Tips for 2nd LSAT Prep Please? Forum

[ashleyc]

Does anyone have any tips for preparing for the LSAT the second time around?

I took a full length prep course my first time around for the December 2010 LSAT and I really did put in my best effort but when it came to test day I was freaking out the whole time and that was reflected in my score. I know I could have done a lot better on games too because I rushed into the questions before trying to make inferences so I am definitely focusing on games and timing right now. Third,I am not a morning person and it seems that whatever I do/eat/drink I can't get rid of my morning grogginess, so hopefully my stamina and overall performance on the June 12:30pm LSAT will be much better.

What I'm really concerned about right now is finding material (preptests, questions) that I haven't already done. I've taken at least 10 preptests in total in addition to tons and tons of homework taken from actual past LSATs. Do you think it's a waste of time to prep with questions I've already seen and done? For reading comp I certainly think so but games seem to still be good practice.

I would appreciate ANY input on this topic...I'm studying and taking preptests but I've seen a lot of these questions before so I just don't know what to do to prep this time around.

Thanks!

[tourdeforcex]

i took the LSAT twice.

don't be too concerned about finding material you haven't seen before. definitely take as many recent preptests as possible, even if you've already done them. you'll be surprised how many you'll still get wrong. in my case, i would often encounter a question i remember getting wrong, approach it carefully with that in mind, and then get it wrong again--and choose the exact same wrong answer. when this pattern arose, it made me question my thinking (at least it's consistent, but consistently wrong is not so good)

you will probably remember answers but it is good practice. your scores might be inaccurate and you might go faster but again, it is good practice.

i also suggest buying up and saving 3-4 unseen real preptests to do in may or june before your exam.

[jortiz682]

I've found I know a few of the answers on the old tests, but I take a minute or two off my time on sections I have done before to try to equal it out. Then again I have pretty much all the tests unmarked so I have the luxury of picking and choosing a bit. I'd definitely want unseen tests if I were you, the newer the better, but mostly just for the LR. At least for me, I tended to remember all the LR's I had seen before.

[accuratesite2020]

Try to get in 8-10 Preptests in the next two weeks with your last PT coming in on that Friday before the Monday test. Do a full 2-3 hour review after each going over all of your responses, including RC. Make sure you also get in some game work everyday, including PT days. I would come up with a set of 30-40 games and break them up to get in 5 a day w/review. Take at least a true day off every 5 days of good work and make sure you relax the 2 days before the test. Just pick out a few easy games and LR that you can do in your sleep and do those the Saturday and Sunday before to relax. Book a 80 minute hot stone massage on Sunday and just plain relax. Don't drive to the testing center if you don't have to, stay at a close hotel if you can. Just play it cool and you will be fine.

[jortiz682]

I'm sorry, but how could you possibly take 2-3 hours going over a test you just took? I mean if you don't suck at it? I'm roughly in the -10 range, and it takes me about 30-45 minutes tops. I even star the questions that take me longer on LR, but don't know how I could stretch it out THAT long. I almost think you'd be better served not doing that. Then again, I have Kaplan explanations for PT's 1-57, so I suppose that helps. But even if I didn't, I still use here or Manhattan's forum for harder questions or games. There tends to be a good explanation somewhere.