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When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 6:50 pm
by eric922
I scored a 163 on prep test number 52 and am going to spend some time drilling the question types I missed the most, but I was wondering about when should I start heavily taking pre-tests for June? Is there a general rule of guideline most people follow?

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:19 pm
by cc.celina
My instinct tells me to start PTing on a pretty regular basis about 2 months out, at least twice a week. Increase intensity as you approach the date (1/day for the last week or so). Aim to do every single PT from 20 to wherever we are. I didn't follow my own advice - I took ~40 PTs in the 3 weeks leading up to the test - and I was pretty fucking miserable.

This is all assuming you have a lot of time to spend studying. If you have a full time job, start earlier and spread it out more. Basically, just take however long it takes you to do PT's 20 and onward without dying of exhaustion.

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:21 pm
by mindarmed
I started PTing about 2 and a half months out. I prepped for about 4 and a half months total, FWIW. Got through around 25 PTs

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:21 pm
by mindarmed
cc.celina wrote:My instinct tells me to start PTing on a pretty regular basis about 2 months out, at least twice a week. Increase intensity as you approach the date (1/day for the last week or so). Aim to do every single PT from 20 to wherever we are. I didn't follow my own advice - I took ~40 PTs in the 3 weeks leading up to the test - and I was pretty fucking miserable.

This is all assuming you have a lot of time to spend studying. If you have a full time job, start earlier and spread it out more. Basically, just take however long it takes you to do PT's 20 and onward without dying of exhaustion.
Gunner

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:25 am
by Instinctive
From 40 days out of the Feb LSAT, I pretested (/am pretesting) Jan 3, and every 3rd day through Feb 8th.

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:56 pm
by TomThompson
cc.celina wrote:My instinct tells me to start PTing on a pretty regular basis about 2 months out, at least twice a week. Increase intensity as you approach the date (1/day for the last week or so). Aim to do every single PT from 20 to wherever we are. I didn't follow my own advice - I took ~40 PTs in the 3 weeks leading up to the test - and I was pretty fucking miserable.

This is all assuming you have a lot of time to spend studying. If you have a full time job, start earlier and spread it out more. Basically, just take however long it takes you to do PT's 20 and onward without dying of exhaustion.
Did you find yourself burned out at all? I'm a retaker writing in February. I have PT's 39-51 fresh, but I'm wondering if I should go all out and try to do up to 68- with 52-68 being all retakes.

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:00 pm
by cc.celina
I got really burned out but forced myself to push through. If I could do it again I would have started studying earlier and spread it out more. Make 39-51 your goal; if you have energy and time, you can do some retakes, but don't push yourself to take them if it will be detrimental to your short term mental health. Keep meticulous track of your scores, both cumulative and by section, and don't take the test unless the average of your last ~6 scores is in your acceptable target range.

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:01 pm
by cc.celina
armedwithamind wrote:Gunner
STFU 21 credits


(is taking 24)

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:43 am
by Micdiddy
cc.celina wrote:
armedwithamind wrote:Gunner
STFU 21 credits


(is taking 24)
CC. Are you applying and all that? Never see you around the Admissions forum or Acceptance/Denials/Waitlist, etc.
Did Yale just accept you already?

ETA: I stalked your posts, I see you turned into a lounger. Do you miss having a soul?

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:50 am
by cc.celina
Micdiddy wrote:[CC. Are you applying and all that? Never see you around the Admissions forum or Acceptance/Denials/Waitlist, etc.
Did Yale just accept you already?

ETA: I stalked your posts, I see you turned into a lounger. Do you miss having a soul?
Next cycle. No. Yes.

Re: When should you start pre-testing heavily?

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:50 am
by Theopliske8711
I'm taking a test every day after work for a month before the test... I think I want to kill myself.