Best Study Plan for Retakers? Forum

[david.patel]

Is there a Pithy Pike equivalent for people retaking the LSAT? I've gone though the Next 10 and 10 More books already.

[Kurst]

The objective in studying for a retake is not different from studying for the test itself. The preptest that you took under LSAC's watchful eye is little more than a preptest with which you are dissatisfied. If you would like to keep yourself from experiencing such dissatisfaction again, do not take an administered test until you are content with the results from your preparation. If you exhaust all of the tests and remain discontent, see this post on learning from old material.

[david.patel]

Thank you for the reply. I have not yet exhausted all of the available preptests. I have not completed the first book of 10 official preptests and I have not used anything after PT 39+. So I did everything from PT 19 to 38 and I have a 167 so far.

I found a pdf of questions by type for pretty cheap here: --LinkRemoved-- Almost the entire set will be new material for me, but I am wondering if they are worthwhile doing since they are from the earlier tests.

If I go through Pithy's method using the "grouped by type" set and then do all tests from PT39+, do you think I will be in good shape for a 5-10 point gain?

[well-hello-there]

If I go through Pithy's method using the "grouped by type" set and then do all tests from PT39+, do you think I will be in good shape for a 5-10 point gain?

yes....if you do it right.

doing it right is probably slightly different for everyone and so you'll have to find out what works best for you.

My first LSAT score was close to your first and I was able to pull off a 6 point improvement.
I believe that the older tests are still very useful. I think you should save the 10-15 newest tests for the last few months of your study regimen. Burn through the older tests first.

beware of burn-out. It wasn't until I stopped studying for 40 hours/week and gave myself a few weeks off that I saw the dramatic improvement. If you find yourself stuck at a certain level, doing 3 LSAT's per week might not help your score at all and you will just be wasting virgin test questions. Take a week or two off when this starts happening.

[well-hello-there]

I found that underlining and circling words in LR and RC was actually holding me back. I was too focused on circling the right things that I was unable to focus intently on the test material.

It might not work for you but it's worth a shot.

[david.patel]

Thank you so much for the reply. My plan was to start now for the June LSAT. Is this too soon? I don't want to risk burnout.

I don't underline or circle in LR and it's minimal in RC so I think we are similar in that case. Hopefully we are similar in a 6 point improvement too!

[well-hello-there]

I don't think it's too early to start right now. A 4 month study plan is probably on the shorter end of most recommended study plans.

The overall length of study wasn't what caused my burnout, it was studying 40+ hours per week for weeks and weeks that caused it. (I was unemployed at the time) Even after that sort of extreme studying, I only needed a couple weeks off to recover.

good luck

[david.patel]

Thank you for the advice well-hello-there. I will be sure to make sure I don't burn out!

[drummerboy]

Help!! Im getting into schools but the schollys arent coming. I cant retake until October for the next cycle 2011 to 2012. I will probably be reapplying to the same schools that I have been rejected or accepted to. Is that a problem? Can I just update my Resume PS. ? Do schools care that you previously applied?

[well-hello-there]

Help!! Im getting into schools but the schollys arent coming. I cant retake until October for the next cycle 2011 to 2012. I will probably be reapplying to the same schools that I have been rejected or accepted to. Is that a problem? Can I just update my Resume PS. ? Do schools care that you previously applied?

if you were rejected or didn't get scholarship money because your LSAT was bad, (below the school's median for rejections and below the school's 75%ile for scholarship money) then you just need to fix your bad LSAT. Do that and you can probably get away with sending them the same application 2 years in a row. If you were rejected because your application sucked AND your LSAT score wasn't good enough, then scoring above 75%ile or maybe even just above median will probably get you in the 2nd time around.

some schools don't make scholarship offers at the same time you get the acceptance.

[Adjudicator]

You mentioned the "Next 10" and "10 More" LSAT preptests in the OP. Are those the most recent PTs that you have taken? I highly recommend taking the most recent PTs, which have not been published in a book, but are available individually. PTs 50-60 should be mandatory prep material.

[david.patel]

You mentioned the "Next 10" and "10 More" LSAT preptests in the OP. Are those the most recent PTs that you have taken? I highly recommend taking the most recent PTs, which have not been published in a book, but are available individually. PTs 50-60 should be mandatory prep material.

Yes I was trying to save money by only doing those two books. For my retake I have decided to do the 20 most recent PTs. The good news is that this is all fresh material for me so I am better off than most people retaking.