Test Day

AtheA

Hi Everyone,

With the looming June test, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss test day practices and habits. Whether you've already been in the trenches or have yet to, I'd like to get a sense of what works or has worked for people as they get themselves ready for the day and take the test. I'm sure I'll have enough things to worry about on that (fateful) day so getting a good plan in place now will surely alleviate some of that pressure. I know that no matter how much we plan, things always go awry. So, this can hopefully help people get a more practical understanding of what to expect so as to enable better preparation. While I'm planning for the September test at 8:30am, please feel free to share your experiences taking the June test at 12:30pm as well.

For one thing, I'm interested in planning out my morning. How early do you plan to wake up? How early do you plan to get to the test site? At what point do you warm-up/ review questions, right before the start of the test (in the testing center) or well in advance (before leaving your home)? What about the more trivial things that you ordinarily don't think of until you're hit with it, like how late you're allowed to use the bathroom before having to be seated to begin taking the test, etc, etc.

Achen165

Hi!

How far you live from your testing site should ideally determine what time to wake up. For the February test @ 8:30 a.m., and I live about 25 minutes away from the testing site, I woke up at 6:30. Dressed in comfortable clothing, ate a light breakfast of fruit and oatmeal. Didn't want to eat anything salty and get thirsty and be distracted. Got to the testing site at 8:00. The earlier you go, the better, depending on your testing site, you wouldn't want to be caught in a long line waiting for your room assignment.

Be advised that you cannot warm up inside the testing center, as LSAT materials are not allowed in the testing site. Bring only your clear ziploc bags with your pencils, sharpener, eraser, analog wrist watch, snack, water and admissions ticket. If you do a warm up, I'd say to do a LG in your car before walking into the testing center, and DO NOT check your answers. Or read over a RC passage, personally prefer to warm up with games.

Once you walk into the room in which you are assigned, you should not plan to leave. Sit down and take a few deep breaths. Make sure that your pencil tips are in tact.

I used the bathroom once before leaving my home and once I got to the testing site j.i.c. and only again during the 15 minute break. Do so in between getting your assignment and walking to the room in which you are assigned (unless you are late). Also avoided listening to music with lyrics (didn't want to have a song stuck in my head and break my ability to concentrate), just some beats on the drive over to help relax me. Also a very, very trivial thing to note is that the actual LSAT exam is not printed on nice paper like the individual exam books you buy online (it's on recycled paper), just so you know.

Best of luck!