Consistency w/ games

[ka98]

Hello!

Generally, games tend to be my strongest section, and after extensive practice I've been able to get none wrong on a section. However, this isn't a general pattern and I still fluctuate a lot per practice section (sometimes I run out on the last game and miss 5 questions I couldn't reach, other times I get to every game but miss 2-3 random questions I could/should have gotten), etc. Are there any tips with regards to improving consistency? Ideally, I'd like to bulletproof my LG section so that I have room for mistakes in LR (which tends to be my weakest) and RC.

Do you have any tips regarding consistency both in accuracy and time management? I've been trying to do problems then redo them if I got stuck (after watching an explanation video) to see if I missed an inference that I could've used to speed up or improve accuracy.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Ka,

I love questions like this. It's like starts with such great news. I know it doesn't feel like it, but you are in a fantastic position. Try to focus on the amount of progress you've made. You typically can either get all of the analytical reasoning questions correct, OR you can get close, but still are able to understand this type of reasoning.

So, let's think a bit about how to improve from here. The first issue is timing. You want to make sure you are are using your time to your advantage on this test. It's easy to think about time as your enemy. It's always slowly ticking away. You want more of it. But so does everyone else. You can use that to your advantage. You can be smart about time. Work the games in the most efficient way you can. Make sure you are reading the stimulus and the rules before starting to draw anything. It will let you stop and leave the hardest game for the last game, using your time for games where you are likely to do well. This will build your confidence during the section too because you'll avoid getting frustrated by harder questions early on.

Consistency with accuracy is more frustrating, but often it can be tied to rushing. Are you drawing out local questions every time? Are you making sure you move from what you don't know to what you know? It's always about moving from uncertainty to certainty. If you are missing questions, and surprised by that in the moment, it means that you think you have certainty that you don't. Given your ability to get very strong scores in this section, it sounds like that might be an issue of rushing in the moment. Keep an awareness of time, but don't let it get into your head.

Best of luck!
Rachael