Study Schedule for August Test?

[hannahecole01@gmail.com]

I just finished my LSAT class (March through May), but decided halfway through to push back my test date to August. We have gone over the timing and study schedules for those taking the June test, but I would like to know how I should be spending my time from now until the August test. I have done all the homework lessons available and am not sure if I should keep doing problem sets, when I should start regular practice tests, how often I should take practice tests, etc.

[Luke Haqq]

Hi hannahecole01!

It depends how much time you have available to study each week. I can make a suggestion if you're planning to study full time, or something close to it like 30 hours a week. With that amount of time, you could take a test every day, Monday through Friday. There are over 90 practice tests, so you should have enough to carry you from now to August. If you want, you can ease into it and take maybe 2 or 3 tests a week initially and then bump it up until you're at 5 a week.

Taking full, timed practice tests is critical to doing your best on the test. This will make test day less intimidating, it'll help you spot common traps or patterns used by test makers, and it will give you opportunities to apply the strategies you've learned from the homework in real time. Taking numerous practice tests will also keep you regularly updated with where your average score is at, giving you a good idea of how you'll actually score on test day.

Just as important as taking timed practice tests is then going through and reviewing them, seeking to understand why you selected incorrect answer choices and why the right answers are correct. In addition, as you take multiple tests, you may begin to see that you have particular problem areas, such as certain question types. You can then use the homework and drills to focus on those areas, familiarizing yourself with the concepts and strategies for attacking them.

Of course, it's possible that you don't have enough time to take 5 tests a week and then go through and correct them. I would shoot for as many as you can take and review each week without burning yourself out.