just postponed to december to february

[sarajane]

i had only taken the two practice tests in the full-length course and yesterday was the last day to change test dates; this combined with not completing my homework (this even with a part-time workload!), i decided to change the test date and continue with the course.

a couple questions:
-- i will still be able to access the online student center between december 1, 2012 and february 9, 2013, correct?
-- after the full-length course, how else should i prepare in addition to taking practice tests and going through the logic games and logical reasoning bibles?

[Nikki Siclunov]

To answer your first question, yes - you will have access to the Online Student Center (OSC) until February 9, 2013.

Upon completion of the full-length course, you should make sure to review the substantive content of each lesson, paying careful attention to the methodology for approaching the different LR questions and games, the VIEWSTAMP approach to RC, and so on. Finish whatever homework you left behind, paying particular attention to the questions you miss. Use the OSC to check our explanations and compare them with the approach you took yourself. Then thoroughly review all the practice tests you took while taking the course, noting any patterns among the questions you keep missing. All of this will probably take at least a week.

Moving forward, taking at least 2 practice tests a week would be a good idea, but I cannot overstate the importance of review. Keep track of the questions you miss (I used an Excel spreadsheet to do that), then go over each one of them once again in the last week before the test. Above all, focus on the process and not the final result, and make sure to create a realistic study plan to avoid falling behind.

Good luck!

[sarajane]

Thanks, Nikki -- this is helpful.

So to clarify, you would emphasize reviewing & practicing questions types where I need improvement rather than simply practicing/drilling as many LG, LR, RC questions as possible.

Thanks again for the tips!

[Jason Crandall]

Hey Sara-

As test day approaches, drilling is less and less useful. Your focus should be shifting away from drills or even homework questions toward full tests or, barring that, intact sections.

Nikki's advice on reviewing is spot-on and I would only add that it's important to pay not only to the types of questions you're missing, but also the frequency with which those questions appear.

For example, missing every Evaluate the Argument or Cannot Be True question you see is likely to have far less impact on your score than missing even 30-40% of MBT questions would.

Once you've identified problem areas through your tests, review the appropriate lessons and drills for that question type before your next test. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Good luck!

[sarajane]

thanks, jason!