Closing the gap between actual score vs. blind review?

[sierramiral]

Hi Powerscore! I was hoping you guys would have some advice on how to close the gap between my actual scores and my blind review scores. When I blind review, I find myself taking even less time than I did during the actual timed test. Its not a lack of conceptual knowledge, but I think I just freak myself out during the practice tests I've taken. Here's some stats for reference:

PT 81:
Actual Score = 158 (RC -10, LR -7, LG -5)
Blind Review Score = 172 (RC -3, LR -2, LG -0)

PT 62:
Actual Score = 160 (RC -9, LR -6, LG -6)
Blind Review Score: 175 (RC -2, LR -4, LG -0)

My biggest difficulty for games is timing and just freaking myself out. I've been doing timed sections and just drilling for more practice. For LR, I actually have improved quite a bit from my original average # incorrect. Lastly, for RC, my # of incorrect has actually been going up. I used to do VIEWSTAMP and average -6 to -8 incorrect, but my Powerscore class instructor told me that it would take up too much time on the test (I still always finished early) and to not do it. Since I stopped doing VIEWSTAMP, I think my score has gotten worse in RC. I'm wondering if I should just stick to doing VIEWSTAMP if it works for me, or if there is another reason I should avoid doing VIEWSTAMP during the test?

How can I close the gaps between these two scores? I'm hoping just relentless drilling and practice will help me reach my blind review score! I'm taking the test in October and November and aiming for 165+. Thanks!

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Sierra,

So the good news is that you're already part of the way there, and doing a LOT of the right things to get to that next level. The fact that you're seeing improvement from where you started should suggest to you that you ought to stay the course in terms of your study activities. Taking more timed sections, and continuing to do blind reviews, will help you to keep developing those skills you've already learned and are starting to refine. But it sounds like you need to do a couple extra things to put yourself on a better track overall.

First, what you're telling me about blind reviews (how you can often arrive at correct answers faster than under timed conditions) suggests that you're letting the time pressure of the test get to you. Try this: do a logical reasoning section in small chunks. Take 5 questions, give yourself whatever time you need to complete them (don't deliberately go slow but don't rush), and then immediately review them. Keep a stopwatch or timer running in the background (don't look at it!), and when you finish the questions (before you review them), make note of how long it took you to do those questions accurately. Do the same thing with each set of 5 logical reasoning questions in the section. Add up your total time at the end. If you didn't run over the 35 minutes, then you know you can complete the section without worrying so much about time (awesome, and congrats!!). If it turns out you ran over the 35 minutes for the section, think about how many questions you could comfortably skip and still get a score you're happy with. You might be pleasantly surprised that you can do really well on the section while skipping 2 or 3 (or more) questions.

Do that same exercise with the logic games and reading comprehension passages on a test. Do the game (or passage), taking whatever time you need to complete it (again, don't deliberately go slow but don't rush), and then immediately review it. Keep your stopwatch running in the background to record how long it took you to finish the game/passage (before you review it). After all 4 games/passages, add up your total time. If you ran over the 35 minutes, think about what you could've done to save time (or what you could've skipped) to still get a score you're happy with.

Last little note: never scrap something that's been working for YOU! If VIEWSTAMP was making you more accurate on Reading Comp, then you should absolutely go back to it as you're working your way through passages on your initial read-through. Occasionally someone might find that they do better by not "consciously" dissecting the passage that way (that's probably the person your instructor had in mind). But for anyone who knows (like you) that they do better by consciously applying VIEWSTAMP, they should absolutely use it.

I hope this helps!