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How many PTs is too many PTs?

red416416red416416 Free Trial Member
in General 82 karma
Just wondering, how many PTs are you guys doing now that we have 3 weeks left to go ...

I don't want to burn myself out and I want to actually absorb what I'm learning, however I haven't done too many PTs (maybe like 5 full ones, even though I've been studying part-time since March) so would a PT every day be too much (1 timed, the next day untimed and so on) .... or should I stick to 2-3 per week? Also, I'm planning to study 8-10 hours a day until test day.

I started with a 140, last PT was 151, aiming for 160 on the 24th. Too ambitious? My part-time studying hasn't allowed me to fully absorb the material which is why I haven't increased my score as much as I wanted to :(

Thank you for any responses!

Comments

  • MrSamIamMrSamIam Inactive ⭐
    edited September 2016 2086 karma
    Ideally, you want to do as many as you can without running the risk of burning out. That said, I would think 2 a week + BR for the next two weeks should be fine. I wouldn't recommend PTing the week of the exam. But, if you absolutely must, don't bother grading/BRing the test. By that point, you can't expect to improve by much, and one bad test may throw you off before test day.

    Jumping from a 151 to a 160 in less than a month is going to be incredibly difficult. Some people spend 3 months studying for 20+ hours a week just to make that same jump. If a 160 is your target score, consider sitting the December administration.

    Note: If you're scoring low on LG, you may find it more beneficial to focus on that for the next 2 weeks.
  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    23929 karma
    I think the maximum even J.Y. recommends is 3-4 per week. But 2 is probably even better.
    @MrSamIam said:

    Note: If you're scoring low on LG, you may find it more beneficial to focus on that for the next 2 weeks.
    Absolutely this!
  • red416416red416416 Free Trial Member
    82 karma
    Thanks guys, much appreciated!
  • westcoastbestcoastwestcoastbestcoast Alum Member
    3788 karma
    Agreed with all the commebts above. I previously took an upwards of 5 exams a week leading up to the June exam, and the stress of having to crank out that many exams and review them left me burnt out. I even started to have some sleep issues which were eventually resolved once I scaled back my work capacity and focused on getting deeper review.
  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27900 karma
    @MrSamIam said:
    Note: If you're scoring low on LG, you may find it more beneficial to focus on that for the next 2 weeks.
    Definitely this. If you're -15 on LG, you might could pull off a 160 for this test. The LG gap is the only one that can conceivably be closed within this kind of time frame. Best case scenario though, still a long shot. If you're committed to your score, I'd recommend opting for December.
  • red416416red416416 Free Trial Member
    82 karma
    I am scoring low on LG (I miss about -10 to -12 every time), I find that I can only do about 3/4 games so I need to improve speed and some accuracy.

    Thanks for the help guys!
  • MrSamIamMrSamIam Inactive ⭐
    2086 karma
    @red416416 If you're able to get through 3 games and you're still scoring -10/-12, that means that you're also lacking in the accuracy department. That's understandable. For LG, both timing and accuracy can be drastically improved using the fool proof method.
  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27900 karma
    Yeah, work on them games @red416416 . You won't beat the 7Sage curriculum for that, but just make sure you're not using Powerscore or something, lol. Whatever you're using, I'm assuming you've found the free 7Sage explanations on youtube right? If you haven't, make sure you're taking advantage of that. Also, keep in mind that ideally you don't want to be taking any PTs until your score is at least kind of close to where you want to be. If you're taking in September no matter what, just make sure you save a bunch of fresh PTs for your retake in December. The worst thing that could happen is to find yourself needing to retake without any fresh material. You're kinda screwed at that point. I really think you will get more out of focusing on LG than on taking PTs anyway, so hopefully that gives you something to work on without needing to burn up all your PTs.
  • edited September 2016 194 karma
    I've done one every day for 7 days straight. Luckily I'm used to this kind of pace but I really don't recommend it if you haven't pushed yourself like that before. If you are planning on pushing yourself the biggest key imo is routine. Here's my daily LSAT routine.
    Wake up: 6:40
    30 Minute Jog
    Shower & Breakfast
    Warm up Exercises (1 LG, 5 Flaw Questions, 1RC): 7:40
    Morning Meditation (Helps a lot with focus)
    Write at 9
    Finish at 12:15
    Leisure (Driving range for me)
    Blind review
    Dinner
    Study
    Sleep
    I'd say try for 3-4 per week starting somewhere around PT 60!
  • red416416red416416 Free Trial Member
    82 karma
    Thanks guys, I'm going to focus on games from now on.

    I really like your schedule, and I'm going to attempt to replicate it :)
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