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This is not a thread on the presumed dangers and risks involved with doing some prep the morning of the LSAT.

I am simply asking those who have prepped on the day/morning of; did you find it useful/effective? How so?

Of course I value everyone's opinion, and would love your two cents, but I am strictly trying to prevent the "don't dare dare to do this, you will be burnt out" posts. Everyone's mental capacities are different and I've been scoring better on the tests that I take after warming up (by taking sections.)

I'm interested in this topic.

In addition to OP's question: If you are planning to do perform warm-up drills or take sections on game day, are you also doing this when taking timed PrepTests?

If you haven't taken the actual test before, keep in mind that many people, myself included, find the real test more mentally exhausting than any practice exams. That is all.

The morning of the test I did 2 logic games, 1 RC passage, and 10 LR from Cambridge compilation of the "most difficult" LR. I felt that it warmed me up to the exam and got mien the right mindset.

Just my 2cents. I always do better if I do a LG section, get 2-3 questions wrong, slap myself for being completely dumb, and do another one. I always do better on the second one after reminding myself of common mistakes by reviewing the questions I got wrong.

I'm probably going to crack open McGraw-Hill's new book for the first time morning of. Hit few chaps before game time.

I'd recommend doing a few questions just to get warmed up. Don't check your answers though- you may psyche yourself out.

I am also interested in this. Could people also tell their stores of not prepping the morning of? I think that will be equally useful in evaluating whether or not to.

On a related note, how is everyone prepping the day before? Is it advisable to prep Friday? Or should Friday be a day off? Anecdotes welcome.

PeanutsNJam wrote:Just my 2cents. I always do better if I do a LG section, get 2-3 questions wrong, slap myself for being completely dumb, and do another one. I always do better on the second one after reminding myself of common mistakes by reviewing the questions I got wrong.

I'm the same way, but I prime myself with hard LR's.

The is a really important topic. If others who have taken the exam before have any input, please do share.


EDIT: Also, does anyone know how long it takes to get the exam rolling once you get there at 8:30?

I ran through a page of LG and a page of LR before I got out of the car at the testing facility. Pick pages you did well on when you used them as PTs, and don't score them.

You don't want the real test to be the first written material your brain has encountered that day.

minnbills wrote:I'd recommend doing a few questions just to get warmed up. Don't check your answers though- you may psyche yourself out.

This is what I am going to do. A few LGs and not check my answers after. I do not want to go in over confident or defeated.

Clarity wrote:

minnbills wrote:I'd recommend doing a few questions just to get warmed up. Don't check your answers though- you may psyche yourself out.

This is what I am going to do. A few LGs and not check my answers after. I do not want to go in over confident or defeated.

Note that you can and should do this for warm-up before PTs too.... get a test and chop it up into quarters, then take 1/4 of LG, LR, RC before your PT and don't check the answers until you've finished the 4th PT.

The last time I took it, I went in cold because I wanted to "save my energy" or something. Dumb idea. In prepping this time, I've done a few cold and the rest with prep and the cold ones were my lowest scores. How much prep is ideal probably varies from person to person, but I think it's a good idea to do something.

I didn't do any, but some people brought whole practice tests to the site and were doing them. What's wrong with people?

InGoodFaith wrote:I didn't do any, but some people brought whole practice tests to the site and were doing them. What's wrong with people?

You do have to remember the average score is about 50% of the questions correct, and most people do barely any prep at all for this test. If you were cramming for a test, you might get a PT or two and do one the day before and one the morning of at the test center.

Sure, it's immature and irresponsible, but if that's all you've ever known, then that's how you do it.


Those same people might go "some people studied for more than 6 months for this test. What's wrong with people?"

I chose to do 1 full LR section, 2 games (one grouping, one sequence), and 2 RC before the June test. They were all questions I had not seen before. I chose to look at the answers afterward. This was a little easier in June because the test was at 1 so I could do it at my leisure in the morning. I feel like this was extremely beneficial for my particular testing style. I have taken many practice tests, but have never mastered a particular system to the point where I can effortlessly apply the methodology. Rather, I pulled what I liked from several systems and developed an intuitive sense for the test, applying a particular method consciously if my intuition failed me. I feel like the prep prior to the test is essential for me to sharpen this intuitive sense so I am not bogged down by trivial questions early on. As far as burning myself out, I tend not to have stamina issues, and the adrenaline rush from the actual test made it significantly easier than practice tests from an endurance standpoint. Final score was a 172, which was slightly lower than PT average but still within a normal range.

Thanks, all. Very helpful stuff. I probably will look to see which ones I got wrong when I prep, not for scoring purposes, but to prevent getting a similar one wrong in the next hour; because I'm under the impression I just got a similar one right in the last hour.