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Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:42 am**

I'm interested in finding out who's actually prep testing using test day conditions. I understand that us tlsers score higher than the average score, usually without challenge. I just question the amount of people on here who are consistently scoring in the 170s. My question is...how are you studying? Are you 170ers taking a break after each section? I doubt many are adding a fifth section either.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:46 am**

thequigley wrote:I'm interested in finding out who's actually prep testing using test day conditions. I understand that us tlsers score higher than the average score, usually without challenge. I just question the amount of people on here who are consistently scoring in the 170s. My question is...how are you studying? Are you 170ers taking a break after each section? I doubt many are adding a fifth section either.

You're joking, right? Get to the library and add a fifth section bro. It's wonderful to practice in test taking environments. Taking it with someone else is great too.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:49 am**

thequigley wrote:I'm interested in finding out who's actually prep testing using test day conditions. I understand that us tlsers score higher than the average score, usually without challenge. I just question the amount of people on here who are consistently scoring in the 170s. My question is...how are you studying? Are you 170ers taking a break after each section? I doubt many are adding a fifth section either.

I've been scoring 171-174. At this point I'm not studying with 100% test day conditions. My PTs are more for practice reps with the question types, time management, and stamina within a section's time. When PTing I have been using my phone's timer and only use four sections - although I only take a break between 2/4. I'll ramp up to full test day conditions several weeks before.

I think of it like the NFL training camp. Teams don't use 100% gameday conditions nearly as much as practicing certain skills and game situations.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:51 am**

dowu wrote:
thequigley wrote:I'm interested in finding out who's actually prep testing using test day conditions. I understand that us tlsers score higher than the average score, usually without challenge. I just question the amount of people on here who are consistently scoring in the 170s. My question is...how are you studying? Are you 170ers taking a break after each section? I doubt many are adding a fifth section either.
You're joking, right? Get to the library and add a fifth section bro. It's wonderful to practice in test taking environments. Taking it with someone else is great too.

I'm sorry. Are you joking? Can you read? I'm skeptical about the number of people scoring as high as they are posting, therefore I'm interested in finding the clear discrepancy between how so many people are prepping at 170 and getting a 160. I'm thinking they are taking more than sufficient breaks and cheating themselves.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:53 am**

HR thank you for a great response. You're doing September? Would love to keep up with you in regard to how you'll be studying closer to game day.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:55 am**

thequigley wrote:
dowu wrote:
thequigley wrote:I'm interested in finding out who's actually prep testing using test day conditions. I understand that us tlsers score higher than the average score, usually without challenge. I just question the amount of people on here who are consistently scoring in the 170s. My question is...how are you studying? Are you 170ers taking a break after each section? I doubt many are adding a fifth section either.
You're joking, right? Get to the library and add a fifth section bro. It's wonderful to practice in test taking environments. Taking it with someone else is great too.

I'm sorry. Are you joking? Can you read? I'm skeptical about the number of people scoring as high as they are posting, therefore I'm interested in finding the clear discrepancy between how so many people are prepping at 170 and getting a 160. I'm thinking they are taking more than sufficient breaks and cheating themselves.

I've been using the 7sage app to proctor mine so as to not take any breaks except the one you get in real test conditions. But then again I've only maxed at 167 in the two tests I've taken. Also I got all thenPT via Cambridge and the earlier ones don't have a 5th section.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:55 am**

thequigley wrote:I'm sorry. Are you joking? Can you read? I'm skeptical about the number of people scoring as high as they are posting, therefore I'm interested in finding the clear discrepancy between how so many people are prepping at 170 and getting a 160. I'm thinking they are taking more than sufficient breaks and cheating themselves.

I think you're overestimating the importance of familiarity with the test day environment versus expertise with questions and sections. YES I think it is important to have taken at least one PT in test day conditions. Not doing so definitely contributed to a poor score last year for me. But two months out I'm more concerned with nailing my fundamentals.

ETA:

thequigley wrote:HR thank you for a great response. You're doing September? Would love to keep up with you in regard to how you'll be studying closer to game day.

Yep! I'll be doing test day conditions on the three Saturdays preceeding the exam. ESPECIALLY time in the morning, since I'm not a morning person and most of my PTs haven't been starting until later.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:57 am**

thequigley wrote:
dowu wrote:
thequigley wrote:I'm interested in finding out who's actually prep testing using test day conditions. I understand that us tlsers score higher than the average score, usually without challenge. I just question the amount of people on here who are consistently scoring in the 170s. My question is...how are you studying? Are you 170ers taking a break after each section? I doubt many are adding a fifth section either.
You're joking, right? Get to the library and add a fifth section bro. It's wonderful to practice in test taking environments. Taking it with someone else is great too.

I'm sorry. Are you joking? Can you read? I'm skeptical about the number of people scoring as high as they are posting, therefore I'm interested in finding the clear discrepancy between how so many people are prepping at 170 and getting a 160. I'm thinking they are taking more than sufficient breaks and cheating themselves.

My bad. I read the first couple sentences and thought you were making excuses for going somewhere to pt.

Yeah, I too feel like a lot of people here are giving themselves leeway and reporting back as if it was a PT under strict conditions.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:01 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:02 pm**

.[/quote]
My bad. I read the first couple sentences and thought you were making excuses for going somewhere to p

Yeah, I too feel like a lot of people here are giving themselves leeway and reporting back as if it was a PT under strict conditions.[/quote]

Haha no problem. I appreciate a response. I say it because when I'm working under certain conditions, I'm breaking habits. Taking longer breaks or working at one or two sections then putting it down for the day, finishing it the next, and scoring a 170 isn't representative at all...

HR. the strain of a 5th section is definitely something I don't want to try just once.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:02 pm**

smccgrey wrote:I'm scoring 175-179 and I'm sort of doing test conditions:
Always in library
No breaks at all
Using an analog watch, no timer
Bubbling in answers on scantron, not checking anything until I'm completely done

My plan is to add the fifth section as soon as I feel 100% comfortable with all question types, so that my prep can become more about endurance and comfort than anything else, then maybe try to make it significantly harder with 32 minutes per section and a total of 6.

I have a shitty GPA to compensate for, so I'm really gunning for as close to 180 as possible. Unfortunately I work FT so I don't get as much prep time as I'd like.

Diag?

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:04 pm**

dowu wrote:
smccgrey wrote:I'm scoring 175-179 and I'm sort of doing test conditions:
Always in library
No breaks at all
Using an analog watch, no timer
Bubbling in answers on scantron, not checking anything until I'm completely done

My plan is to add the fifth section as soon as I feel 100% comfortable with all question types, so that my prep can become more about endurance and comfort than anything else, then maybe try to make it significantly harder with 32 minutes per section and a total of 6.

I have a shitty GPA to compensate for, so I'm really gunning for as close to 180 as possible. Unfortunately I work FT so I don't get as much prep time as I'd like.
Diag?

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:06 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:07 pm**

smccgrey wrote:
dowu wrote:
smccgrey wrote:I'm scoring 175-179 and I'm sort of doing test conditions:
Always in library
No breaks at all
Using an analog watch, no timer
Bubbling in answers on scantron, not checking anything until I'm completely done

My plan is to add the fifth section as soon as I feel 100% comfortable with all question types, so that my prep can become more about endurance and comfort than anything else, then maybe try to make it significantly harder with 32 minutes per section and a total of 6.

I have a shitty GPA to compensate for, so I'm really gunning for as close to 180 as possible. Unfortunately I work FT so I don't get as much prep time as I'd like.
Diag?

170, but it was untimed.

Very impressive.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:09 pm**

thequigley wrote:HR. the strain of a 5th section is definitely something I don't want to try just once.

I definitely agree with that. For me, though, I'm more concerned with the fundamentals at this point in my studying. I also haven't been using Scantron yet, which is a bad habit I will end on this weekend's PTs.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:27 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:06 pm**

smccgrey wrote:I'm scoring 175-179 and I'm sort of doing test conditions:
Always in library
No breaks at all
Using an analog watch, no timer
Bubbling in answers on scantron, not checking anything until I'm completely done

My plan is to add the fifth section as soon as I feel 100% comfortable with all question types, so that my prep can become more about endurance and comfort than anything else, then maybe try to make it significantly harder with 32 minutes per section and a total of 6.

I have a shitty GPA to compensate for, so I'm really gunning for as close to 180 as possible. Unfortunately I work FT so I don't get as much prep time as I'd like.

Are we the same person?

I've been doing consistent 175-180 with sort of test day conditions.
I bubble intermittently. I bubbled for my first 180 several tests ago, and haven't done it since out of pure laziness.
I use the 7sage virtual proctor and analog watch.
Always 35 minutes or less per section.
On weekends I try to sit down and do 4 sections without a break, my plan is to ramp it up to two exams back to back the month of the exam.
I do my exams at home right now, planning on moving them to the library (actual testing room if possible) the month of the exam. A benefit of doing them at home is that there are way more distractions at home than I anticipate there being under actual testing conditions, I can't imagine that my jerk cat sitting on the questions and chewing on the end of my pencil while I try to diagram a logic game is inflating my practice score.

Maybe I'll do a test under strict exam conditions this weekend and report back.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:10 pm**

Dude, there is no reason not to add a fifth section or to simulate test day conditions. If you do a cost-benefit analysis of this, you will end up in favor of doing it vs. not doing it. Not everyone who is scoring a 170+ is doing it. Not everyone doing is scoring a 170+. There's no magic bullet, but, again, it can only help.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:21 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:55 pm**

OP's intro sorta comes across as arrogant/conceited, but I will say it seems like the majority of people test under similar conditions. Throwing in a 5th section, timing yourself faster than test conditions, etc.

In fact, I'll be taking 2 PT's a day to build up endurance, all timed, in a couple of weeks to prepare for September.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:24 pm**

FWIW I 'cheated' by only taking 4 sections, taking breaks between every section, and not bubbling for all but like 2 PTs and scored 1 point lower than my average on test day.

It didn't feel a whole lot different to me, I don't get the 'mental stamina' concerns.

That being said, it wouldn't hurt to try and replicate the test day experience as much as possible. However, I think the most important thing by far is getting use to the timing conditions of the individual sections. If you start at a high diagnostic, I think you should constrain yourself to 35 minutes a section from the beginning of your studying.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:59 pm**

I use the 7Sage proctor, but only for four sections. I haven't added an "experimental" yet.

I do not, however, take a break.

Yes to bubbling, putting my pencil down when JP tells me to, not turning the page until JP tells me to, and the like. I followed suit for my diagnostic, as well.

I'm actually really surprised that so many of you are taking the tests under modified conditions. Makes me feel better about my scores.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:33 pm**

I don't bubble. Idk where id get a scantron from so that I could bubble.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:35 pm**

Colonel_funkadunk wrote:I don't bubble. Idk where id get a scantron from so that I could bubble.

From just about every lsat prep company website.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:44 pm**

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