Keeping Confidence and Narrowing Between Two Contenders

[katem2002]

Hi Powerscore Community,

I noticed I've run into two issues with my PTs in LR. Looking for some advice as to how you go about solving these issues:

1. I'll choose an answer that I think is correct, but then second guess myself and choose something else. Turns out the newly-chosen answer is incorrect, and the first one was right. It's frustrating
2. I've gotten to the point where I can differentiate between two contenders, one of which is correct, and the other of which is not. I usually choose the wrong answer.

I've gotten to the point where I get less than 10 questions wrong on LR, around -9 or -8. I'm hoping to gain even more accuracy on LR though before August. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Katem

For 1, you need more data. You want to know both the times that you are between two and pick the wrong one as well as the times that you were between two but picked the correct one. That will require some tracking in your post-test/section/problem set review. I'm guessing that you get it down to two, but pick correctly more often than you realize. But either way, you need those stats, stat!

I also would look deeper into "I usually choose wrong." When do you pick correctly between two, and when do you pick incorrectly? The why is always more important than the correct/incorrect in your study period. So if you get down to two and pick incorrectly, did you use the correct test? Did you miss a conditional relationship, or reverse a causal relationship? Did you feel pressed for time and just guess? The exact reasons matter. Similarly, if you get it down between two and get it right, what did you do there? What were the steps you took, and how can you replicate that in other questions?

The deep self-analysis and question analysis after you've already answered all the questions is the critical step between folks who hit around the 50th percentile and those who hit farther down the curve. If I spent 35 minutes on a timed section, I'd usually spend another 60 or so analyzing and detailing it afterward. Not just looking at how many I got right. Not even just slowing down for the ones I missed, and trying again. But paying attention to where I was eliminating correct answer choices, where I was rushing, and where I was just zoned out and missed because of focus.

Hope that gives you some places to start your analysis.