Help with planning PTs

[bstampfl]

Hi all,

I have been studying since November and have completed 11 full, timed PTs. I am planning on taking the April 25 and June 8 LSATs. The last 5 PTs I've done have been PTs 53-58, and there are 22 PTs post-58 (December 2009) that I can take now in my preparation moving forward. I would like to do one PT every Saturday until April 25, and then one PT every Saturday after April 25 until June 8. I plan on using earlier PTs (1-52) as practice individual sections and 5th sections for my timed PTs.

My first question: Is this a good plan? Should I change anything?

My second question: How should I allocate the PTs? I know it's good to do the most recent PTs closer to actual test date, but since I am planning on taking it on both April 25 and June 8, should I save, say, PTs 77-80 for the weeks before the June 8 LSAT? Or should I do those most recent PTs leading up to April 25? As a side note, I am planning on taking the test twice — however, I've been studying for a while and I'd love to do well enough (mid-170s) to not have to take the June 8 LSAT.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice!

[Jeremy Press]

Hi bstampfl,

First, just to clarify, have you already completed PTs 81-89? I'm assuming so, but just to be sure we're both on the same page, the available practice tests don't end with number 80 (or really 81, if you have the red book of ten practice tests that spans numbers 72-81). PTs 81-89 are available digitally now in our online library (for purchase as complete tests or individual sections), here: https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/publica ... tal-tests/.

Your overall outline for PTs sounds good to me, but I do think if you want to take a run at the April exam you should sprinkle some of the more recent practice tests into your routine earlier in the process. Might I make a recommendation for scheduling (again, assuming you've already done PTs 81-89)? The next Saturday you're going to take a practice test, start with PT 59. Then, the following Saturday, jump ahead to PT 70. Then go back to 60. Then 71. And so on. That way, you can be more certain that by April you'll have seen, reviewed, and mastered concepts from any recent slight differences in the modern tests (things like somewhat harder reading comp questions, the stronger emphasis on hybrid logic games [and occasional inclusion of rarely tested games], the decreased emphasis on technical logical fallacies in Flaw questions in logical reasoning, etc.).

Last recommendation is to make sure you're doing as comprehensive a review of each practice test as possible. A couple sources for advice on PT review: https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/podcast/38/. And: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/the-be ... ice-tests/.

Let me know if this triggers any further questions, and I hope this helps!

Jeremy

[bstampfl]

Hi Jeremy,

Thanks for your response!

I actually haven't done 81-89.. I think I can still use your idea but with the PTs starting at 81 instead (start with 59, then do 81, then 60, then 82, etc.)? Does this make sense?

[Jeremy Press]

Yes, that makes a lot of sense! And, if you want to ensure you won't run out of recent PTs, I'd say rather than begin in your second week with 81, you could go back to, say, 75 or 76, and you'll still get to enough recent ones to make your plan work.

At some point before your April test day, throw in one of the tests from 2019 (87-89) to make sure there haven't been any curveballs there. At some point before your June test day, do the others from 2019. Sound good?

[bstampfl]

That sounds great, Jeremy. Thank you again!