Study Strategy for August Flex

[ToluOj]

Hello,

I just completed the live online course on July 2nd, and I've started to move into taking practice tests, review day, and study day rotations with a break every 7-10 days or so. Should I still be taking untimed tests or should all my tests be timed considering the test date is quickly approaching?

Also, since discovering that the August LSAT will be a flex-test I plan to take one practice test as a four-section (it's a digital flex, but I will add a supplemental section based on the weakest area, so Games), and the other one as a regular 3-section test. Is this a good idea or would you suggest a different route?

Lastly, I haven't seen the score increase I'd hoped to see after completing the online course (my most recent score is only two points higher than my diagnostic), and I'm wondering if there is anything else I can do to facilitate that increase in addition to what I'm already doing.

Thanks guys!

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Tolu!

First let me apologize that this post slipped through the cracks for this long, and let me try to give you some guidance that could still be helpful to you for the August test and beyond!

I imagine you're to the point now where you're taking all your practice tests timed. That timed work should continue through test day, with about 3-5 more practice tests between now and your scheduled August test day. Don't burn yourself out, and allow yourself sufficient time to review each test. But stay the course with practice tests (and your PT schedule) for the next 7-9 days. Make sure you take the day off from studying on the day before your exam is scheduled! The practice tests should all be taken under strict conditions similar to the Flex experience. So at this point don't bother with 4-section tests, just take each one with 3 sections as you will on test day.

The absolute most important thing you can do to see steady increases, even with this amount of time before test day (I've had students who had dramatic, 5-10 point increases in the last week or two before an exam!), is to be relentless about reviewing each practice test. Make sure you know why every wrong answer is wrong, and why every right answer is right, on any question about which you were uncertain while taking the test. Even with questions you got right, if you were uncertain you want to get rid of that uncertainty! Make a log of any problem areas. Use it to identify relevant material to review (videos, course book chapters, or additional reading) that teaches the principles of those question types, game types, or reasoning types.

Trust the process, and the gains will come! Let us know if any other questions have arisen since you wrote, and let me know if this triggers further questions for you.

I hope this helps!

Jeremy