Is the order of the test known in the beginning of the test? Forum

[greenapples]

I started working off the printed preptests and saw that on page 9, or right after the scantron sheet, LSAC tells you the order of the sections. (Section 1: RC, Section 2: LR, Section 3: Analytical Reasoning, Section 4: LR, writing sample)

Obviously this is a preptest and not the real LSAT. But do we know the order of the test? Because that'd be super helpful. Also, is the experimental section different for everyone? (some people getting LG as experimental, some people getting RC as experimental in the same room)

[Chrstgtr]

There are a couple of different experimental and a few different forms. You will not know the order

[PeanutsNJam]

The flaw in Chrstgtr's argument: not knowing which section is the experimental has no bearing on knowing the order of the sections.

Don't worry about the order, just take your time and knock 'em down as they come.

[xylocarp]

There are a couple of different experimental and a few different forms. You will not know the order

TITCR

they are two different thoughts peanutsnjam, not an inferential argument

[Chrstgtr]

There are a couple of different experimental and a few different forms. You will not know the order

TITCR

they are two different thoughts peanutsnjam, not an inferential argument

Yes, you won't know which section is experimental unless you do some asking around after the entire test is finished, which I imagine is also against testing regulations

[mjjames]

Sorry to bump such an old thread - I was wondering if anyone had a definitive answer to the OP's question about knowing the order of the sections at the start of the test? I've noticed that the order is listed at the start of the printed preptest booklets and wanted to make sure that I didn't fall into a habit of relying on the list at the start of the test if the same type of info won't be available on the real test.

[foxes]

Sorry to bump such an old thread - I was wondering if anyone had a definitive answer to the OP's question about knowing the order of the sections at the start of the test? I've noticed that the order is listed at the start of the printed preptest booklets and wanted to make sure that I didn't fall into a habit of relying on the list at the start of the test if the same type of info won't be available on the real test.

you wont know the order on the real test. every time you start a new section its a surprise

[nate3869]

Sorry to bump such an old thread - I was wondering if anyone had a definitive answer to the OP's question about knowing the order of the sections at the start of the test? I've noticed that the order is listed at the start of the printed preptest booklets and wanted to make sure that I didn't fall into a habit of relying on the list at the start of the test if the same type of info won't be available on the real test.

You don't get to know the order of the sections before the test. You find out as you reach each section what that section will be.

Edit: scooped by foxes

[Jeffort]

I've noticed that the order is listed at the start of the printed preptest booklets and wanted to make sure that I didn't fall into a habit of relying on the list at the start of the test if the same type of info won't be available on the real test.

Good thinking re: the bolded above.

To make sure your timed PT scores are as accurate and representative of how'd you'd score under real test day conditions as possible, taking them 'blind' so that you don't know the section types order when you take PT's is really important. Although there are many different reasons/causes for the infamous 'roughly 3 points test day score drop' many people end up with, this is one of the most overlooked and I believe very significant ones.

When taking timed PT's, if you know the section types order before you start, you're giving yourself a significant mental/psychological advantage that you won't have on test day since you'll already know what's coming next and be able to be mentally prepared for it, taking out the 'ambush' element of surprise from one section to the next.

Since actual test day performance unlike practice PT's performance is much more negatively influenced by emotions/stress/how you react under the pressure and real test day conditions, PT scores can easily be inflated when the element of surprise is removed by knowing what's ahead/the section types order before you begin. Having to suddenly in mere seconds switch mental gears from one section type to another combined with not knowing what's coming next/which section type mental mode to switch into until the second you flip the page can cause shock, uncertainty anticipation stress or other negative emotional reactions that can throw you off your game/impair your performance/cause more ongoing uncertainty stress throughout the entire test. The element of shock, surprise, and suddenly having to switch mental gears into an unknown until you flip the page section type mode in split seconds because you don't know what they're about to throw at you is a significant anxiety producing aspect of actual test day that can negatively effect performance. It's a lot easier to keep your cool and mental composure when you know ahead of time what's coming next/the order of the section types before even starting the test.

On actual test day, many people's anxiety level is increased throughout the test due to not knowing what's coming next and what section type you'll have an extra one of as your experimental.

If any re-takers or people that have already taken it for real want to jump in and post their psychological experiences, I expect that they'll report having felt extra stress they didn't have during PT's because of worrying and wondering about what section type is next and also adjustment shock stress from having to suddenly switch gears to a different section type in split seconds without knowing which mode they're about to have to switch into.

The more you know about a particular test/PT before you take it timed, the better psychologically prepared you can be to handle it well since the element of surprise and section order uncertainty isn't a factor. A similar PT score boosting advantage effect can also happen (that you won't have on test day) just by knowing before you take a particular PT that it's one with harder games or harder RC or LR even if you haven't actually looked at the sections/questions before taking it. For instance, if you know that the PT you're about to take is the one with the infamous dreaded Mauve Dinosaurs game, you've already given yourself an artificial score boosting advantage since you know what to expect, will be less likely to be shocked or otherwise negatively emotionally/mentally affected by it, and will already better know how to manage your time allocation between the games in the section.

In short, to prepare yourself to handle actual test day effectively, condition yourself properly to perform well under real test conditions and to help insure that your PT scores are reliable and accurate indicators of how you'll perform on test day/what your true current score range is, you should make sure to avoid knowing ANYTHING about each PT before you take it, including the section types order and which sections are harder/easier and which LG's and RC passages are harder or easier, otherwise you're not simulating one of the most important aspects of actual test day that can throw you off your game and cause you to 'under perform' compared to your PT scores. If you know ahead of time what to expect, it removes a lot of the uncertainty and shock stress that frequently ruins people on test day when they react badly to and/or have bad time management with the harder section(s), LG's or RC passages or other types of unexpected 'curve-balls'.

Simple loose analogy is baseball when you're up to bat. It's a lot harder to hit the ball well when you don't know what type of pitch is about to be coming at you, but much easier to be able to possibly knock it out of the park/get a good hit or not get a strike if you know which way to swing, whether to bunt, or whether to not take a swing if you already know what type of pitch is going to be thrown at you ahead of time.

Make sense?

[mjjames]

This has been extremely helpful - thank you!