Advice on Taking Practice Tests

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• 1 Like

  LSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐

  January 2018 13286 karma

  @"forest.dearing.2017" said:
  I'm excited to finally begin taking practice tests and wanted to know how others have simulated test day conditions most effectively. While taking the test in a perfectly quiet room at home seems unproductive, I'm tempted to start out there and then move to nosier locations.

  I tested;

  1.) at home
  2.) at a library
  3.) at work when I thought I could get away with it.

  It's sorta just do the best with what you have got. At work I'd have to stop the clock fairly often because, well, I was suppose to be working lol.

  the library was fairly nice, there were times that distraction was high (children)

  At home it was quite - but my cat HATED that I was sitting taking a test and ignoring her. She became a pest.

  Ultimately? Just try and get the tests in, you'll never strike pure gold with environment, just do the best you can
• 1 Like

  Alex Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 23929 karma

  @"forest.dearing.2017" said:
  I'm excited to finally begin taking practice tests and wanted to know how others have simulated test day conditions most effectively. While taking the test in a perfectly quiet room at home seems unproductive, I'm tempted to start out there and then move to nosier locations.

  I think starting out in the quiet of your own home seems sensible.

  I would also practice taking in the library or a place with moderate noise so you can get used to test day distractions. Above all, make sure to use the 7Sage proctor and a bubble sheet!

  https://7sage.com/lesson/how-to-take-a-simulated-lsat/

  https://7sage.com/lesson/5-section-lsat-timer-and-proctor/
• Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 edited January 2018 8392 karma

  @LSATcantwin said:

  >

  At home it was quite - but my cat HATED that I was sitting taking a test and ignoring her. She became a pest.

  Haha when I tested at home and it was just me and my roommate's dog, I got a lot of tennis balls thrown at me and growling, with the occasional paw to my arm or face. lol Not pleased that I was ignoring him.

  @"forest.dearing.2017" I think it helps to take do them in a mixture of environments to help be ready for anything. I did PTs at home, in the library, and a couple at coffeeshops to really ratchet up the distractions. Definitely avoid doing them exclusively at home because you want to get used to drowning out distractions. But mixing them in at home and other places as well is just fine.

  Definitely do everything you can to simulate a test day environment. Use the 7sage proctor and get used to hearing the instructions and the 5 minute warnings called. Use a pencil and a bubble sheet - this is absolutely mandatory!! You need to have a strategy for when to bubble in your answers and to allow for the time it takes to transfer them to the bubble sheet. Don't skip the 15 minute break either - it can throw off your momentum stepping away for a bit, and you need to practice that.

  Good luck!
• Legally_Speaking Alum Member

  January 2018 553 karma

  Great, thank you all!
• 1 Like

  sbc.mom_3x Alum Member

  January 2018 1501 karma

  In testing at home I utilize the 7Sage proctor with the distractions mode and background noise. It is so neat and realistic. My chihuahuas (who only favor me & typically bark at the mere thought of another person in our home) barked a couple times when a person coughed on the proctor.. it is very realistic. Definitely simulates test day.
• Seeking Perfection Alum Member

  January 2018 edited January 2018 4428 karma

  I just found the noisest part of my library. Except for one day where people sat next to me and shouted about their plans regarding Trump it produced a satisfying backround hum of distraction I was able to tune out. But that LR section, I almost didn't finish because most of the time I was wondering if I was legally or morally obligated to tell the police or secret service about a specific and detailed assassination plot. I figured since I couldn't tell for sure it wasn't in jest, I was fine. Nonetheless, I was more relieved than most that the President survived Thanksgiving. If it was real, the guilt would have bothered me. Think of the turkeys who would not have been pardoned.

  Edit: Keep in mind, I overheard this Thanksgiving Day plot in August. That gave it a certain credibility. Who is thinking about Thanksgiving in August?
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 23929 karma

  @"Seeking Perfection" said:
  I just found the noisest part of my library. Except for one day where people sat next to me and shouted about their plans regarding Trump it produced a satisfying backround hum of distraction I was able to tune out. But that LR section, I almost didn't finish because most of the time I was wondering if I was legally or morally obligated to tell the police or secret service about a specific and detailed assassination plot. I figured since I couldn't tell for sure it wasn't in jest, I was fine. Nonetheless, I was more relieved than most that the President survived Thanksgiving. If it was real, the guilt would have bothered me. Think of the turkeys who would not have been pardoned.

  Edit: Keep in mind, I overheard this Thanksgiving Day plot in August. That gave it a certain credibility. Who is thinking about Thanksgiving in August?

  Did they have detailed plans of an assassination!? Jeez laweez... Kuddos to you for not getting overly distracted to the point where you couldn't finish.
• Seeking Perfection Alum Member

  January 2018 4428 karma

  @"Alex Divine" said:

  @"Seeking Perfection" said:
  I just found the noisest part of my library. Except for one day where people sat next to me and shouted about their plans regarding Trump it produced a satisfying backround hum of distraction I was able to tune out. But that LR section, I almost didn't finish because most of the time I was wondering if I was legally or morally obligated to tell the police or secret service about a specific and detailed assassination plot. I figured since I couldn't tell for sure it wasn't in jest, I was fine. Nonetheless, I was more relieved than most that the President survived Thanksgiving. If it was real, the guilt would have bothered me. Think of the turkeys who would not have been pardoned.

  Edit: Keep in mind, I overheard this Thanksgiving Day plot in August. That gave it a certain credibility. Who is thinking about Thanksgiving in August?

  Did they have detailed plans of an assassination!? Jeez laweez... Kuddos to you for not getting overly distracted to the point where you couldn't finish.

  I didn't hear everything. I was trying hard to ignore it. But, they obviously had the location and time. They also spent a while talking about the guns they already owned. I didn't hear any talk about specifically where they would shoot from or anything, but still it was a little more than just the someone really should kill that guy before he does irreparable harm kind of thing which might be relatively normal.

  Oddly, that PT ended up right at my average.
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 23929 karma

  @"Seeking Perfection" said:

  @"Alex Divine" said:

  @"Seeking Perfection" said:
  I just found the noisest part of my library. Except for one day where people sat next to me and shouted about their plans regarding Trump it produced a satisfying backround hum of distraction I was able to tune out. But that LR section, I almost didn't finish because most of the time I was wondering if I was legally or morally obligated to tell the police or secret service about a specific and detailed assassination plot. I figured since I couldn't tell for sure it wasn't in jest, I was fine. Nonetheless, I was more relieved than most that the President survived Thanksgiving. If it was real, the guilt would have bothered me. Think of the turkeys who would not have been pardoned.

  Edit: Keep in mind, I overheard this Thanksgiving Day plot in August. That gave it a certain credibility. Who is thinking about Thanksgiving in August?

  Did they have detailed plans of an assassination!? Jeez laweez... Kuddos to you for not getting overly distracted to the point where you couldn't finish.

  I didn't hear everything. I was trying hard to ignore it. But, they obviously had the location and time. They also spent a while talking about the guns they already owned. I didn't hear any talk about specifically where they would shoot from or anything, but still it was a little more than just the someone really should kill that guy before he does irreparable harm kind of thing which might be relatively normal.

  Oddly, that PT ended up right at my average.

  https://media.giphy.com/media/xfQk67w5fRRx6/giphy.gif
• tylerdschreur10 Alum Member

  January 2018 1465 karma

  OP, this is probably unnecessary, but I'll say it anyway just in case. Make sure you always do 5 sections! Before my first test I exclusively did 4 section test because I didn't realize the point of wasting a section. But that stamina is vital on test day!

  Also, I agree that the library is a great place, pretty comparable environment to real deal. I took one PT in a Panera Bread right next to the door, which really battle tested my distraction avoidance mechanisms, highly recommend.

  Another big thing is to make sure you follow the same strategy you would on test day. If you want to skip and return, do that for every PT. It can be tempting to "leave well enough alone", and not revisit the tough questions, but that will decrease the effectiveness of your study.