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General questions relating to LSAT Logical Reasoning.
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 Wounded_Bear
  • Posts: 11
  • Joined: Dec 24, 2020
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#90674
Hi Powerscore Staff,

What I have noticed is that the information in the LR Bible is amazing. I have gone through it, made flashcards, and have constantly reread and kept in mind all of the approaches and tricks. What I have come to realize, though, is that my mistakes stem not so much from my lack of knowing approaches and traps but rather from misunderstanding.

Every question I get wrong in LR, I have misunderstood the stimulus, or the AC(s). If I understand what I am reading, I get it right. Perhaps I am idiotically stating the absolute obvious...I don't know. It seems that regardless of the question types, the fundamental thing this section is testing is, "Hey, did you accurately understand what you just read?". I read a stimulus sometimes, and I say to myself, "What in the world does that even mean?". The weird part is that RC was and has always been my strong suit. I have never gotten more than -5 mistakes on an RC section. And I don't even take any notes on the RC section (This is not some kind of triumphant statement but rather a sign that I can remember and understand most passages just by reading it).

This leads me to believe that it is not my reading comprehension skills that are getting at me. It is something more like my deciphering skills. For example, PT 22 LR Section 2 Question #10 presents a two sentence stimulus. I have been looking at it for 20 minutes trying to figure out what the first sentence is trying to say. There is some weird difference between the comprehending skill in the RC passages and in the LR stimulus.

Any suggestions on how I can overcome this? Is it because I am not diagramming, when I should? Is it some skill that I have to work on?

Thank you!!
User avatar
 atierney
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 215
  • Joined: Jul 06, 2021
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#90711
Hello,

Yes, I would agree on a fundamental level. Part of the reason we provide the strategies we do with reading comprehension is that each particular tool (VIEWSTAMP, passage diagramming tips, etc.) is designed to help you with just what you identified as the central problem of reading comprehension: understanding what you read. And ultimately, while the tools aid the builder, it’s builder that actually uses them to construct something, and without which, they would be unable to construct anything. So, a central part of any approach to Reading Comprehension, regardless of tricks or strategies is the ability to digest what you’ve just been presented.

Now, if you find the LR/RC Bible helpful, but not quite sufficient to get you over the edge in terms of goal score, this is where I would definitely recommend looking into tutoring services or potentially our LSAT course option. If you don’t know how to best use a table saw, then not only will it not be useful (or as useful as possible), but it could potentially be dangerous. Our tutors/instructors are experts in both understanding ways to use the tools to absorb the necessary information in each passage on the RC or stimulus on the LR, and can definitely assist you in knowing exactly which pieces of information to focus upon in order to get a cohesive understanding of the passage/stimulus itself.

As to specific approaches on the LR and RC, and how they may differ, I would tend to agree with you that both the reading style and analysis for each differs in an appreciable way. The RC requires an understanding of the details of the passage as well as a bigger picture comprehension that extends beyond simply understanding the conclusion of an argument that consists of little more than two or three premises max. To that end, it is necessary to have distinct strategies for each section, and this is where the PowerScore LSAT course is an invaluable resource

Reading your post, I can almost hear the exasperated wheels spinning in your mind. I’ve been there. I understand how frustrating that can be, especially spending upwards of a half an hour on one question. While I wouldn’t be able to diagnose the best method to assist you (in a general sense) here, I am quite confident that our tutoring services would be able to.

Let me know if you have further questions, and I wish you success on your LSAT journey!
User avatar
 Wounded_Bear
  • Posts: 11
  • Joined: Dec 24, 2020
|
#90721
Thank you for the response. I am reviewing Chapter 2 of the LRB and it seems to be helping. It seems to be answering all my questions. Back to the basics...l

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