Test Day Tips From Retakers Forum

Prepare for the LSAT or discuss it with others in this forum.
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Daily_Double

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by Daily_Double » Sat Sep 28, 2013 3:17 pm

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Squintz805

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by Squintz805 » Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:25 pm

Alot of the PT's have a page before the actual sections stating:

Section 1: Analytical Reasoning
Section 2: Logical Reasoning
Section 3: Reading Comprehension
Section 4: Logical Reasoning

Do we get to have this knowledge for the actual LSAT? To my knowledge we don't, but I was hoping someone here would know from previous experience.

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wtrc

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by wtrc » Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:40 pm

Squintz805 wrote:Alot of the PT's have a page before the actual sections stating:

Section 1: Analytical Reasoning
Section 2: Logical Reasoning
Section 3: Reading Comprehension
Section 4: Logical Reasoning

Do we get to have this knowledge for the actual LSAT? To my knowledge we don't, but I was hoping someone here would know from previous experience.
Nope.

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wtrc

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by wtrc » Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:43 pm

Daily_Double wrote:The main issue of this thread, and the reason it comes up every single year, is that these tips are just that, tips. When you are staring down the barrel of a dense passage, stunned by a section that may or may not be the experimental, or trying to wrap your head around a game that doesn't have any clear inferences, especially during your first take, all of these tips go out the window. During that brief moment, what you should do is take a deep breath, focus on the stimulus/passage/game and break it down into its most basic elements so that you can understand the task at hand, only then should you move towards the answers. It's this moment that these tips seek to address, but they can't make up for proper training and analysis. You'll will probably think too much during parts of the test. You may get nervous and instead of doing what you know to do (understand the stimulus/passage/game before moving to the answers), you wing it, circle the question and come back to it later only to repeat what you should have done with much less time than before.

Now don't get me wrong, the suggestions are valid, and if utilized properly, will result in higher scores. But they avoid the issue. No matter how many of these tips you know going into the test, you'll hit a point where you struggle. Don't be afraid of it, there's nothing you can do to change the appearance of a circle game or something as funky as zones. Don't try to employ tricks to overcome this moment, don't doubt yourself, go back to the fundamentals. What I'm saying is that you should expect to be challenged and when you spot a situation like the one above, apply the methods you have learned for the past four months.
jaylawyer09 wrote:Wow, im taking the test in June '14 and am getting nervous just by reading this thread.
You bring up an interesting point which has yet to be mentioned. See many recommendations suggest that the tester should take time off before the test, to relax and forget about the LSAT. However, it's difficult to not think about the LSAT, its implications, and whether or not certain pencils offer more advantages than others, they don't, when reading this site. Thus, if your goal is to truly forget about the test, to relax, to feel refreshed on test day, and this should be your goal, then you should distance yourself from TLS during the days, or week, preceding the test.

I personally am really looking forward to October 5th, so should you guys. Good luck.
All of this is credited 180. Tips and recommendations about mindset can help get a great score, but definitely aren't sufficient and maybe not even necessary for that great score. All the studying and PT's and review we've done over the last 4 months+ are definitely necessary... and a lot closer to sufficient than anything else.

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Squintz805

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by Squintz805 » Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:48 pm

wtrcoins3 wrote:
Squintz805 wrote:
Nope.
Thanks for the response!

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tigersaresexy

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by tigersaresexy » Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:28 am

Two questions

Is it okay to leave the SSN section of the answer sheet blank? I ask because I have a fake LSAC SSN, which I don't think is printed on my ticket, and I don't know if I can correctly memorize it (I also have a real SSN which I have memorized, but I don't want to muck everything up with my apps)

For the "what is your dominant language?" on the answer sheet, if you're bilingual what would you put in there? I use both english and my native language equally...why do they even ask that question?

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JWP1022

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by JWP1022 » Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:05 am

tigersaresexy wrote:Two questions

Is it okay to leave the SSN section of the answer sheet blank? I ask because I have a fake LSAC SSN, which I don't think is printed on my ticket, and I don't know if I can correctly memorize it (I also have a real SSN which I have memorized, but I don't want to muck everything up with my apps)

For the "what is your dominant language?" on the answer sheet, if you're bilingual what would you put in there? I use both english and my native language equally...why do they even ask that question?
Why didn't you use your real SSN for LSAC?

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wtrc

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by wtrc » Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:19 am

JWP1022 wrote:
tigersaresexy wrote:Two questions

Is it okay to leave the SSN section of the answer sheet blank? I ask because I have a fake LSAC SSN, which I don't think is printed on my ticket, and I don't know if I can correctly memorize it (I also have a real SSN which I have memorized, but I don't want to muck everything up with my apps)

For the "what is your dominant language?" on the answer sheet, if you're bilingual what would you put in there? I use both english and my native language equally...why do they even ask that question?
Why didn't you use your real SSN for LSAC?
Yeahh, you might want to get that fixed.

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neprep

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by neprep » Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:31 am

tigersaresexy wrote:Two questions

Is it okay to leave the SSN section of the answer sheet blank? I ask because I have a fake LSAC SSN, which I don't think is printed on my ticket, and I don't know if I can correctly memorize it (I also have a real SSN which I have memorized, but I don't want to muck everything up with my apps)

For the "what is your dominant language?" on the answer sheet, if you're bilingual what would you put in there? I use both english and my native language equally...why do they even ask that question?
Ask LSAC about what to do about the SSN situation.

My guess is that it's probably used in the LSAT Technical Reports that they put out, where they do all sorts of analyses of test performance based on age, race, prep method, and perhaps they throw in dominant language in there as a control variable.

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isuperserial

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by isuperserial » Mon Sep 30, 2013 3:07 pm

KingofSplitters55 wrote:Did any of you guys have some really unexpected experiences/events that threw you off significantly or had the chance to? I know some have been mentioned already, etc but just wondering if there are any other possibilities for which contingencies should be planned for.
I took the test last June. The proctors had no idea how to work the air conditioning and there were no windows in an auditorium of about 70 of us, so by the end of the test, I was fucking baking. I ended up going -9 on the last section, partially due to the fact that I was dripping in sweat.

Also, on one of the LR sections, the proctor accidentally called five mins, five mins early.

Those aren't things you can plan for, and thats the sort of stuff you have to just take in stride.

Now for some actual advice. Don't stress and don't go nuts on the LSAT the week leading up to the test. Frankly, if you haven't got your shit together by the time the last week rolls around, you're probably retaking. Period. It will be more conducive to meeting your potential to just let your mind rejuvenate. Drink lots of water, get some exercise, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Focus on sleeping. Seriously, sleep is so essential. Drill and take PTs at your leisure. You want to go into the big day HUNGRY for the test, not burnt out. Last time, I made the mistake of doing a PT a day in the week leading up to the test, plus drilling. I didn't get adequate sleep. By the time I walked into that test I was so burnt out, I was finished. I had lost the fight before I threw my first punch.

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tigersaresexy

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by tigersaresexy » Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:19 pm

JWP1022 wrote: Why didn't you use your real SSN for LSAC?

I'm not a US citizen, so people never expect me to have an SSN and so I tend not to give it out that much. Also I registered with LSAC back before I had memorized it, I can totally see myself just being too lazy to get up and search for my card and figuring i'l just change it later.

When I was applying for UG I didn't put in an SSN and it was just a blacked out field in my apps, not a big deal at all. Never thought they'd give me a replacement number that I'd actually need to use in my LSAT and apps.

Basically, at the time it seemed easier not to give it, but it turned out to be a little more complicated than I'd thought.

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isuperserial

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by isuperserial » Tue Oct 01, 2013 12:50 am

PourMeTea wrote:Do you have to finish drinking water before you're checked in?
From what I remember, yeah.

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jingosaur

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by jingosaur » Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:15 am

Good analogy for test readiness: In this final week, you should feel like you're going down Victory Road on the way to the Indigo Plateau. You should feel unstoppable and ready to take on the biggest challenge of your life.

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by californiauser » Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:43 am

KingofSplitters55 wrote:Did any of you guys have some really unexpected experiences/events that threw you off significantly or had the chance to? I know some have been mentioned already, etc but just wondering if there are any other possibilities for which contingencies should be planned for.
On my retake the LSAC employees with all the tests got into an accident on the way to the test center...started my exam 90 minutes late.

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Jeffort

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by Jeffort » Tue Oct 01, 2013 2:31 am

californiauser wrote:
KingofSplitters55 wrote:Did any of you guys have some really unexpected experiences/events that threw you off significantly or had the chance to? I know some have been mentioned already, etc but just wondering if there are any other possibilities for which contingencies should be planned for.
On my retake the LSAC employees with all the tests got into an accident on the way to the test center...started my exam 90 minutes late.
hmm, that's the same excuse lots of people use when they are late for something really important cuz slept in late or hungover, interesting.

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tigersaresexy

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by tigersaresexy » Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:10 am

So do most of the delays come from the proctors having to deal with tons of people taking the test? Like I get that collecting and redistributing tests takes time, I've recently learned that there's a very real possibility of there being under 5 people in test center with me and I'm trying to figure out how much down time I'l be able to factor in.

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wtrc

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by wtrc » Tue Oct 01, 2013 7:46 am

tigersaresexy wrote:So do most of the delays come from the proctors having to deal with tons of people taking the test? Like I get that collecting and redistributing tests takes time, I've recently learned that there's a very real possibility of there being under 5 people in test center with me and I'm trying to figure out how much down time I'l be able to factor in.
Yeah. It takes time to check each person in individually. If you only have 5 people in there, I doubt there will be much downtime at all.

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jingosaur

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by jingosaur » Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:24 am

tigersaresexy wrote:So do most of the delays come from the proctors having to deal with tons of people taking the test? Like I get that collecting and redistributing tests takes time, I've recently learned that there's a very real possibility of there being under 5 people in test center with me and I'm trying to figure out how much down time I'l be able to factor in.
It's very dependent on how many people are there and how many rooms they have to go to. If everyone just goes in one room and sits down, it's quick. If everyone needs to be led by a proctor to one of 12 rooms and everyone needs to go to those rooms at the same time (happened to me), it can take hours.

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Otunga

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by Otunga » Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:46 pm

isuperserial wrote:
PourMeTea wrote:Do you have to finish drinking water before you're checked in?
From what I remember, yeah.
So we could plausibly sit in the testing room without anything to drink for an hour and then have to take the first three sections?

I ought to dehydrate myself and then take some sections today if that's the case. I'm very accustomed to having water all the time.

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northwood

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by northwood » Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:50 pm

this is not a test day tip, but just a tip.... starting Wednesday, stay of TLS. The LSAT panic threads will inevitably arise, and they can negatively influence your mind state/ decrease your confidence. Within 20 minutes of leaving the test, decide to cancel or keep the score, and don't change your mind after that ( you have a better indication of how you did right after the test, and if you go back on TLS, your confidence may drop, even though there is not much you can do about it). Other than that, remember its just a test, and if you don't hit the score you want, you can always re take, or decide to pursue other endeavors.


CHEERS!!!! and BEST OF LUCK ON LSAT SATURDAY!!!! ( YOU WONT NEED THE LUCK, THOUGH)

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Re: Test Day Tips From Retakers

Post by questionsandanswers » Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:27 pm

tigersaresexy wrote:Two questions

Is it okay to leave the SSN section of the answer sheet blank? I ask because I have a fake LSAC SSN, which I don't think is printed on my ticket, and I don't know if I can correctly memorize it (I also have a real SSN which I have memorized, but I don't want to muck everything up with my apps)

For the "what is your dominant language?" on the answer sheet, if you're bilingual what would you put in there? I use both english and my native language equally...why do they even ask that question?
I am also an international and bilingual, although i am a dual us citizen i have never had the occasion to use my SSN. I had it written on a piece of post-it, when I explained to the proctor, she let me write it on the print-out sheet before checking me in.
As for the language part, I checked other - just so that LSAC has the pleasure of having an adequate sample of "others" to create statistics from. :)


KingofSplitters55 wrote:Did any of you guys have some really unexpected experiences/events that threw you off significantly or had the chance to? I know some have been mentioned already, etc but just wondering if there are any other possibilities for which contingencies should be planned for.
My proctor's phone kept vibrating and he didn't know how to turn it off. The room next door had a blackout. I wish I had sent an official complaint letter to LSAC instead of just cancelling... Too late now :(

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