Hi all! Panicked this morning reading everyones August experience/scores and took my first ever timed PT. It was PT 141, and I got a 165, -9 RC, -5 LR, -1LR. My previous Pt’s untimed were 168, 164, and 162, and diagnostic was a 153 about two months ago. My LR scores usually vary from -1 -6 timed (with a few outliers on bad days), and RC is -8-11 timed, with -2-3 untimed.
I am signed up for October/November, with hopes to get the test done in October so I could apply earlier. I am aiming for a 170-173, for lower t-14s/t-20s ( I am above their 75th percentile GPA for all).
Any tips on what to do at this point? I was doing the 5-6 hour study plan with a mix of drills and sections everyday, 6 days a week, but found myself getting burnt out. Should I focus solely on drills for my weakest points for the next week or two? Should they be timed or untimed? Mix in any timed sections? Any advice would be highly appreciated!
Also, I already WAJ by screenshotting the questions/answers, then writing out explanations on identifying premise and conclusion, and why the right answer is right and the others are wrong, with a note on what I should do next time/key takeaway. I find myself slacking/overwhelmed on reviewing these because there's so many questions and such long explanations for each. Any tips on how to make my WAJ/Review more effective? Should the WAJ be reviewed everyday?
Sorry for the long post, and thank you all in advance!
1 comments
Hello!
First of all, there is no single best method for studying! It varies from person to person, and the best strategy is simply the one that yields the highest accuracy and comfort for you.
That being said, if you are feeling burnt out by your current schedule of 5–6 hours a day, it is a sign that you need to make an adjustment. Consistency is much more important than density.
Since you just took your first-ever timed PT and are planning to take an official exam in October, there objectively isn't much time left. You need to become very familiar with the actual test format and stamina required (2 hours and 20 minutes with a 10-minute break). Because of this timeline, I highly recommend shifting your focus primarily to timed drills and timed PTs soon.
It is great that you are taking your WAJ seriously, but it shouldn't be making you feel overwhelmed! I honestly think you do not need to write out explanations for why all the other choices are wrong. Instead, just focus on the specific trap choices that you fell for (or almost fell for). For the answer choices that didn't confuse you, you don't need to waste your time confirming why you avoided them.
The single most important part of your WAJ is the 'what I should do next time' section. The takeaway you write there must be an actionable rule that prevents you from missing a similar question in the future. Quality over quantity will save you from burnout here. I hope this helps, and best of luck!