Which PTs to choose?

itsemmarobyn

Hey friends, I'm going to be practice testing soon and I'm wondering how best to select which PTs to use. Obviously, it's not possible to complete every prep test from 36 onwards (unless you have a ton of free time and endless supplies of motivation) so it's necessary to select a few of them to practice with. Some people have recommended using the most recent 30 prep tests, others have said to choose 20-30 PTs from 36 onwards... what do you guys think? Does it really matter which ones I choose?

Also, how many PTs are we recommended to complete before formally taking the test?

MIT_2017

It doesn't exactly matter which you choose, so long as you complete several of the most recent PTs (80-87). But unless you plan on completing a ton of PTs, there is no need to start as far back as PT36 -- PT 70 is likely to be more emblematic of what you'll see on test day than PT 40 is.

Some people recommend you start at PT60 or so and do only the even-numbered PTs, such that you'll have the odds left over if you need to retake.

ExcludedMiddle

PTs in the 36-51 range can be a great tool for working on your timing and practicing your overall skill-set, if nothing else. The logic hasn't changed/won't change in LG or LR. Even the RC before comparative reading is still great practice for your reading strategies for 3/4 of the modern passages. A nice middle ground can be to just use those PTs' sections for timed sections for your lighter days.

SuperMario929

I agree with the above advice regarding which tests are most like the "real thing" (i.e. PT 60 and onwards). I LOVE the earlier prep tests though (35-50). I think they are on the easier side and are a good ego boost for when you need it during your studying. I took one two days before the July 2019 exam just so that I could score my best score to date (which I did). The questions are just a bit less tricky, so I think they are good for that purpose. Otherwise, use the latest prep tests to figure out where you are weak and to get a feel for what the test will look like on test day.

cooljon525-1-1

I think it also depends how close you are scoring to your target score. If you are far below then I would practice on older PTs because you don't wanna burn through the most recent tests. When you start scoring near your target, I would take the newer ones.

Louislepauvre

For games I would recommend going back and trying some old ones (like 34, 31). Those tended to be harder and will make newer games seem totally doable.