Should I reset my tactics?

I've been on this site for about a year now, and in that time I've attempted over 3000 tactics puzzles with about a 50 percent pass rate. My rating fluctuates a lot, highest ever was around 1200 and it's currently at 833. I think my main issue is I need to slow down, my average time per puzzle is around 30 seconds. Saying that, sometimes I'll look for ages and not have a clue so I just guess and get it right or wrong any ways, in that it feels like an exam and I haven't a clue no matter how long I look at it. And sometimes I get it right in 10 seconds any way. And often I guess, thinking I'm correct, and I'm wrong, or I get the first move right and the second wrong.

So basically, should I continue as is, or reset, take it slower, and see how that goes? I frequently read tactics are the best way to improve, potentially more so for novices like myself (rapid rating 1150 at the moment or so), and since I can't afford a trainer right now this site is my best bet to improve. I would like to improve, but often the (seeming) lack of progress gets depressing to say the least.

There's no harm in resetting it. You'll probably be back where you are now in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, you'll have some fun solving easy tactics.

I do think you could slow down and concentrate until you find the solution, whether it takes two minutes or ten. Sooner or later, something will click.

True, I just would like a better success rate. 50 percent seems a bit too low to be honest. I remember IM John Bartholomew saying something like he considers about 2 out of 3 to be a good success rate, so that sounds right to me. The main thing is improvement, and maybe going slower and resetting would help with that?

I decided to reset my tactics. I wanted to go from the initial 400 rating and stop when I got to over 800, unfortunately this took far longer than I expected. Current rating is 811, but it took 109 problems to do so, in 85 minutes. Only 63 passed. Average time therefore of around 47 seconds. Slower than it was but I'd have liked to get more correct than I did, so I don't really consider this a good result. Granted it's late and I'm tired, but I'm now thinking I'm just not good at tactics, and besides practicing I'm not sure what else I can do. But like I said I did a lot of tactics in the past, 3000 plus in a year with breaks, so its just depressing.

If your rating is that low, and you've done that many puzzles, then I'm sorry, but you're doing something seriously fundamentally wrong and resetting ratings is not going to be the answer. Nor is probably doing 3000 more.

Probably you need to go through the ones you got wrong with a fine toothcomb, as well as working on other areas of your game.

Any idea which areas or how to work on them? I was told or read that at lower levels of play that it's basically about not making blunders and tactics. 

I concur with @JamesColeman. Though I like chess.com's Tactics Trainer, it is not my sole method of studying tactics. In matter of fact, the Tactics Trainer isn't really a method of studying tactics, it's more a method of drilling tactics.

For studying tactics at your level, I recommend two books:

1. Predator at the Chessboard (A Field Guide to Chess Tactics) Book I by Ward Farnsworth
2. Predator at the Chessboard (A Field Guide to Chess Tactics) Book II by Ward Farnsworth

Purchase both of those books and work through them slowly. First, glance at the beginning of each explanation to see which side is to move. Then, without reading further, study the position and calculate the best continuation in your head (and calculate the related variations) while keeping in mind the chapter topic, ie knight fork or discovered check. Finally, read the detailed explanation. Be sure to read deeply and understand the train of thought that is described in the explanation. In other words, don't simply skim over the answer. Read for compehension.

Following the prescribed regimen forces you into a systematic and thorough study tactics.

The Predator books are actually a printed version of the excellent website chesstactics.org which is free. However, I prefer studying from a physical book so I purchased both.

Like I said before, chess.com's Tactics Trainer is not for studying. In my opinion, the pair of Predator books is the best in-depth and systematic study course for tactics that's geared towards the novice and intermediate player.

Take time to see if the tactic is geared toward mate or material gain.

Take your last tactics you did.  Always look for Forcing Moves: Checks, Captures, Threats (in that order)

Calculate out all forcing lines as far as you can.  NO matter how bad they look, you look at them and calculate them out.  This will force you to "see" the entire board.

I recently reset, am going a lot slower, and just hit 1000 rating (I started at 400 since I reset). With regards to that particular puzzle, I got Bxh7+, then went Qh5+, thinking it'd lead to mate. I was wrong. A dumb moment on my part. Still, my success rate has been good since resetting.

Remember,when you see a good move,look for a better one.

True. Just don't do that forever in a real game, you might lose on time 

In all seriousness, I often jump the gun with tactics. Get the first move right, then blunder the second. So of course you are right.

I've reset my tactics a few times, but this time so far it's going well. I'm on 1100 rating at the moment, with 74 of 82 correct, so over 90 percent correct. Going slower helps, I'd rather get them correct even if I only get 70 percent score for being slow, than outright wrong. And it often takes a few minutes to be certain even if I see the right move in seconds. Plus it's strangely addictive

It is very easy to miss when en passant is played on the first move in TT Most cases the correct  response is to take it. but there are some cases where it ism't the best move.

I usually spot en passant. Haven't had any I don't think since resetting, but I've had some in the past. I'm now on exactly 1200, with 86 of 100 solved.

I couldn't help but notice you yourself have attempted over 23k tactics in about 6 months, that's about 4000 per month, or about 130 each day? That's madness!

Yeah,it;s something to do when I wake up at 3 AM

Building back after resetting is very slow if you're not premium...

Good thing I'm premium, 5 a day may be good for fruit and vegetables, but not tactics

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are there so many whiners in the world?

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