Tips for improving LR

[elcapitanL]

Hello all,

So long story short, I have been studying for the LSAT for around 7 months now. I started originally at a 142 cold diagnostic and now am averaging in the mid-160s, my highest PT being a 170 that I hit a few days ago.

My LG is near perfect, maybe missing -1 occasionally. My RC ranges, I can go anywhere from a -2 to a -5/-6 but usually pretty solid in this department if all the passages are flowing for me.

My LR is usually around a -8/-12, however. Lately, I have seen substantial improvement in my LR. Going anywhere from a -3/-4 on both sections, so around a -6/-8 in total. I'm aiming for a 170+ and trying to improve that LR score substantially. I had a pretty bad PT section today for my LR, so it's quite discouraging going -8 in one LR section, especially missing an easy question 3 and 7.

One thing to note, however, is I have been PT-ing almost every other day, sometimes taking 3-4 exams in a row every day. Could this be a result of burn-out? I do not feel "burnt out" per say, but maybe that's just something I cannot really feel. I am studying to take the September test as my first attempt at an official test. So far, my PT schedule for these last few weeks is as follows:

Sept 12
Sept 13
Sept 15
Sept 16
Sept 17
Sept 19

On the 20th, I plan on giving myself some solid fundamental review/ any wrong question review and then resting for the rest of the day. What do you guys think? Also, what's the best way to crank out some of those tough LR questions where the answer choice just does not seem to really go with the stimulus? Particularly some of those tough strengthen/weaken questions where it feels like the answer choices just don't make sense. How would you guys improve LR with the test approaching? Any help is much appreciated.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi elcapitanL,

First, congrats on your improvement. That's fantastic!

In my mind, you are on a road to burnout. Studying is more of a marathon than a sprint. Doing test after test seems like a great way to go because it's lots of exposure to questions. But you aren't just trying for exposure. You want to get the most out of each test you can, and that requires a lot of quiet reflection and space between tests. If you haven't already read our blog post on how to review a PT, I can't recommend it enough. You can find it here.

For me, this close to the test, I'd focus on PTs and review of PTs. You want to really think about why you are getting questions right or wrong, and looking for patterns. Do you have stretches of missed questions in LR, suggesting that you are letting one tough question throw off your performance? Are you missing questions because you aren't drawing out the conditionals? When you say the stimulus doesn't line up with the answer choices, what are you overlooking? What connections aren't being made?

A lot of the work you need to do at this point is self-reflective. You want to see why you are making mistakes so you can learn from them and correct them, and you won't be able to do that without spending the time you need to really review tests in detail. I can tell you that personally, I'd spend 3-4 hours plus reviewing a practice test, even one that I scored a 170 or higher. I can also tell you that I've heard other colleagues here at PowerScore say the same.

Hope that helps---best of luck!
Rachael

[Dave Killoran]

Hi elcapitanL,

Let me second what Rachael said on all counts, and also add that doing 6 tests over the next 8 days and only then reviewing them after all are done seems like an upside down strategy to me. The reason is that you do a full test, but then learn nothing from it since you don't review it but instead go on to the next test. It's like a football team playing 6 games in a row and only then, after all those games are played, going back to each game to see what they did wrong and could improve.

I agree 100% burnout is a likely culprit here, but also you shouldn't be shaken by one bad LR section after all your improvement. Don't forget about The Casino Effect!

[elcapitanL]

Thank you very much for your insightful advice. I have altered my schedule a little bit so I leave a lot more room for review. Could I get an opinion on this schedule?

Sept 12 - PT 60 (review PT after)
Sept 13 - Review PTs thoroughly
Sept 14 - June 2019 PT (review PT after)
Sept 15 - Review PTs
Sept 16: PT 61 (review after)
Sept 17: PT 70 (review after)
Sept 18: Review PTs
Sept 19: PT 71 (review after)
Sept 20: Fundamentals review, some light PT review, relax before test

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi elcapitanL,

That looks like a much, much more reasonable schedule.

I'd keep your Sept 20th really light, and if possible, cut yourself off around noon. Your main goal for the day before the test is to get your mind and body ready. That means mental rest, doing something to get out the nervous energy, and eating/drinking as normal. And going to bed at a reasonable time.

Personally, I find myself very amped up before an important test. It happened before the LSAT, before the bar, and I'm sure it used to happen when I took the SAT. The only way I slept is with some physical activity to wear me out a bit. it wasn't something out of my comfort zone, or something likely to cause considerable soreness or injury, but it was enough to use some of my energy.

You are so close to the finish line. Keep up the good work!

Rachael