Getting within the 35-minute time limit

[sboom1]

Hi!

I've read each of the Bibles in their entirety since I began studying in early July and now have LR down to a consistent -0 to -2 and RC to around -3, which I'm satisfied with. I usually can complete those sections with a few minutes to spare. For Logic Games, however, I can't quite manage to get fast enough. I almost always get all the questions correct and follow the correct steps, but I'm hovering around 38-40 minutes for each section. I've broken down my timing and there doesn't seem to be one specific place I'm wasting that time. I've been practicing LG sections exclusively for several weeks now (at maybe 20 hours/week) and still have seen almost no improvement in my speed. Right now I mainly practice by doing a section, then watching the explanation videos, but since I'm already doing it how the videos suggest, that doesn't seem to be doing much to help my speed. Are there any alternative study strategies that might help me shave off the last few minutes?

I've read you shouldn't sit for the actual test until you can consistently complete the LG section with a -0 or -1. I already pushed my test day back from September to October based on this. Is it possible that I just won't be able to get under 35 minutes, or should I continue to hold out until I've mastered the LG section?

Thanks in advance!

[Claire Horan]

Hi sboom1,

One strategy you can use to gain better time management during logic games is to do one game at a time, timed for 8 minutes and 45 sections. This will help you get a better sense of how much time you have per game. You may find that you can generally finish a single game within the allotted time but are allowing yourself to become bogged down on a question when you need to move on. On the other hand, please keep in mind that a winning strategy may involve spending only 4 minutes on an easy puzzle so you can spend more time on a harder one. Or you may find that you need a bit more time on every or almost every game. If that is the case, make sure you are using templates whenever feasible, as they can drastically shorten the time needed to solve a game.

On another note, I don't know where you would have read that you shouldn't take the LSAT until you can consistently miss only one problem on the Logic Games section!!! That would be a rare accomplishment and obviously not necessary to getting a very high score. Instead of making decisions on when to take your test based on criteria like that, consider what score you need to attend the school(s) you'd like to attend, and strategize to get that score. You did not specify how many questions you generally miss on Logic Games, but if you find yourself only needing a few more minutes, that suggests you only need to guess on a few questions as you run out of time. You can put your remaining study time into speeding up on Logic Games, or you can increase your scores on the other sections. Although you are already doing very well on those sections, it sounds like you could still pick up a few points that way. For that reason, I suggest including practice of all three sections in your study routine. At the end of the day, you will get one score, and no one will know which section was your strongest or weakest, and there will be no bonus points for finishing with time to spare. I hope this advice helps!