New Tests vs. Older Tests

CantStopWontStop

I know most thoughts are to use the most recent tests for PT's. But why is this? I know they got rid of the question type where you read a passage and answer two questions (LR), added a comparative RC passage, and have more if a rule changed/is added at the end of LG games, but this seems like a 5% difference. Is there any other compelling reason? I almost feel like since most people (including myself) will focus on the most recent tests, LSAC might use older tests to "recycle" for newer tests. Any thoughts?

Tom_Tango

Do both

Sami

Hey,

I think we use the newer test to just see what the current writers are focusing on. For example, I feel that on the newer test we are more likely to see on LR a harder or a weirder question as number 2 or 3 to throw us off our game.

It's also useful to have practiced how to tackle comparative passages and notice that unlike 50 series you are more likely to get a weird game. So its helpful to have a strategy that you have practiced that lets you deal with those hurdles.

I do think if you are ready at PT 50 you are ready for PT 80. But scoring in 170's can a lot of times depend on a few questions. Those few questions can be easier to get if we know what the current LSAT writers are up to and not let some thing new that we are not used to seeing throw us off our game.

As a side note, my tutor would give me 60 or 50 or 40 or 70 series without telling me what PT I was going to get. In essence he would give me a PT without me having any idea what series it was from -like a blind test. I performed in the same score range regardless of what series that PT came from. The only time I would drop by a point or two off my average was when I would get a weird game.

Alex

The most recent tests are more reflective of what you're likely to see on test day. The older tests are probably closer to ~10% different from the modern tests, but 10% can be statistically significant on a 100 question test. That's a pretty compelling reason to at least familiarize yourself with the newer tests.

I'm not exactly sure how the LSAC would recycle older tests again? They have brought back old style logic games in the past 5 years, so it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the old games by foolproofing PTs 1-35.

Seeking Perfection

It is a small diference, but if you are not going to go through all the PTs, I would recommend going through more of the more recent ones first.

The other reason 7sage people recommend this approach is that the core curriculum material is drawn from tests 1-35. Therefore, you already have some exposure to those tests. They are still good practice, but the exposure makes them less good diagnostics. You might score a few points higher on them because you have literally done some of the questions in the core curriculum. 7sage left the new test material out to leave the best pactice tests unblemished and therefore make them good diagnostics.

As mentioned by @"Alex Divine" the LSAT used to have more unusual games before mecoming more standardized and then starting to add in more unusual games again though not as many as before. This means that the older LSAT games sections can be especially useful for preparing for a curveball game. However, you need exposure to new games too because of that rule replacement question.

CantStopWontStop

Thanks so much for all the feedback! Since I’m taking the feb test, time is a factor. I guess the answer is both... obviously. The main reason I asked though is because I feel like the most recent logic games are more similar to the older tests. Anyways, will foolproof 1-35 and concentrate most of my time of the last 25 tests.

calcal101

This is totally anecdotal, but the differences I've noted:
-recent tests (last 3-4 years) have LG that harken back to the good old days of PT 1-35
-recent tests' RC sections contain more questions that are almost LR-like (strengthen/weaken, etc)
-recent tests' comparative passages take some real getting used to!
-recent tests' RC passages are just a little harder overall

My score initially dipped when I started taking newer LSATs, but then it went back up! It sounds like you have a solid plan to study. Good luck!

pioneer321

Another thing to add, is that while the logic of the test has remained remarkably consistent since the 1990s, wording of some of the question prompts have changed and evolved. For this reason, I felt that it was important to use newer tests close to my real exam to be more automatic with the question prompts of today. This probably doesn't make a huge difference for most people, but since I had timing issues for most of my prep, I thought that this may be one of those little things that I could do to maximize allotted time as much as possible.