Redoing the Most Recent Tests vs. Doing the Earliest Ones Forum

[RamTitan]

Context: I've been studying for about 10 months; have done all of the tests except for the 7 most recent ones, and have started to retake many tests I've already done. I've found on retakes I can score in the 174-176 range, and learn quite a bit from seeing the patterns in the test. For the last stretch of my study period I was going to do two retakes a week(think tests from the 2003-2006 range) and one fresh test a week from the most recently released ones (2012-2015) to gauge my progress.

However, I had an epiphany; screw gauging my progress!

I've been stuck in the 166-171 range for 6 months. I know what I'm going to get on a fresh test. So, perhaps it would be worthwhile for me to take these fresh recently released tests twice instead of just once. Granted, the scores closest to my test date will probably be inflated, but I feel like that this is a better learning opportunity versus just seeing those problems on one take and a blind review.

With that said, I'd be taking a test for the first time, and then retaking aprox. 3 weeks later. Maybe that's too soon, or maybe it doesn't matter?

What are the thoughts of TLS?

[RamTitan]

In case I wasn't clear, this is what I mean as an example:

Example of a week in scenario 1:
Retake Oct. 2003, BR it
Take Oct. 2013 for the first time, BR it
Retake Oct. 2006, BR it

Example of a week in scenario 2:
Take Oct. 2013, BR it
Take Dec. 2013, BR it
Take June 2014, BR it

Then, three weeks later, retake those same tests and BR them again

So, the last 7-9 tests I will have taken before the official exam will all be retakes. While this may not give me an accurate assessment of where I stand, it may be a better learning experience (seeing the most recent problems four times in total instead of just twice), and maybe the inflated score will be good for my confidence, and be more beneficial in the long run than scoring a 169 or a 170 just days before the test.

My intuition is telling me to try this out, as regardless I will be doing mostly retakes in the next few weeks; however, I'd still love to hear what TLS has to say on this topic!

[appind]

3 weeks may be too soon to retake a test. i recall stuff esp in rc on tests that I took months ago.

[RamTitan]

Too soon for it to even be a beneficial exercise? Regardless I'll be redoing practice tests; the choice is between redoing the most recent ones 3 weeks after taking it for the first time, or redoing ones from 2003-2006 3 months later.

[Lexaholik]

Context: I've been studying for about 10 months; have done all of the tests except for the 7 most recent ones, and have started to retake many tests I've already done. I've found on retakes I can score in the 174-176 range, and learn quite a bit from seeing the patterns in the test. For the last stretch of my study period I was going to do two retakes a week(think tests from the 2003-2006 range) and one fresh test a week from the most recently released ones (2012-2015) to gauge my progress.

However, I had an epiphany; screw gauging my progress!

I've been stuck in the 166-171 range for 6 months. I know what I'm going to get on a fresh test. So, perhaps it would be worthwhile for me to take these fresh recently released tests twice instead of just once. Granted, the scores closest to my test date will probably be inflated, but I feel like that this is a better learning opportunity versus just seeing those problems on one take and a blind review.

With that said, I'd be taking a test for the first time, and then retaking aprox. 3 weeks later. Maybe that's too soon, or maybe it doesn't matter?

What are the thoughts of TLS?

Your study progress is a near perfect duplicate of my experience with the LSAT years ago. I'd also studied for nearly a year, and exhausted all preptests but was still stuck in the high 160s low 170s range. I started re-taking preptests and scored in the mid 170s on those.

I would re-take the freshly released tests twice. Like you say, gauging progress is not necessary (although it's obviously nice to know.) 3 weeks is enough time not to remember everything but you'll probably remember a lot of the questions.

Only thing I'd add is to leave 2 or 3 of the newest preptests alone until the very end.

[RamTitan]

Context: I've been studying for about 10 months; have done all of the tests except for the 7 most recent ones, and have started to retake many tests I've already done. I've found on retakes I can score in the 174-176 range, and learn quite a bit from seeing the patterns in the test. For the last stretch of my study period I was going to do two retakes a week(think tests from the 2003-2006 range) and one fresh test a week from the most recently released ones (2012-2015) to gauge my progress.

However, I had an epiphany; screw gauging my progress!

I've been stuck in the 166-171 range for 6 months. I know what I'm going to get on a fresh test. So, perhaps it would be worthwhile for me to take these fresh recently released tests twice instead of just once. Granted, the scores closest to my test date will probably be inflated, but I feel like that this is a better learning opportunity versus just seeing those problems on one take and a blind review.

With that said, I'd be taking a test for the first time, and then retaking aprox. 3 weeks later. Maybe that's too soon, or maybe it doesn't matter?

What are the thoughts of TLS?

Your study progress is a near perfect duplicate of my experience with the LSAT years ago. I'd also studied for nearly a year, and exhausted all preptests but was still stuck in the high 160s low 170s range. I started re-taking preptests and scored in the mid 170s on those.

I would re-take the freshly released tests twice. Like you say, gauging progress is not necessary (although it's obviously nice to know.) 3 weeks is enough time not to remember everything but you'll probably remember a lot of the questions.

Only thing I'd add is to leave 2 or 3 of the newest preptests alone until the very end.

Sounds good; I'll definitely make sure to do that!

[Lexaholik]

Sounds good; I'll definitely make sure to do that!

No problem! If you've got a lot more time until the exam I'd even recommend an extended break.

Most people should practice more when it comes to the LSAT. But it sounds like that's not an issue for you--you've already done a ton of preptests. Perhaps you're going through burnout, or maybe you'd benefit from taking a break and letting all your newly acquired skills marinate in your brain.

Take some time off (maybe a week or two). It'll feel really uncomfortable, and you'll feel super guilty. But that may help your score more than re-taking old tests.

[RamTitan]

Sounds good; I'll definitely make sure to do that!

No problem! If you've got a lot more time until the exam I'd even recommend an extended break.

Most people should practice more when it comes to the LSAT. But it sounds like that's not an issue for you--you've already done a ton of preptests. Perhaps you're going through burnout, or maybe you'd benefit from taking a break and letting all your newly acquired skills marinate in your brain.

Take some time off (maybe a week or two). It'll feel really uncomfortable, and you'll feel super guilty. But that may help your score more than re-taking old tests.

I had a pretty horrendous prep test today, so I think a break is in order unfortunately. I was thinking 4 days off would be good....I couldn't imagine taking a week (especially two!) off haha

[somethingElse]

Are you taking in June or Sept? If June, I say take a week off. If Sept, two weeks.

[RamTitan]

Are you taking in June or Sept? If June, I say take a week off. If Sept, two weeks.

I am taking the June test. I feel so guilty though!

[somethingElse]

Are you taking in June or Sept? If June, I say take a week off. If Sept, two weeks.

I am taking the June test. I feel so guilty though!

Yeah start the break today and get back to things May 1. No need to feel guilty, the week off will do more good for you than the week of studying would by the sounds of how many PTs you have left and the signs of burnout you mention.

[RamTitan]

Are you taking in June or Sept? If June, I say take a week off. If Sept, two weeks.

I am taking the June test. I feel so guilty though!

Yeah start the break today and get back to things May 1. No need to feel guilty, the week off will do more good for you than the week of studying would by the sounds of how many PTs you have left and the signs of burnout you mention.

I took Saturday and Sunday off, so I figure 3 more days would be good...I think I'll have an anxiety attack if I take more than 5 days off.

[somethingElse]

Depending on how serious you are about that anxiety attack, that's all the more reason to make it a longer break. The goal is to more or less forget about the LSAT for a week so that when you come back you'll be extra motivated to keep studying. Plus, the time off gives things time to "sink in" and you very well might be better at shit. I can't really explain that last point any better than that, but it worked for me and has for others too. Part of it is just that it allows you to look at things from a somewhat newer perspective, but there's more to it for sure.

[somethingElse]

You'll be good either way though! The main point is really not to stress about things.

[appind]

Too soon for it to even be a beneficial exercise? Regardless I'll be redoing practice tests; the choice is between redoing the most recent ones 3 weeks after taking it for the first time, or redoing ones from 2003-2006 3 months later.

you probably can use some new prep tests without losing a lot of their diagnostic value by not reviewing or thinking about it after taking it. as long as you don't review or think about some difficult problems that you remember from taking the pt, it wouldn't lose too much of its diagnostic value. so it can help you see whether you are improving for the recent pts early on.

[RamTitan]

Depending on how serious you are about that anxiety attack, that's all the more reason to make it a longer break. The goal is to more or less forget about the LSAT for a week so that when you come back you'll be extra motivated to keep studying. Plus, the time off gives things time to "sink in" and you very well might be better at shit. I can't really explain that last point any better than that, but it worked for me and has for others too. Part of it is just that it allows you to look at things from a somewhat newer perspective, but there's more to it for sure.

I guess my fear is that if I take a week off I'll be a little further behind schedule, and then what happens if I burn out again within the next month?

[somethingElse]

You'll be further behind schedule - but IIRC you don't have many fresh PTs left, right? The plus side of taking extra time off versus a PT or two you've already seen is pretty significant. And also, taking a longer break right now will help prevent another burn out within the next month.

[somethingElse]

But dude let me also just say that being on this site and shit is not even really a true break - if you can (and enjoy it) I would like go camping for a couple days or get out of town, something like that. Get off TLS completely, try not to even think about the test at all. Most of all don't stress over it. You've done so many PTs at this point that your skills are 100% not going to be weakened by a couple more days off. They very will could improve, though. Don't stress and be confident. You will do great!

[RamTitan]

You'll be further behind schedule - but IIRC you don't have many fresh PTs left, right? The plus side of taking extra time off versus a PT or two you've already seen is pretty significant. And also, taking a longer break right now will help prevent another burn out within the next month.

Haha okay, definitely fair enough. Three more days and no TLS lurking for me, and we'll see what happens.

Thanks for the advice mate!