Testmasters

[nooyyllib]

I am leaning toward taking the testmasters course this april.  But one questions looms over my head.  I've been doing some prep by myself and solved actual LSAT questions.  My question is because I prepped by myself before, would taking the Testmasters course hurt me? Would me encountering questions I've solved before influenced me in a negative way?

[EarlCat]

The only problems with prepping before a class is that you might form bad habits or just might develop a different technique for solving problems than would be taught in the class.  In either event it may be hard to unlearn what you have learned.  I still vote for taking a class.

[DerekShiHarvard]

The only problems with prepping before a class is that you might form bad habits or just might develop a different technique for solving problems than would be taught in the class.  In either event it may be hard to unlearn what you have learned.  I still vote for taking a class.

I say screw the class. Just self prep, find your weaknesses, and have a tutor address them. The bad habit thing... I don't buy it.

[nooyyllib]

Thanks,

I dont really see the habit thing as well but, not sure about the tutor thing - dont really know if i can find a stable one in my school area.  the thing is I'm not worried about LG.  For RC I haven't really prepped but I've been getting 4-6 wrong timed fully.  my main concern is the LR section - i get about 5-7 wrong per section timed.  one time i finished a section in 30 minutes felt really good i got em all right and ended up with 7 wrong.  the main frustration about this is that i would get 6 wrong and half of them would be 50/50 - i would eliminated down to two and choose the wrong one.  and everytime i go over wrong questions i can find out EXACTLY why the wrong is wrong and right is right. 

because of that issue, i was asking about testmasters.  wonder if that will help? Or are any of you familiar with this situation? how to fix?

thanks.

[EarlCat]

The bad habit thing... I don't buy it.

The bad habit thing comes from experience.  I self studied and got a great score that by most people's standards would make me a self-study success story.

Once I trained to be an instructor, it was like the fog lifted.  I had been doing everything the hard way.  I was using tick-tack-toe graphs for games, I had no understanding of the question types, and no recognition of or system for eliminating wrong answers.  I spent hours beating my head against the wall with bad books and PrepTests while not really learning anything.  I was completely relying on my own brain to analyze each question as if I'd never seen one like it before.  After taking the actual test, I was exhausted. 

Why was it like this?  Because I was content getting high practice scores and wouldn't consider hiring someone to point out how I could do it all much more efficiently.  The only feedback I got was from my preptest scores.  On the real test I left points on the table that I didn't have to.  I'm fully convinced that if I had taken a good class or hired a top-notch instructor, I would have scored higher, easier, and with less study-time and frustration along the way.

[nooyyllib]

earlcat,

yeah, im 80% sure on taking a testmasters course because one of my friends took it and boosted his score up to 169 170 range. 

but i dont know if the class will be efficient enough to help me over this LR (5-7 wrong) hump.

plus is there any way to find a tutor in charlottesville, VA? whose reliable?

[EarlCat]

I don't know any tutors in that area, but it's worth calling around.  Whether you get a tutor or take a class, speak to the instructor first.  If you don't learn something in 15 minutes, they're probably not for you.  If they don't want to talk, they don't want your money.

[nooyyllib]

Does testmasters have some type of money back? the class seems to start out with a diagnostic in april

[EarlCat]

Dunno.

[trippstrat]

I requested an information packet from Testmasters and received it a couple of weeks ago.  When I called them to register for an in-classroom class, they told me that they no longer do that.  They told me that all they do is the online class now.  Does anyone have any experience with the online class?