"More" vs "Less" representative tests?

[copeycope5@gmail.com]

Good afternoon everyone!

I've been studying for a bit now, and I am (anxiously) awaiting my test on Saturday. I previously took PT 85 and PT 86 this weekend, and it was... a little disheartening, to be honest. I completely bombed LR by my standards, and scored my median on 85 and below my median on 86. I'm hoping to finish my PT runs with 87 tonight, but I'm just really confused since after doing timed sections, I'm often getting 0 or -1 on LR, and PT85/86s performance was -4 to -6 with no real pattern as to what would be my weakness from those test. I'm getting cold feet from these PTs, and I was hoping to see if you guys thought that PT85 and PT86 is going to be emblematic of the June administration. I know with the Crystal Ball the later 80s tests were emphasized, but honestly I'm freaking and doubting my abilities

[Luke Haqq]

Hi copeycope5!

Sorry to hear that those practice tests didn't go as well as you had hoped. But I'd still say don't lose hope! Just because you got more wrong on those tests than you had been getting wrong previously, doesn't mean you're going to do poorly on the June test.

There's certainly some value to doing more recent tests versus older ones. I wouldn't go from there, however, to a conclusion that one or two specific recent tests will necessarily be like the June administration, whatever it means for two tests to be "like" each other. It may just be an aberration and instance in which you happened to face questions that caused you more problems than usual. The more practice tests you take, the less variations you'd likely see between your scores from one test to another.

Lastly, though I'm sure it's easier said than done, try not to doubt your abilities! Hopefully you've studied as hard as you could for the test, you understand the strategies and tips for approaching specific question types, and you've taken plenty of practice tests. If you've done all that, you should be in position to do your best on the exam. Going in with a measure of confidence can go a long way in helping you succeed on test day.