170+ Scorers: Couple Days Before the Test Forum

[biggestlawman]

Took a pt 2 days before, some light games the day before. 175+

I think I will do the same.

[RZ5646]

Studied through Thursday, then did nothing LSAT related on Friday. Instead, I tried to relax and eat enough to make sure I'd have energy in the morning.

Pace Ugg, I think a warmup on Saturday morning is very important. Warming up more probably would have gotten me an extra point or two.

[LittleGiants16]

I was working full time. Took the Thursday and Friday before the test off. Took a PT both days and reviewed them. Did 2 logic games the morning of.

Wow! What are you on?

This was me as well (the work thing). I too took a couple of days off, but I played some golf, drank some beer, and just chilled for the few days before the exam.

[Shemp]

I took a prep test the day before as close as I could simulate to actual test conditions, at the same time but with a bunch of sitting around before I started, background noise, an extra section, the same snack, etc, and got a 180. Then got a 175 on the actual test. So, don't do that, I guess.

[superpatton]

I think the key is to keep as normal of mindset as possible. If you feel comfortable doing pt's then do that, but for me personally, I was much better off just relaxing and clearing my mind before the test. Don't try something new that's going to throw you off when the actual test comes around.

[biggestlawman]

I took a prep test the day before as close as I could simulate to actual test conditions, at the same time but with a bunch of sitting around before I started, background noise, an extra section, the same snack, etc, and got a 180. Then got a 175 on the actual test. So, don't do that, I guess.

I was wondering if you retook it in October. I guess you were (and are) busy honing the skills.

[biggestlawman]

Studied through Thursday, then did nothing LSAT related on Friday. Instead, I tried to relax and eat enough to make sure I'd have energy in the morning.

Pace Ugg, I think a warmup on Saturday morning is very important. Warming up more probably would have gotten me an extra point or two.

You did pretty well. Congrats. You got what I need.

[landshoes]

I wish I would have run through a games section on the day before; I felt a little rusty on the day of the test. I wouldn't do anything stressy though.

[unfinishedthough]

Took a pt 2 days before, some light games the day before. 175+

This is pretty much what I did... PT on Wednesday, then just a few games and LR questions Thursday and Friday, no more than an hour or two each night. I was working full-time, but left early on Friday and went out for pizza, watched a movie and tried to just hang out and be super chill. 172, but I was averaging 176 on real-condition PTs, so not sure if my approach was helpful.

[SplitMyPants]

I did one logic game—not a whole section, just one game—as a warm-up that morning.

[MAPP]

Did any of you take some kind of over the counter sleeping med the night before?

[maracuya]

I took my last PT the weekend before and spent the week lightly reviewing and doing minor drills. I think what was most important was that I had spent the weeks and months leading up to the test on a really strict bedtime and wake-up time and had made sure to take the test while sleep deprived, hungry, sick, with a headache, etc.. The day of the test I knew that no matter what came my way, I had prepared for it and it wouldn't affect me. That calmed my nerves 1000%.

[SplitMyPants]

I took my last PT the weekend before and spent the week lightly reviewing and doing minor drills. I think what was most important was that I had spent the weeks and months leading up to the test on a really strict bedtime and wake-up time and had made sure to take the test while sleep deprived, hungry, sick, with a headache, etc.. The day of the test I knew that no matter what came my way, I had prepared for it and it wouldn't affect me. That calmed my nerves 1000%.

I PT'd hungover a lot. Not necessarily by design, but I guess I figured if I got my B game up, my A game would follow suit.

[biggestlawman]

I took my last PT the weekend before and spent the week lightly reviewing and doing minor drills. I think what was most important was that I had spent the weeks and months leading up to the test on a really strict bedtime and wake-up time and had made sure to take the test while sleep deprived, hungry, sick, with a headache, etc.. The day of the test I knew that no matter what came my way, I had prepared for it and it wouldn't affect me. That calmed my nerves 1000%.

Good way to think! Thanks!

[flawedargument]

I don't have a 170+, but I assure you the key to one isn't what you do in the 48 hours before the test.

I have to strongly disagree with this. I did score in the 170s, but one need not have scored in the 170s to see why this doesn't make sense.

Nothing you do in the 48 hours before the test will magically propel a less prepared test taker into the 170s. But certain behaviors can prevent a test taker who would otherwise score 170+ from achieving that score on test day. Those behaviors include lack of sleep, too much or too little caffeine, studying too much right before the test (mental fatigue), too much or too little sugar, burnout, etc.

So, in some sense, the 48 hours before the test are one "key" to scoring a 170+. Not the primary key, or the most difficult key, but an important one nonetheless.

[unfinishedthough]

Did any of you take some kind of over the counter sleeping med the night before?

Just Melatonin. It's helpful (if only for placebo) without the worry about being groggy or oversleeping. I would have stressed about those things with an antihistamine or something.

[SplitMyPants]

Whatever you take for sleeping, try it out well in advance and multiple times, taking a PT each following morning. PT under test day conditions, and then don't change those conditions come test day.

[scone]

I would recommend meditation and trying to be as relaxed as possible.

+1

I built up a good meditation habit over the month before the test. On test day I had three hours of traveling to the test centre, so used that time to meditate and then do a couple of fresh logic games to warm up.

I found that if I did a PT the day after doing another PT, I always scored a couple of points worse. So I did no PT the day before the test, but did do a number of logic games (which were always the riskiest section for me).

[RZ5646]

I took a prep test the day before as close as I could simulate to actual test conditions, at the same time but with a bunch of sitting around before I started, background noise, an extra section, the same snack, etc, and got a 180. Then got a 175 on the actual test. So, don't do that, I guess.

I was also getting 180s on PTs and then got 175 on the real deal. Feels... not good but not terrible either?

[jnwa]

I did a full timed preptest, 73 and 75 respectively on the Thursday and Friday before Saturdays test. Got a 172 Thursday 176 Friday and 173 on the real thing. I also went over pt 74 the morning of the test. Everyones gunna tell you not to do what i did, but i didnt break 170 on my prep until the week of the test before that i had never finished a LG section without guessing. I really was riding the momentum that whole week so i felt good about practicing right until the end.

[biggestlawman]

I did a full timed preptest, 73 and 75 respectively on the Thursday and Friday before Saturdays test. Got a 172 Thursday 176 Friday and 173 on the real thing. I also went over pt 74 the morning of the test. Everyones gunna tell you not to do what i did, but i didnt break 170 on my prep until the week of the test before that i had never finished a LG section without guessing. I really was riding the momentum that whole week so i felt good about practicing right until the end.

Some of you have a lot more energy and stamina than I do!

[texasellewoods]

I took it in June and October, and the second time around I focused a lot more on getting exercise, having a regular sleep pattern, and eating healthily (mainly in the last two weeks). I think this made a huge difference for me - even if was all psychological, I went into the test feeling like I had treated my mind and body right and I was able to relax so much more than in June. It kept my stress/anxiety low and I was able to focus better when I was actually studying. The two days before I was actually working on a huge philanthropy event and I think having nothing LSAT related made me feel a lot better. I did a quick warm up while eating breakfast and the SO drove me to the center, which was nice.
Just find time to do the things you love, and take a break! Good luck!

[splitterfromhell]

I don't have a 170+, but I assure you the key to one isn't what you do in the 48 hours before the test.

I have to strongly disagree with this. I did score in the 170s, but one need not have scored in the 170s to see why this doesn't make sense.

Nothing you do in the 48 hours before the test will magically propel a less prepared test taker into the 170s. But certain behaviors can prevent a test taker who would otherwise score 170+ from achieving that score on test day. Those behaviors include lack of sleep, too much or too little caffeine, studying too much right before the test (mental fatigue), too much or too little sugar, burnout, etc.

So, in some sense, the 48 hours before the test are one "key" to scoring a 170+. Not the primary key, or the most difficult key, but an important one nonetheless.

This was the essence of my response.

[ltbenn]

I took my last 5 PTs over the course of the two weeks before the exam under oddly precise conditions (to include what meals I ate, clothes I wore...)
I also had the advantage (at least for me) of taking the test at 2pm (overseas) - So each time I had the same sleep/morning routine, ate salmon for lunch (my mother saw a thing on 20/20 about omega-3 when I was a kid and I've had it ingrained into me that salmon is the best brain food on the planet - placebo effect is real).

I took my final PT two days before the test, the day before and the day of I did nothing test-related at all (though, again, I had the benefit of a 2pm start time - had I been starting at 830am I definitely would have done something to warm-up my brain).

For me the most important part was the routine of it all - by the time actual test day came around, I was so locked into the schedule I had built for myself that I didn't have to think about anything...


Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Bluex12]

Took my last PT on Thursday- didn't score it for fear of doing poorly and hurting my self-confidence. Friday I did nothing, went to the gym around 8 PM to play basketball and make myself tired so I could fall asleep (I had a problem with getting to bed at a decent hour the night before in previous sittings). The morning of the test I woke up several hours before I needed to, made some iced coffee, played some Call of Duty for about an hour, and then took a beta blocker about an hour before heading to the testing center to make myself less jittery. Didn't do anything LSAT related till I started the test. Overall I felt very calm and relaxed this time around and am very pleased with a 172. Best of luck.