Taking PT's the right way to improve?

[mbeattheheat]

I've noticed that most, if not all of the high scorers recommend taking as many PT's as you possibly can, and even taking some twice. I haven't done this yet because I keep questioning how valuable this actually will be if I'm doing the problems the wrong way. That, to me, is like a golfer practicing his swing 100 times. If he isn't doing it the right way to start, his swing will never get better.

I've done the sections untimed and still can't get a perfect score- is it a smart move to start taking multiple PT's a week if I can't get a 180 (or anywhere close) untimed? Even when I do blind review, I still don't get a perfect score.

Thoughts?

By the way, I have read through the Bible's multiple times.

[Dave Killoran]

I've noticed that most, if not all of the high scorers recommend taking as many PT's as you possibly can, and even taking some twice. I haven't done this yet because I keep questioning how valuable this actually will be if I'm doing the problems the wrong way. That, to me, is like a golfer practicing his swing 100 times. If he isn't doing it the right way to start, his swing will never get better.

I've done the sections untimed and still can't get a perfect score- is it a smart move to start taking multiple PT's a week if I can't get a 180 (or anywhere close) untimed? Even when I do blind review, I still don't get a perfect score.

Thoughts?

By the way, I have read through the Bible's multiple times.

Hi M,

You actually understand this all pretty well, and your golf analogy is spot on. Taking tests just to take them isn't the best approach, and without the right understanding, it gets frustrating too.

Here's the value in looking at questions multiple times though: you can slowly squeeze out all of the info in the question. For most students, a single attempt on a question yields only partial info, and a thorough review probably yields 80% of the info in each problem. A second and third look is what really provides second-level insight, which is why you see so many top scoring students redoing questions. Accordingly, we'd rather you do 50 questions really well and thoroughly review them than to do 100 questions just once.

This deep and repeated review approach is one we see with LSAT instructors. These are people who come in and are already really great at the LSAT, but even they discover that prepping for classes yields all sorts of new insights for them. The reason was they had to break every question down to the most basic parts in order to be able to explain it to others. This is why we advocate the Teaching Test for preparing (see step 6 in https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/retaki ... your-score). when we've taken this to students, the results are often dramatic because it's one thing to think you understand it, and another to have to explain it. Using this approach will allow you to do a fair number of questions but will also build your knowledge of the method and concepts.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!