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4 Likes
Digital LSAT Takers: how was the experience?
Adam Z. Xie
Member
What did the test look like? Is it displayed like the one on LSAC (somewhat similar to “fixed” rather than “fluid” on the 7 Sage beta), or something different?
Was hoping to test it today, but I got the paper-and-pencil format.
My experience with the digital format in PT is that it saves tons of time transferring and correcting answer choices, and thus, alleviating lots of stress.
Comments
I felt it was smoother! Much easier to make sure you are choosing the actual answer, and the way the digital fades the choices marked incorrect is really nice. As other people have mentioned on the July thread there is an annoying pop up at 5 minutes to go, but other than that the test itself is smooth. The main issue was confusion from the proctors how to administer the test, syncing issues back to the main computer, tablet sign out etc.
Thanks for the feedbacks! Can’t wait for the Sep LSAT!
I have been using 7sage digital version to study! I actually feel super relax and able to concentrate throughout the entire exam. I think, using an Ipad with a regular stylus is sufficient for you to use 7sage digital exam for prep.
Was the Stylus pretty standard and easy to use?
I liked it once we got to the test. My test center had technical difficulties we didn't get started until about 2:45 PM. But these technical difficulties should be eliminated by September. Personally, I didn't use the stylus, it was just easier to use my fingers.
There was NO STYLUS!!
Me too. NO STYLUS. Sucks when your fingers are sweaty.
Highlighting was harder for me.
I have so much to say...!!!
I actually received a stylus + pen combo. It was very disappointing to be honest... the pen is a "twist to open" type and when it locks open or close it makes a click. It got annoying when a few people were twisting constantly and thus creating clicking noises. The stylus is on the other end like an eraser.... so it's not any type of high quality stylus.... I was actually very disappointed about this. They let us take the stylus home so I will take a pic of it and post it soon!
There are definitely differences between the 7sage and the actual. Most notably, the red highlighter on 7sage comes out nearly maroon for me on my iPad so I never used it, but on the actual LSAT the red highlight is a very light pink and I ended up using that quite a bit esp. to isolate conclusion. Also, in reading comp, on the real test, any line references were automatically highlighted in blue which was definitely helpful!
One HUGE frustration for me... the responsiveness of the tablets was VERY disappointing, ESPECIALLY highlighting! I definitely wasted more time than I could afford early on trying to fully highlight things, and I eventually forced myself to adapt to partially highlighted things. It didn't matter whether I was using the "stylus" or my fingers; issues were equal with both. I REALLY hope this is something LSAC fixes for upcoming tests (on that note, anyone know where I can submit this kind of feedback?) Also, I tried to change my answer with about 10 seconds left but for some reason it wouldn't switch and then time ran out. 10 seconds is PLENTY of time to tap a different answer and I wanted to pull my hair out when that happened.
One thing to keep in mind that's different from 7Sage tester... your time starts ticking the second you start the section... but the first thing you see on the screen is the instructions and you have to click "next". I didn't realize this and was waiting for proctor instructions and wasted about 7 seconds on the first section haha
Overall, I'm a fan of the digital, but LSAC REALLY needs to work on improving the responsiveness of the touch screen! It was "acceptable" for the tester, but I see this being a huge issue for the "real" tests.
Beforehand, I was so nervous to get the digital, but when our testing site was delayed due to technical issues, I had time to mentally prepare. In fact, I really loved the digital experience, BUT a few things could be improved or if you will be taking the test soon, you can prepare yourself:
There is a short tutorial, but it doesn’t cover everything and it goes so fast, I missed a few key items, which under normal relaxed circumstances is not a problem. For example, there are a few options to use highlighting. I only used yellow because I didn’t have time to experiment. It is annoying and temperamental at times. There is a way to flag the question, which I caught on to later in section 2.
Even though the Interface is simple and awesome to work with, there is no chance to get familiar with it before you are thrown into it. I lost time learning which way I wanted to use the options.
Lastly, for RC digital was awkward because I had to take notes on my scratch paper next to the digital device. I missed not being able to jot notes down right on the passage.
Slight strategy adjustments needed but will be super awesome once we get used to it. Good luck all!
I liked the digital format. The stylus worked well for me. When practicing I got the feeling that not having to bubble would save me time and I found that it indeed did allow me some extra time.
Those that had problems with the tutorial right before the test......that was the same info that was give to us on the LSAC digital LSAT practice site. If you walked in and that was the first time you saw that info that is on you, not LSAC.
My experience was smooth! I actually loved it, specially the stylus/pen. It’s a pen with the eraser as the stylus. So intuitive and fast. There is no need for switching pencils, resetting watch, bubbling answers. Procedurally felt quicker as well. Very similar to 7sage digital as well. Just remember if you are practicing with a tablet, you cannot raise the tablet more than 30 degrees.
So my experience was really awful and discouraging. Like some people have mentioned, there were lots of issues with the stylus and also just the tablet itself. The sensitivity was way off and would jump to questions before I had finished answering the previous one, and highlighting or underlying on RC was a huge nightmare and time suck. LSAC sent my test center tablets that weren’t fully charged but only 15 chargers for 60 tablets, so there was constant anxiety that the tablet might die during a section. I think overall it was very glitchy and a harrowing experience and I hope they get the kinks worked out soon.
The digital LSAT really sucked
I liked it, for the most part. I felt it really saved time between bubbling, flipping pages, etc. that I would have had to do with the paper version. The timer was right there on the screen, and everything functioned pretty well. I royally screwed up on one of the games by misreading a rule. I was able to go back and try to fix that game and still had time to make an attempt on all the other games. With paper, I'm pretty sure I would have been even more screwed. I have always had issues with timing, and I only ran into having to guess in the more difficult LR section on 3 questions. In one section, I had extra time. I never have extra minutes to go back on the test! So, I really think what it saves you in not bubbling and all adds up quite significantly.
I second that sometimes the responsiveness of the stylus (I had the pen with the rubber tip) was a bit underwhelming. If I tried to highlight a word that began on the far left side, it almost never grabbed it. It was a pain for that. But otherwise, it was pretty good. I kind of think they need to add a quick calibration to their tutorial section. The controls were easy and quick to change. I spent most of the test in greyscale to make it easier on my eyes, and changed to color when RC came up. It is super fast to make changes like that (And for those who are curious, highlighting is in levels of grey color too when it's in greyscale mode).
The rule for the angle was 30 degrees or 3" max. I used my license as a guide, since licenses and credit cards are usually about 3.5" long. Honestly, I needed to put it down to around 10-15 degrees to avoid the glare from the fluorescent lights. I witnessed that a lot of people just left it totally flat and didn't even try it out. I can't imagine how bad it would have been totally flat. The neck craning and light-glare issue would have been a problem for me if I had left it flat. Seems like a lot of people I ran into afterwards had headaches. I don't find that to be a coincidence.
They gave you a TON of scratch paper, so do not worry there. Essentially, a whole 8.5x11ish sized booklet. I don't think I even touched half of it. I practiced on one sheet folded into quarters at home, so it was nice to be able to have a ton of room to work out problems.
Edit: Oh!! The best thing about digital: the room is SOOOO much quieter. No one erasing. Very little scratch noises. No table movement from neighbors as they frantically erase stuff. So, in that respect, much better than paper when it comes to distractions.
@fycw2068 - Can you post a pic of the stylus they gave?
This is what I got at my testing (not my photo tho)
https://i2.wp.com/ge-you.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cde738be-3c73-4c7e-bcac-d7efe43da9ce.jpg
@AudaciousRed @arman_65
When you say the angle is supposed to be 30 degrees, do you mean the angle of the stand (Angle A) or the angle of the tablet (Angle B )? Picture for reference: https://ibb.co/L1K52Gq
I know this question is super nit picky, so my apologies! I like my screen to be upright so I might have to adjust accordingly when I PT.
How long between each section?
@cthornton582 Basically no time for my proctor. At 35 minutes, the device stops letting you take the section and the proctor basically said “time for the next section,” and the timer automatically starts.
One thing though is you have to press start to begin the section and I spent a few seconds to refresh my mind before starting but it seemed like the clock was already ticking from when the proctor said to start. Just FYI; just because you don’t hit start to have a short pause b/n sections doesn’t mean the section hasn’t started.
It was easier to be efficient (no bubbling) and review my answers than on a paper exam imo.
I'm not a STEM graduate, but wouldnt the angle of A and B be roughly the same as one another at all times? (ie. top angle is 120 degrees, A and B would be 30 each; top angle is 80 degrees, A and B would be 50 each). The sides are the same length for A and B, so only the side that is the desk surface changes in length when the tablet is being propped on the desk.
Anyway, they told us 30 degrees or no higher than 3". As I had no way to really measure the degrees, I used my ID card like I described previously.
You have two options: lay the tablet flat on the desk or tilt the surface stand as far as it goes which will automatically create the 30 degrees i mentioned earlier. You cannot tilt it midway to keep it upright. To reference with the picture, tilting A all the way back will make B stand at a 30 degree angle. I hope that helps.
@AudaciousRed
You are absolutely right! It seems obvious now lol but I didn't initially realize that the sides are the same length.
@arman_65
Ahh got it! It's more like a kickstand than an adjustable stand.
Thank you both - your answers were really helpful!
I have no idea what was wrong with your tablet, but that is not at all how mine functioned or anyone around me who played with the option. It was absolutely adjustable to varying degrees of being propped up. My tablet was maybe 1.5" off the table and held just fine. It was definitely not an all or nothing kickstand like prop.
@stargirl
This was pretty close to the level of tilt I had my tablet at to avoid the overhead lights (as seen at 2:40 in). As you can see, it holds its angle of adjustment just fine even when people are drawing on it:
I think you misunderstood lol. Yes it is a normal surface go tablet and you can adjust in multiple angles but the proctors strictly forbid us to hold them upright and told us that it has to be flat or tilted all the way. that is what I meant when I said "you have two options" lol. Maybe the proctors were wrong at my center? idk I'm just relating my experience. Hope that helps.
Ah.. gotcha. I read that as the tablets themselves couldnt be adjusted. LoL. You're right in that the proctor's forbade how tall they could stand /how upright they could be. Guess it's to cut down on cheating possibilities. Makes sense.
But, I will say that is a little tilt, my neck felt much better than hunching over the paper version for hours.
hey @Trusttheprocess and everyone --
so sorry I completely forgot to post a picture of the stylus. To make up for it I made a quick video of the stylus in action which you can view here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pdbB28v0nfAWc8K0GqWQnAnf-HI9YCP1
Let me know if you have any issues accessing or any other questions!
thanks for the video!!!!!!!!!!!
How bad is it that I'm PTing with my Macbook Pro instead of Surface tablet???