If there’s one piece of LSAT advice I’ve gotten over and over again, it’s to take as many timed practice tests as I can before test day. If you’ve ever taken a practice LSAT, or even the real thing, you know how drained you feel afterwards. Don’t get me wrong, the first time I took a practice LSAT, I felt my brain work in ways I’ve never felt it work before, that felt amazing, but by the end of the test, I was drained.
Knowing that this test tires me out, I’m worried about taking so many tests that I burn out. I’ve been warned about this, too. So, how do we take enough practice tests to hit our target score, but don’t over do it to the point of exhaustion?
As I sit here, writing this post, there’s 5 months and a little under two weeks until the September 2018 LSAT. All I can think about is when I should start taking practice tests and how many I should do a week. I don’t want to over do it, but I also don’t want to be unprepared. How can I find this balance?
I know I need to imitate test day conditions as much as I can, and that includes taking timed practice tests. However, I know I will need to have a basic understanding of the LSAT down before I start taking timed practice tests, otherwise I will freak myself out if I’m not entirely grasping the concepts covered by this test. As scary and serious as the LSAT is, we can learn it, but that requires time and dedication. Which means, cramming won’t work.
The score we get on the LSAT can make or break our application and impact our financial aid package. Learn what works for you, give yourself enough time to get a grasp of the concepts, and know your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the LSAT. Whatever you do, take at least one timed practice test. You don’t want to go into test day having only taken untimed tests, you’re likely going to score significantly lower than you did on those untimed tests. Take this test seriously and don’t cheat yourself.
Lattes and Gavels 