Opinions on Taking PT Consecutively or Mixed Up?

Sarah889

Hey All,

I've been taking PTs in order (starting from the ancients working up through the 30s). As I'm progressing, I'm noticing a decrease in my score, and it's occurred to me that it's probably because LSAC has implemented some changes in the 2000s. Reading some other discussions, it seems that there are certain focuses that change in the tests as they get newer. I'm wondering if a better strategy would be to mix them up (take a 30 one week, then a 40, then a 50, etc.)? Or should I continue to work on the older ones as I learn and improve my score and save the newer (more relevant) ones for when I get closer to test day?

Thoughts?

(Also, side note- if I have questions on a certain LR question, where can I go to get people's input? I've been commenting on JY's explanatory videos, but there doesn't seem to be much discussion going on there. Considering I've been taking older tests, it doesn't seem that the BR Groups will help me at the moment either.)

roblim92

I'm also interested in an answer for this as I'm feeling the same way about the PTs. With regards to your side note, I'm willing to join in discussion for some of the LR questions!

Wind-Up Bird

If you're working through the core curriculum, I'm not sure how much taking the really, really old PTs (i.e. PT 1 - 36) help, since J.Y. uses so many questions from these tests as exercises. Since you probably saw the questions while studying, your PT scores from 1 - 36 may be inflated.

Personally, I would recommend taking PTs 36 - 79 chronologically, as you can gradually get accustomed to the new tricks and techniques that the later PTs begin to introduce. Perhaps someone who mixed it up could offer a different opinion. Either way, it's important to save PTs in the 70s for the final few weeks of studying, as they will be the most accurate predictors of your actual test score.

As for specific questions about old LR questions, you can always post them on the discussion forum. Just put the PT #, section #, and question # along with a brief question stem description in the title, and you'll likely have a couple prompt responses.

Best of luck,
WUB

Cant Get Right

Mixed up! The last thing you want is to be reaching the most recent, relevant tests right before you test with no time to adapt to the subtleties of the contemporary LSAT. The recent tests have a very distinct feel to them, and you want to learn that feel well before test day.

Alex

@"Cant Get Right" said:
Mixed up! The last thing you want is to be reaching the most recent, relevant tests right before you test with no time to adapt to the subtleties of the contemporary LSAT. The recent tests have a very distinct feel to them, and you want to learn that feel well before test day.

Absolutely mix it up!

desire2learn

I used the PTs in order with the caveat that you need to adapt to how much time you are working with. I skipped quite a few in the 50s and a few in the 60s because I wanted to get all the most recent ones done with a few weeks to spare before my actual test. I agree that you don't want to leave the most recent ones till the last minute but I also think you want to be doing those ones "most recent" so when you are sitting for the LSAT you are in that mode mentally. Thus I used the older ones to build up my skills and once my skills were at a much better place, I was able to adjust to the changes that take place in the 70s because I could identify what was going on. If I had done them too early it would have been difficult to know what was because I was deficient in a skill and what was because of a shift. Thus, I recommend doing them in order as long as you finish about the last 10-12 with 2-3 weeks to spare before you sit for the test (and by finish I mean do 2 a week starting 8-9 weeks before the real test so you have time to get to them all and finish 79 with that 2-3 week cushion still there).

Cant Get Right

@desire2learn said:
I used the older ones to build up my skills and once my skills were at a much better place, I was able to adjust to the changes that take place in the 70s because I could identify what was going on.

Agreed with this! Ideally, work older ones until your BR score is consistently around about +5 or so of your target score. I think that's really the point where you want to start mixing. Anything before that and you're still working on fundamentals. Don't want to use the recent tests for that. From there, I still say mix though. I like a skipping structure. I think @"Alex Divine" recommended a skip 5 strategy on a recent thread that I really liked, so if something like, if you're starting at PT50 or wherever, do:
50
55
60
65
70
75
51
56
61
etc etc.