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So, most of the practice tests I have taken thus far are from the '90s. I heard that the '90s tests are not a good representation of I should expect in a couple weeks, but the bibles say that there's nothing significantly different... any thoughts?

epgenius wrote:So, most of the practice tests I have taken thus far are from the '90s. I heard that the '90s tests are not a good representation of I should expect in a couple weeks, but the bibles say that there's nothing significantly different... any thoughts?

00's are different. More time consuming LG, harder RC, maybe slightly less wordy LR

Are you taking in October!?

alwayssunnyinfl wrote:Are you taking in October!?

Yeah, why?

epgenius wrote:

alwayssunnyinfl wrote:Are you taking in October!?

Yeah, why?

He's probably asking because you may have wanted to really start concentration on newer tests by now but DON'T PANIC. Just concentrate on newer ones from now till game day and you'll be good. You didn't do anything bad, just a little different. Like
I said its fine but I would just start really looking and learning what makes the newer tests different and how to capitalize (the things I listed above)

Br3v wrote:

epgenius wrote:

alwayssunnyinfl wrote:Are you taking in October!?

Yeah, why?

He's probably asking because you may have wanted to really start concentration on newer tests by now but DON'T PANIC. Just concentrate on newer ones from now till game day and you'll be good. You didn't do anything bad, just a little different. Like
I said its fine but I would just start really looking and learning what makes the newer tests different and how to capitalize (the things I listed above)

I don't have the newest tests... I have 10 Actual Prep Tests, The Next 10 and 10 More...

So far Logic Games and RC are by far my best sections. I've missed 3 total LG questions on the last 3 practice tests I've taken from the '90s and I'm averaging around 2 missed questions on RC. LR has been my worst section and I have been averaging 4-6 missed on each section, but on the test I took today I missed 2 and 3 respectively.

Buy the new tests tonight, use them next week or whenever they get mailed.

So by '00's tests you mean PT31-38? Also are you taking these RC's and LG's timed?

chadbrochill wrote:So by '00's tests you mean PT31-38? Also are you taking these RC's and LG's timed?

I'm talking like the last 10 tests, at this point the last 5. (60-65) idk if they sell 66 yet

Br3v wrote:Buy the new tests tonight, use them next week or whenever they get mailed.

I just bought them and they'll arrive by tuesday... they're really that different? Why would the bibles say there's not that much dichotomy between them?

epgenius wrote:

Br3v wrote:Buy the new tests tonight, use them next week or whenever they get mailed.

I just bought them and they'll arrive by tuesday... they're really that different? Why would the bibles say there's not that much dichotomy between them?

Great. Like i said, bit much different, but you'll certainly notice and you'll bead you got accustomed to it before the real deal

epgenius wrote:

Br3v wrote:Buy the new tests tonight, use them next week or whenever they get mailed.

I just bought them and they'll arrive by tuesday... they're really that different? Why would the bibles say there's not that much dichotomy between them?

The bibles were written 10 years ago, just like PT32-38

chadbrochill wrote:

epgenius wrote:

Br3v wrote:Buy the new tests tonight, use them next week or whenever they get mailed.

I just bought them and they'll arrive by tuesday... they're really that different? Why would the bibles say there's not that much dichotomy between them?

The bibles were written 10 years ago, just like PT32-38

But the PS bibles are still great, it's what I use.

Br3v wrote:

chadbrochill wrote:

epgenius wrote:

Br3v wrote:Buy the new tests tonight, use them next week or whenever they get mailed.

I just bought them and they'll arrive by tuesday... they're really that different? Why would the bibles say there's not that much dichotomy between them?

The bibles were written 10 years ago, just like PT32-38

But the PS bibles are still great, it's what I use.

I haven't found the LR bible as helpful as the LG thus far... On my first, pre-studying practice test I got a 166 with 9 missed in LG and I'm down to hardly missing any LG questions but, until today's I was averaging worse on my LR sections (4-6 missed) with my biggest problems, I believe, with MBT and Assumption questions. I find that applying the LR bible concepts has slowed me down considerably (I'm now about a question over time) but I'm not all the way through it yet. I've never really had trouble with reading comprehension on any test (lsat as well as any college tests, etc.), what do you really think is going to pose the most difficulty for me with more recent test trends?

From 2007 on, expect much much harder reading comps (the RC in those early tests are a joke and are very straightforward)

Br3v wrote:

chadbrochill wrote:So by '00's tests you mean PT31-38? Also are you taking these RC's and LG's timed?

I'm talking like the last 10 tests, at this point the last 5. (60-65) idk if they sell 66 yet

66 is out. Note that getting the most recent PT is a bit more urgent than usual if you think the 2-page LG format may throw you off on test day.

I wish everyone on here would stop advocating for saving the most recent tests for last.. it's not a good strategy.

You've spent all your time thus far preparing to sit for the September 1997 LSAT in October 2012.

Now you have less than two weeks to become acquainted with how the test actually is.

The best thing to do when you prep is to mix up the tests and take enough of the new material early on so that not only can you gauge how the older tests are relative to the new ones (so that they will be more helpful), but you can even repeat that new material closer to test day.

We are trying to fix the problem you are describing.

OP you are fine, but concentrate on the new ones now.

Br3v wrote:We are trying to fix the problem you are describing.

OP you are fine, but concentrate on the new ones now.

No, I agree with you that that's the right course of action for OP. He needs to work with that material. But what got him here is the prevailing wisdom on TLS that doing tests in chronological order and/or saving more recent tests for the last week(s) of study is genuinely a good idea (because you wouldn't want to waste that material!)...

I don't know many very high scorers who condone this, and it seems like, for a test so centered on logical reasoning, that skill is suspended to accept this conclusion without careful consideration as to its implications (situations like OP's).

cahwc12 wrote:

Br3v wrote:We are trying to fix the problem you are describing.

OP you are fine, but concentrate on the new ones now.

No, I agree with you that that's the right course of action for OP. He needs to work with that material. But what got him here is the prevailing wisdom on TLS that doing tests in chronological order and/or saving more recent tests for the last week(s) of study is genuinely a good idea (because you wouldn't want to waste that material!)...

I don't know many very high scorers who condone this, and it seems like, for a test so centered on logical reasoning, that skill is suspended to accept this conclusion without careful consideration as to its implications (situations like OP's).

In any case, I will not get the newest tests for a few more days. Granted I have been taking '90s and early '00s tests, what can I do starting from this very moment to prepare myself for what the test in two weeks is going to be like? I've been scoring high 160s to mid 170s with strengths in LG and RC and am learning the LR bible's methods for attacking LR more efficiently and, in the last few days, have been connecting more dots than before. My basic concern is what should I do to prepare for October's test and is there really a chance that I would drop into the 150s or something with the above analysis of my understanding and performance.

P.S.
Despite, obviously, the possibilities for differences, I do feel I have a natural affinity for solving logic games and and making inferences in general... I don't know why, but on most things I've encountered and even before I started practicing for the LSAT, these things just kind of click for me.

Just as others have said, make a decision on how many PTs you think you'll take before test day and get that many PTs from 66 down to wherever.

Take 5-section tests and also do some kind of warmup (I prefer 1 passage, 1 game, and 4 pages of LR from a test).

Review those tests in-depth and try to apply what you learn to the next PT. What you're dealing with now is having more material than you can utilize in a given time frame, so, while you shouldn't burn through it as quickly as possible, you should not hesitate to use new material as often as you can effectively review it.