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Um, so I took 1 PT last week, but it was at 1:30PM - 4:50PM. I got a 159, which is just about what I've been PTing recently. Obviously I'm much more aware, awake, and active during the noon than I am in the morning.

I was going to take another PT today before realizing that the LSAT (Feb) will be at 10 in the morning or so and I'd have to wake up at 7 AM to be there by 8 AM. So, should I stop taking PTs in the noon and ONLY take them in the morning?

I am leaning towards yes. For me, I wanted my PT experience to mimic actual test day as much as possible so when I was taking the LSAT in the morning I would take my PT's in the morning... and when I took the LSAT in June i took them in the afternoon

Almost every time my students take a test by themselves, they do so in the afternoon and are amazed that they score a few points higher. Then, they take one at 9am and score lower.

There's a huge difference in how your brain works at different times during the day. Get it used to working at the time when you need it to work.

Also, don't rely on coffee. You'll have to go hours without it during the actual exam; there's nothing worse than reading about Russian literature with a caffeine headache.

bp shinners wrote:Almost every time my students take a test by themselves, they do so in the afternoon and are amazed that they score a few points higher. Then, they take one at 9am and score lower.

There's a huge difference in how your brain works at different times during the day. Get it used to working at the time when you need it to work.

Also, don't rely on coffee. You'll have to go hours without it during the actual exam; there's nothing worse than reading about Russian literature with a caffeine headache.

Or having to pee like a racehorse.

I would recommend taking the June test if you are much better in the afternoon. But I did wake up early (7am) and started my test at around 9am when I took a morning exam. Due to the stress of the test, you have a lot of things to worry about and a lot of variables that can go differently or go wrong. Why not control one of the few things you can control - time - when you prep? I'd say its just a smart thing to do.

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Yeah I agree with the consensus here. It is probably a good idea to take the tests in the morning as much as possible and I totally agree that if possible adjusting your sleep schedule so you are awake more in the morning can be a huge advantage.

that being said I dont think you are doomed if you are taking a lot, even the majority, of you PTs later. Because of my work schedule I took most of mine in the afternoon, if I had been taking them in the morning it would have been at like 4 am, and it worked out okay. I did make sure to take some in the morning on weekends though.

Take your PT at the same time as your actual LSAT will be administered. That way you can familiarize yourself with waking up at that time and kicking on you brain

I don't think it's terribly important, actually.

The most beneficial practice I had was taking a PT the week before with a friend of mine who was scoring roughly the same as me. It added a completely different dimension to the situation, as there was a stress there that was present on the actual test day. Not from a noise/distraction perspective, but from a direct competitive and desire to do better than others sense.

I think it definitely makes a difference... one of the main reasons I was a big fan of taking the June test.