PT Advice for September 2017 LSAT

awood5

Hello! I've read a lot of different discussions about this, but I can't find anything that specifically answers my questions.

I have taken 11 PTs and have averaged 163, but recently scored a 170, then 165. My scores are all over the place and I'm aiming to score 170 in September. Because I was originally planning to take the June exam, I already completed PT 62-71 so now I am back to using older ones. I've already purchased 42-61 and was planning to take those 20 (plus PT 71 which I saved) but now I'm reading that taking the 40s doesn't actually help because they're easier...? Should I use the 40s for drills and purchase the 70s individually? I don't want to spend more money than I have to, but I also don't want to mess myself up by using the 40s if they're not going to help.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Alex

@awood5 said:
Hello! I've read a lot of different discussions about this, but I can't find anything that specifically answers my questions.

I have taken 11 PTs and have averaged 163, but recently scored a 170, then 165. My scores are all over the place and I'm aiming to score 170 in September. Because I was originally planning to take the June exam, I already completed PT 62-71 so now I am back to using older ones. I've already purchased 42-61 and was planning to take those 20 (plus PT 71 which I saved) but now I'm reading that taking the 40s doesn't actually help because they're easier...? Should I use the 40s for drills and purchase the 70s individually? I don't want to spend more money than I have to, but I also don't want to mess myself up by using the 40s if they're not going to help.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Definitely take the 70s and use the 40s for drilling. The 40s will help, but they are no substitute for the 70s.

nicholasthomas127

The PTs in the 40s aren't necessarily easier, they're just slightly different. There are subtleties in the writing in the newer tests, in the LR sections for example, that make it a little more crisp in the writing than the older tests. It is also the fact about exhaustive BR being the key to improvement instead of the quantity of tests you take. I would focus on the number of PTs you think you can finish while doing exhaustive BR and review weaknesses instead of trying to do the 21 PTs you have left.

Cant Get Right

@nicholasthomas127 said:
It is also the fact about exhaustive BR being the key to improvement instead of the quantity of tests you take. I would focus on the number of PTs you think you can finish while doing exhaustive BR and review weaknesses instead of trying to do the 21 PTs you have left.

Seconding this. If you haven't been doing extensive BR, then I'd actually start with the 40's until you start seeing a BR score consistently in the mid to high 170's. I would save the 70's series until you've crossed that threshold.