How to utilize material?

[AdrianP674]

Hi, Manhattan,

I just bought your guides and have begun working through them. So far really liking the LR and RC books!

My question is how to utilize the Cambridge Drill Packets? These are packets that categorize logical reasoning, games, and RC passages by type and difficulty from PTs 1-38.

Should I do the entire packs for each question type/game type after each chapter? There are usually between 100-200 questions per pack, per question type. There are maybe 20-30 games per type, as well. Some have more, some have less. Should I plan to finish the packs in their entirety before I begin taking practice tests/timed sections?

Thank you,
Adrian

[ohthatpatrick]

Good studying involves a few key things:


1. MIX IT UP
Spend a little more time on your weaknesses, but keep rotating between RC, LG, and LR (remembering that LR is worth twice as much).

2. DO TIMED SETS TO PRACTICE PACING / DIAGNOSE WEAKENESSES
You can do an entire 35 minute section, or you can do a timed subset
(e.g. two games in 15 mins .... the first 12 LR questions in 15 mins, etc.)

Have a timer and have the goal of optimizing how many correct guesses you can score (don't be stubborn stuck to a problem and run out of time to see all of them).

When the timer runs out (or AS you're doing the section), circle all the problems or moments where you remember it felt challenging or unclear. You have NOT seen any answers yet. You don't know whether you got stuff right or wrong. You're just circling the problems that felt like a more-than-average struggle.

Get up and do something else before you revisit this set and then FINISH THINKING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS, untimed, prioritizing all the stuff you circled.

3. WHEN YOU REVIEW ANSWERS / EXPLANATIONS, have Flashcards and a Calendar handy.

For any takeaway that you can put into quizzable flashcard form, make an applicable flashcard:
(e.g. FRONT: "When I'm doing Inference Most Supported, the correct answer will probably have strong/weak language" BACK: Weak)

For the other things you struggled with, think about what type of topic/content they represent and assign yourself 15-25 min follow-up study sessions on those topics.
That's when you use the Cambridge by type

Also put on your calendar a redo date for the circled problems in this set (e.g. Put on a note on your study calendar for 5-8 days later to come back and flip through the circled problems in this set to see if you remember the takeaways)

Have fun!

[AdrianP674]

Good studying involves a few key things:


1. MIX IT UP
Spend a little more time on your weaknesses, but keep rotating between RC, LG, and LR (remembering that LR is worth twice as much).

2. DO TIMED SETS TO PRACTICE PACING / DIAGNOSE WEAKENESSES
You can do an entire 35 minute section, or you can do a timed subset
(e.g. two games in 15 mins .... the first 12 LR questions in 15 mins, etc.)

Have a timer and have the goal of optimizing how many correct guesses you can score (don't be stubborn stuck to a problem and run out of time to see all of them).

When the timer runs out (or AS you're doing the section), circle all the problems or moments where you remember it felt challenging or unclear. You have NOT seen any answers yet. You don't know whether you got stuff right or wrong. You're just circling the problems that felt like a more-than-average struggle.

Get up and do something else before you revisit this set and then FINISH THINKING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS, untimed, prioritizing all the stuff you circled.

3. WHEN YOU REVIEW ANSWERS / EXPLANATIONS, have Flashcards and a Calendar handy.

For any takeaway that you can put into quizzable flashcard form, make an applicable flashcard:
(e.g. FRONT: "When I'm doing Inference Most Supported, the correct answer will probably have strong/weak language" BACK: Weak)

For the other things you struggled with, think about what type of topic/content they represent and assign yourself 15-25 min follow-up study sessions on those topics.
That's when you use the Cambridge by type

Also put on your calendar a redo date for the circled problems in this set (e.g. Put on a note on your study calendar for 5-8 days later to come back and flip through the circled problems in this set to see if you remember the takeaways)

Have fun!

Thank you very much, Patrick. That's all very helpful and I will follow your advice. I really like the idea of having a process rather than kind of studying and just shooting from the hip. I'm also a fan of re-doing questions and like flashcards for learning/instilling ideas.

Thanks again