Which tests to save for December?

Anna Marie

Hi guys,

I only have 7 raw tests left. I'm taking the September administration but would like to keep approx. 3-4 raw tests on hand in the event that all does not go as planned and I end up taking December as well. I can't decide if it's best to go ahead and take all the 70 series I have left or save one or two just in case. I'd appreciate any advice on which PTs to take between now and September 24.

Here's my list of available PTs:
PT59
PT60
PT67
PT70
PT72
PT76
Superprep II Undisclosed PT

Sprinkles

What's your target score and what have you been scoring with your most recent PTs?

Anna Marie

Target score is 174. I've been scoring between 171-176 on my last few takes, although two weeks ago I had one take that dropped me back down to 167. I don't quite feel that I'm 100% where I want to be but will be applying this cycle so I plan to go ahead with a September take.

Sprinkles

@MoralVacuum said:
I don't quite feel that I'm 100% where I want to be but will be applying this cycle

Take a few more PTs (maybe 2 or 3) and you should see yourself at least 4-5 pts ahead of your target. Go for Sept. and worse case scenario is retaking in December if you haven't taken the LSAT 3 times already.

Toxoplasmosis

I don't think postponing is the move here. You are scoring in range of your target score and you probably just had a bad outlier test. If you really want to save those recent PTs in the event of a retake then going through other previously taken recent tests again with limited time (30 or 25 min sections) seems like it would also be valuable. Good luck and congrats on having an awesome score range!

Anna Marie

Haha yeah the issue isn't really about postponing or not... I'm 3+ years out of school and have been studying for almost a year so sitting out for another cycle is just not in the cards for me this time around. I'm just wondering if there are particular tests (I've heard both 72 and 76 are killer) that I should definitely take before September to make sure I've got all those "new" twists and turns covered. But also want to be judicious about which PTs I take because, let's be real, the LSAT does not always go the way we want it to! If I have to retake in December, I want to have some fresh PTs to gauge where I'm at beforehand.

Alex

@MoralVacuum said:
But also want to be judicious about which PTs I take because, let's be real, the LSAT does not always go the way we want it to! If I have to retake in December, I want to have some fresh PTs to gauge where I'm at beforehand.

Prudence is a virtue I always say. So I commend you for foresight to save some tests for a retake.

I'd say at this point, with where you are scoring, I would do 70, 72, 76. And save the rest for a retake. The 70s are going to be what you want to focus energy on since those will be most similar to the test you'll sit for. So I'm going to agree with Montaha and say take 3 more.

In short, though, I think you are going to do great if your recent PT scores are any indication!

Congrats on killing it! Good luck

danielznelson

@MoralVacuum I am literally in the same situation as yours - same desired score, same range, same score drop in a recent PT, same attitude for this upcoming cycle, and a feeling of not being quite 100% for September despite realizing there's no reason not to take.

Having taken all but PT 76 and C2 (my last two untouched PTs), I would definitely recommend taking PT 72, which features something never before seen as well as plenty of lessons from which to learn. I've taken that test three times, and while I actually did all right the first take, I'm still learning a lot each take.

Since we only have about 2.5 weeks left before the test, I wouldn't take any more than 2-3 untouched PTs. With that in mind, I would recommend sticking with the newer ones right before the September take to give yourself a heightened familiarity with what the newest tests are doing. By the newest, I mean 65+.

I can't speak on PT 76, since I haven't taken it, though I've never heard anything unusual about it. Still, the most important thing is to attack the most recent tests, especially since some of the weird logic games in recent PTs are more than likely not going to be reincarnated in similar games so soon and thus in September.

If I were you (which I almost feel like I am given our mirrored circumstances), I would take 72 and one other in the 70s, be it 76 or 70. I would probably lean towards 76, however, though that would be with the attitude that I am taking in September to kill it in September, and I imagine it would offer a lot. Should you take another on top of those two, I'd take 67.

Admittedly, you're taking a bit of a risk, given that you may take in December with only one recent test. You'd still have, however, two in the lows 60s (PT 60 and the C2 test), along with 59, all of which I believe have comparative passages.

Again though, I wouldn't take more than three, and honestly, I'd advise only taking two. With only 2.5 weeks left, you probably shouldn't take a new test right before test day. In my opinion, it would be best to take 72 and either 70 or 76, but not both. BR and review thoroughly and consider doing some rough form of retaking them if need be. I would then keep up to speed on RC by doing random sections from tests you've already used, maintain consistency on LG and revisit tough games/sections, and master the circle games found in PT A or B, 1, and 41. There's a chance a circle game will be featured on an upcoming LSAT.

Seriousbird

@danielznelson Are the LG your referring to in PT A or B from SuperPrep I? If so, would those games also be found in the Cambridge LG 1-38 pdf?

danielznelson

Yes, A, B, and C are all in the Superprep book, though they're not included in the Cambridge pocket you're referring to.

I believe the Superprep tests have hard LG in general.

twssmith

Good Morning!! (by the time you read this:)
Congrats on your score band:)
Trying to figure out whether to keep a few 'fresh PT's" is also a concern of mine. I am on par with my target score band but not on my "dream" score band so I am preparing for a 2nd take in Dec to hopefully reach my loftier goals.

@danielznelson has great points and I completely agree to definitely take PT72 - I am actually going to take it for the 3rd time this weekend. You have experience with almost all of the most current PTs especially 77-78 so I would recommend holding on to maybe PT70 & 76 and either of the PT59-60 tests. I am not sure it would be a good idea to take 3 of the most current PT's with only a few weeks left that could deprive you of valuable time for in-depth BR and not lead to scoring gains. (Plus after my debacle on PT77 with too many distractions bringing me to tears, please heed the advice to take care of your emotional and mental confidence. Fortunately, I have enough time to rebound but I learned a hard lesson that I hope to recover:)

Maybe a strategy in the final stretch?
For the past few weeks, I have picked my lowest scored PT's and split them up to take 2 sections a day - each of the LR's with either LG or RC. If time permits, I am fool-proofing the LG's from current tests and taking the RC sections from 1-36.

We have got to be smart about burn-out at this point! I posted this in another thread and I hope it helps:
Stress is counter-productive but how to continue to prep without stress can be counter-intuitive at this point with the test date on the horizon...

To quote Frozen - "Let It Go" - on the expectations and believe in your abilities:)

We can do this!!

needmylsat180

is it just me or the LR Acs in the 70s are wayyyy more subtle compared to those in the late 60s.

Anna Marie

A bit late on this, but thanks for the advice everyone! @danielznelson, every time I heard you talking about your recent prep on the BR calls I've thought "this sounds just like me." Hopefully a September take will pay off for both of us! I did end up taking PT72 last week and I'm definitely glad I did...so many things to learn from that test. Unfortunately, I should've taken @twssmith 's advice about burnout -- a few days ago I had the same experience as @"Cant Get Right" and had to just stop completely in the middle of a PT. I've taken some time off and it's been great but still hoping to squeeze 1-2 more PTs in before next week. Anyway, thanks again for the valuable advice and good luck to all who are putting the finishing touches on their prep!