At this point, is doing PTs the best way for me to study? Forum

[notaznguy]

I am recently PTing at 163-165 and my goal is to hit a 167+ on game day (though I'm perfectly happy with just a 167).

On my latest PT (PT 48), my sections were:

LR: -4
LG: -3
LR: -3
RC: -6

I find that the main reasons I get LR wrong are because I simply couldn't find out what was wrong or understand that particular problem (as I tend to get random LR questions wrong and not any specific type).

For LG, I mainly get them wrong because of stupid bonehead errors (i.e. I read "If A is last, who is first?" as "If A is first, who is last?" or something dumb like that.

For RC....well....I get the questions I get wrong because I either didn't comprehend the passage perfectly or because I was stuck between 2 close answer choices.

I'm finding it extremely difficult to just sit around and drill, and yet taking PTs everyday is mind numbing. I try to take 2 PTs a week because any more than that is just agonizing. Not to mention it's hard to enough to sit around taking PTs just for practice. So boring.

[dkb17xzx]

Review review review....

Figure out why you get each of the questions incorrect. If you are OK with time, then your best bet is simply to drill intensively the types of questions you have most difficulty with.

[EarlCat]

How much time do you have left at the end of each section?

[notaznguy]

How much time do you have left at the end of each section?

None really. Maybe during LG I have a minute to spare, but I usually finish LR and RC just on time. Sometimes I have to rush the last paragraph of the RC...which usually leads me to get anywhere from -4 to -8 on RC.

[mickeyD]

No.

PTs don't make you better. They just give you a snapshot of your current skills.

Drilling may not be fun, but its the surest way to raise your score. You have unlimited time, so approach every set with the mentality that you should get every single question right. If you miss a question during drilling, that's a gift- you had unlimited time but still chose the wrong answer. Analyze why. The same goes for if you debated between two answers- figure out why you thought one was so attractive.

I took too many PTs the first time I prepped for the LSAT and scored lower than I'd hoped. The second time I focused on mastering the concepts- I wanted to know LR inside and out, and you can only achieve that through untimed practice. Ended up with a 174.

[LexLeon]

Review and analysis of mistaken answers is absolutely crucial, so I agree with the above. If you want something more, try running through a set of coursebooks; or, if you haven't already used the LR, LG or (I've never used the following but it think it can only help, unless its draining time and energy from something more important) RC 'bibles', they're pretty helpful.

Practice tests do a bit more than give you a snapshot of your current abilities, but in general what's most important (with regard to making gains in scores) does indeed come afterward.

[D'Angelo]

tests alone are not enough to raise your score! you need to see why you got things wrong and figure out what mistakes you're making!

[Gail]

Review review review....

Figure out why you get each of the questions incorrect. If you are OK with time, then your best bet is simply to drill intensively the types of questions you have most difficulty with.

This, I believe, was my biggest mistake. For a month I did essentially what OP is doing. I consistently scored 166 - 168 and just kept scoring 166 - 168. Prep Tests are great, they'll give you consistency and solidify a good score, but preptests alone will not increase your scoring potential.