Study Mix-Up

[LawLover]

I am sure this topic has been referenced many many many times, but I just want to make sure that I am getting the right, correct, recent responses to this question. I have finished all the LSAT Bibles, and I had NEVER finished the reading comprehension bible EVER. But I do not just want to keep taking LSAT after LSAT. I know for me I have Logic Games down pat in my respect I think I only miss like 3 or 4 every time I take practice tests. For the arguments section which I want to get good at next what are the ways to help increase my argumentation? I have read the books, and I am getting about 25% of them correct. I want to get better at arguments, and I just feel that yes practice tests are awesome, but I do not want burn out so are there any other ways to study arguments. Is doing just arguments in a test or two bad? Ideas?

LawLover

[Ben DiFabbio]

Hey, LawLover!

I have some thoughts on your situation. If your main method of practice has been to simply take full timed logical reasoning sections and review them, and you have not seen your accuracy improve, then you might be missing a key element of LSAT practice: untimed drilling by question type.

To improve accuracy in the Logical Reasoning section in particular, a mixed-review approach (that is, taking full sections of questions regardless of type) is a less effective way to improve accuracy than drilling large collections of the same type of question in a row.

Here's what I mean: You have read the Logical Reasoning Bible, so you know that the task required by a Flaw or a Weaken question, for example, is totally different from the task required by a Justify question. But there is a finite number of flawed argument structures in the world of the LSAT, just like there is a finite number of ways to weaken flawed arguments or justify flawed arguments. A student's accuracy tends to suffer in a given question type when the student hasn't found a consistent method to approach each distinct task required by the individual question types.

If you sit down and solve, say, 50 or 100 Flaw questions in a row, chances are that you will have just seen every iteration of that particular task that the LSAT has ever come up with. The repetition of the same task through many different scenarios will enable you to develop a consistent approach to that type of question. Rinse and repeat for every question type, and there is no doubt that you'll see your accuracy improve substantially the next time you take a full mixed section.

If you're in need of drilling material, PowerScore publishes a collection of LSAT questions for exactly this purpose: https://shop.powerscore.com/books?id=a08E000000O2WMdIAN

I hope this helps, and happy studying!

- Ben

[LawLover]

Ben,
First thing here is what I am thinking. Please give me your thoughts on this. I am thinking on doing another practice exam here in the near future. I will see where I am at with the Logical Reasoning section then. I probably have over 70 LSATs. I know that it boils down to practicing, and getting good at taking the LSAT. Practice practice practice. Does the book you are recommending guarantee the following statement that you put in your post? “there is no doubt that you'll see your accuracy improve substantially the next time you take a full mixed section”. If there is some proof of this, then yes, I will highly highly consider it. I just do not want to waste my money on this book if it is just to make a sale. And I get that aspect as well. I know that PowerScore wants to make money. So how valid and reliable is the guarantee?

Also, I am not trying to say anyone is a liar, or trying to scam me. I am seriously just trying to understand how valid the book is, and how the “guarantee” part fits in. I am not trying to make you mad or anyone mad either just understanding.

Thanks
LawLover

[Ben DiFabbio]

Ben,
First thing here is what I am thinking. Please give me your thoughts on this. I am thinking on doing another practice exam here in the near future. I will see where I am at with the Logical Reasoning section then. I probably have over 70 LSATs. I know that it boils down to practicing, and getting good at taking the LSAT. Practice practice practice. Does the book you are recommending guarantee the following statement that you put in your post? “there is no doubt that you'll see your accuracy improve substantially the next time you take a full mixed section”. If there is some proof of this, then yes, I will highly highly consider it. I just do not want to waste my money on this book if it is just to make a sale. And I get that aspect as well. I know that PowerScore wants to make money. So how valid and reliable is the guarantee?

Also, I am not trying to say anyone is a liar, or trying to scam me. I am seriously just trying to understand how valid the book is, and how the “guarantee” part fits in. I am not trying to make you mad or anyone mad either just understanding.

Thanks
LawLover

Hi LawLover,

The workbook linked above is a set of LR questions divided up by question type. It is meant as a supplement to practice tests, and it does not come with an improvement guarantee.

My post was intended to encourage question type drilling. It is a good way to improve your skillset once you have identified your particular weaknesses. You can use the practice tests you already have to do the same exercise: Go through a set of tests and do all of the flaw questions in a row, skipping the other questions. Then start from the beginning and do all of the weaken questions in a row, etc. Alternatively, you could cut and paste from a set of practice tests and create your own question type drills, targeting your specific weaknesses.

I hope that helps!

Ben

[LawLover]

Ben,
I feel that this LR book is going to help me tremendously. Also I took a break from studying for the LSAT for a while because I was feeling burned out. So I refreshed my memory of the LR Bible tonight quickly of every problem. I remember pretty much most of it if not all of it for each type of questions process to get the right answer. Also I did some practice LR Questions Tonight. I got the majority of them wrong. I probably should not be studying for the test late at night. I feel that doing some drills of these problems repeatedly will help give them ingrained in my brain on how to do them and the process on how to get the right answer will increase. I did feel a little discouraged tonight because I got a lot of them wrong probably because it’s late at night Though! Again I feel the book is going to help me. I am just saddened that i did not do well on LR tonight! Also I was not trying to come off as mean, or rude. I need/want ALL the help/encouragement I can get. I want to rock the LSAT!!!

LawLover

[Adam Tyson]

You can do it, LL! Plan your studies around your life to avoid mental and physical exhaustion. Get plenty of sleep, eat healthy foods, get moderate exercise. Study when your brain is rested, fed, and relaxed, and you will get the most out of it. Late night study sessions might be great for cramming data and formulae the night before a test in some class that tests your knowledge of the subject matter, but it's not a good way to go about reprogramming your brain to think in these logical ways that are not common in daily life. It's not a knowledge test, as we say, but a skills test! Take care of yourself, don't burn the candle at both ends, and train your brain to work in these new ways.

Good luck, keep at it!