PREPHRASING

[FrannieVargas]

I took my first practice test on Monday and was happy to see that my score was 8 points higher than my October 2011 LSAT. However, I know I can do better; Especially in the Logical Reasoning sections. I was advised my my instructor during our class today to focus on prephrasing. Could you review on what type of Logical Reasoning questions is prephrasing helpful and when it's not? For example: "MUST BE TRUE-Always prephrase. Fact Test"

Additionally, do you have any additional advice on prephrasing and using it as an advantage on the test?

Loyally,
Frannie Vargas

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Frannie,

Thanks for the questions. Let me see if I can help

First, I don't think of prephrasing as being something connected to a specific question type, mainly because I'm always prephrasing once I read the question stem. This is because being an attacking test taker means that you are always trying to anticipate where the test makers are going. That said, the way in which you prephrase changes with certain question types. For example, a Must or Weaken question allows for a very specific, concrete prephrase. More abstract questions like Method and Flaw require more abstract prephrase. And, some question types, such as Parallel, allow you to only prephrase the abstract structure of the answer, and not the concrete specifics of what the answer addresses.

Second, check out my colleague Jon Denning's response to a similar question about prephrasing that we were asked on the forum: http://forum.powerscore.com/lsat/viewto ... 3396#p3396

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!