Prioritizing prep tests for printing

If you can dream it...

Hello,

It's Aug 1 and I am transitioning from material to prep tests only for the final month before taking the Sept LSAT. I know...should have been doing them more often throughout, but have been doing a lot of drills and sections. For the prep tests that I have done, I've started with the older ones. About to print a stack of tests and wondering if it makes more sense to start from the more recent tests or earlier? Basically, if I wanted to print 15 prep tests, which ones would you suggest?

Thank you!

ChaimtheGreat

September will follow the more recent PT trends so I would definitely take 77-84. After that I would balance out exams by curve. You'll want some experience dealing with -9 curves and with -13 curves (and everything in-between). Maybe try to find exams with tough rule substitution questions? I guess the rest depends on your weaknesses and strengths.

ebalde1234

I agree with the above try to focus on the newer ones but don’t use them all up in case you need to retake

samantha.ashley92

I'm pretty much in the same position as you-- recently started PTing and testing in September. Since there's a good shot I'll retake in November, I'm going to leave the upper 70s untouched. I would print some of the upper 60s, low-mid 70s, and 80s... unless you know you aren't going to retake. If that's the case, print the most recent ones.

ExcludedMiddle

@"samantha.ashley92" said:
I'm pretty much in the same position as you-- recently started PTing and testing in September. Since there's a good shot I'll retake in November, I'm going to leave the upper 70s untouched. I would print some of the upper 60s, low-mid 70s, and 80s... unless you know you aren't going to retake. If that's the case, print the most recent ones.

Just speaking from experience, if your general sense of your preparedness and perhaps your PT scores are indicating to you you probably won't get your goal score in September and will need to retake, you may be better off just withdrawing. The experience of waiting on, and then getting, your official score that will be on your record is stressful and it's probably better to not have to go through that experience any more than necessary. And generally people probably have a good sense of how ready they are. Of course, then you run the risk of not getting the score you want in November and then being kinda late for this cycle with a potential January retake.

But generally, the 3-5 weeks after a real LSAT are pretty emotionally involved for most folks and you may get end up not getting much done in the way of LSAT prep for those 3-5 weeks after September's LSAT if you decide to take it then. That's just something you may want to keep in mind. Then again, if you're somehow able to get back to studying a few days after taking a real LSAT, this may not be a huge concern. But I think for most people there's a certain mix of anxiety and anticipation in that period that makes it pretty hard to be too productive. And November's LSAT is still early enough to allow you to be on time for this cycle, if you think you would feel better going into November's test with that extra time.

samantha.ashley92

@39845892535 I'm applying to some Canadian schools, and apps are due November 1st. So I have to take September. I also have a motor disorder that gets worse when I am stressed. The first time will definitely be more stressful than my retake. So in September, I may have less than 35 min per section that I can actually function normally. I really have no idea. But if I take the exam more than once, I have a better chance of getting a full 35 min of time I can use.

ExcludedMiddle

@"samantha.ashley92" Interesting. That definitely makes sense.