach is pure gold! I won't take it personally if that happens, as long as the end result is that your score improves and you come away satisfied that you got good stuff from us.

[kristinaroz93]

Thanks so much Adam! What I took from this it is quality over quantity. It is better for me to have deeper understanding of things as I do them than trying to do as many questions and tests possible.

I geuss my concerns now are stamina and speed, but speed does come with understanding and confidence and stamina can be built from 6/10 tests I am sure.

I think your advice is good for me to take or else I would have been pressuring myself to do 18 tests and driven myself mad.

But the way I post on this forum I think you could tell (as you have answered some of my posts tonight that I try to uderstand each and every element about the question and why certain answers are either right or wrong) =)

[marcnash]

Hi Adam, so I was reading your replies carefully and it's entirely true: I have been dying a test after another and my score is deteriorating really bad!

I finished all the bibles, solved all questions twice. I started with low 150s, but I dedicated all the Christmas break to work on each question type separately, timed and untimed; I managed to pull it to high 150s. Earlier this year, I was both practising tests every now and then and I managed to maintain low to mid 160s. That's when I decided to focus on school for a bit, practice some writings, and do prep tests.

After I got so busy with school, I didn't do any lsat for a week. Recently I started doing both old and recent preptests and I'm shocked that my score is back to low 150s. I'm not sure what's going on, I was thinking of canceling my February test. I can no longer finish the the LR section which I used to finish before time with 3-4 mistakes, I can no longer start the 4th game at all, even though I used to finish them all on time with few mistakes here and there. My RC has never improved nor went bad, I'll thank God for this)

What's your advice? How should study for the 16 days given that I can dedicate 4 hours everyday to lsat? I'm really clueless right now, doing nothing but praying for a miracle on the test day

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi marcnash,

Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time with it lately! But, I must say that it is highly, highly unlikely that a single week spent away from the test could alone be responsible for a 10-point decrease in your scores. In fact, quite often a short break from the test can be quite beneficial.

Something else must be happening: you're either under a lot of stress from school, or are in a panic mode, or you aren't sleeping well. In short, you first need to address issues related to test mentality. Check out the following blog article, which is a compilation of multiple resources related to Test Mentality:

The Ultimate Test Mentality Resource List

As you know, the surest way of breaking through a plateau involves a two-prong approach: work on endurance and stamina, while also addressing any underlying conceptual weaknesses that are lowering your accuracy. To do so, make sure to engage in a rigorous review of your practice tests.

Check out the following blog articles on overcoming score plateaus here:

Is My Target LSAT Score Realistic?

Above all, don't let this setback discourage you! On the contrary, be happy that you're experiencing these difficulties now, instead of 3 weeks from now. You have plenty of time to address them if you have the right approach, stamina, and motivation.

Good luck!

[marcnash]

I read your links on how to properly review the past prep tests, and they kinda required that I should have been doing this since ever.

Right now, I have tons of old preptests that I have practiced with score ranges from 153-164.
I haven't been wisely reviewing them, I would just try to redo the LR questions that I have answered them wrong (and I used to most of them correct), try to redo the LG on which I have scored poorly, and never bothered with LR cause whenever I read the explanation, they refer to the passage, so if I missed reading that part from the passage, doesn't help much.

I have waking up every day at 7:30 to write times preptests and I am afraid I am in burnout phase.
Looking at the calendar and realizing there are only 2 weeks left for the test with such lower score than I used to hit, is discouraging me from even bothering to do more; but I think I should and hopefully 2 weeks is enough to recover.

Given that I have about 2 weeks until test date, what should I do. based on what you were saying, that gives me only a couple of PTs to write, there isn't enough time to create this tracker sheet and all that. How do you think I should invest my time wisely to make the best out of those 2 weeks without being burnt out.