Thanks for following our first blog series. We wrote these posts to give you a sense of how to use AdeptLR most effectively and the results that you could expect if you continue to drill and practice on our platform.

In our first post, “What type of driller are you?” we observed that there were two types of users of our platform: breadth-first drillers and depth-first drillers. Breadth-first drillers practice across LR categories and tend to work on as many questions as they can, relying on our proprietary algorithm to provide the category and difficulty of questions most likely to lead to significant improvements. These breadth-first drillers on average answered 3.8 questions more correctly on a timed section at the end of their usage of our platform, compared to when they first started using it. Depth-first drillers, on the other hand, tended to be users who had already put in substantial amounts of time studying for the LSAT, judging by their LawHub imports into our platform. These users focused their studies on specific categories of LR questions, and our algorithm tended to provide these users the most difficult questions—which resulted in an improvement of over 20% more correct responses for the most difficult questions. 

Our second post, “Data Intelligence – LSAT Study Strategy Part 1” discussed our findings that our platform helped our users improve faster. We observed this by comparing the results of those who started studying with our platform with those who had started studying without our platform (by analyzing LawHub data that was imported into our system). We also offered a suggestion that those who start with our platform should focus on drilling across categories, and that all users would benefit from incorporating timed sections into their studies.

In our third post, “Data Intelligence – LSAT Study Strategies Part II”, we observed that a linear-like inverse relationship existed between the number of questions a user drilled and the average time it took to answer a question. Our data also supported the notions that taking breaks could actually lead to higher scores and that improvements in scores were not linear but rather behaved as plateaus that led to breakthroughs with consistent practice.

Since our last few posts were about how you could trust our platform to lead to statistically significant improvements, we wanted to wrap up our series with how to approach test day.

Approach the official administration as you’ve practiced it in the past

‍In other words, create testing environments leading up to the exam that simulate what the official administration will be like. I took the LSAT in person, and before my official administration, I visited my actual test site to scout where I’d be taking the test. While I wasn’t able to take a timed practice test at my test site, it wouldn’t have been a bad idea. Likewise, leading up to the official administration, simulate all aspects of what it’ll be like to sit down for it. Take practice exams in the room you plan to be in, at the same time as your official test. If you drink coffee before your practice exams, then drink coffee before the official one; otherwise, keep it out for both practice exams and the official administration. When you take the official administration, ideally, it’ll feel like another practice exam.

Trust your skills and don’t cram

The LSAT is a test of skills, not knowledge. You’ve used our platform, which is a data-driven approach to maximizing improvements in your studying. Trust that you’ve prepared enough for the LSAT; progress in the LSAT happens over time, not immediately, and you’ve built the skills necessary to conquer the exam. I personally think it’s helpful to take the day before the LSAT completely off. One additional day of studying will likely not provide any meaningful benefit to your skills. On the other hand, taking the day off before the official exam would give you something to look forward to while you’re studying and hopefully provide you a level of rest before the big day. On this note, I’d recommend doing something relaxing the night before the test—I watched an emotional TV show right before going to bed the night of my exam, and that wasn’t too helpful in putting me in a calm state!

Eat a balanced meal and get enough sleep the night

And, in the spirit of an earlier point, eat the same thing before practice exams as well to simulate what the official exam will be like. You don’t want any surprise digestive issues! You’ll want something that can provide energy throughout your test and keep your mind focused, like bananas or oatmeal. Lastly, make sure you get enough sleep the night before the exam. Some studies have found that getting a full night's sleep before taking an exam is correlated with better performance.

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Good luck on the exam! We are rooting for you at AdeptLR.

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