Practice Tests vs. Drilling

Kevin, a listener of LSAT Demon Daily, recently emailed to argue that drilling is more effective than taking practice tests for improving LSAT scores. 

Kevin believes that, once you're scoring in the 170s, the key to making further improvements lies in mastering the hardest (level 5) questions, and practice tests spend too much time on easier questions that aren't as useful for high-scoring students.

Let’s compare drilling and practice tests for LSAT prep and how to strike the right balance between the two. 

The Case for Practice Tests

It’s true that drilling is an important tool, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect practice tests. 

The purpose of practice tests is to simulate the real test environment, which teaches you how to ignore the clock and solve questions of varying difficulty by solving each one at a time. 

Even if you're confident in answering the easier questions, practice tests reinforce the need to carefully and efficiently answer those before tackling the harder ones later in the section. This pacing is essential for success on test day. It would be a shame to waste an official LSAT attempt by getting complacent on the easy questions and making avoidable mistakes. Practice tests hold students accountable. You have to fully solve every question, not just the hard ones. 

Consider Timed Sections

Timed sections—where you complete one section under real test conditions—are an effective way to blend drilling and practice tests. These expose you to different types of questions in a realistic setting without requiring the full time commitment of a practice test. 

Timed sections also allow you to practice ignoring the clock and solving each question in front of you, a key skill for the LSAT.

Drilling for Focused Practice on Tough Questions

Drilling offers a more targeted approach by focusing on questions that will challenge students at their own skill level. This is especially helpful when you want to concentrate on areas where you struggle. 

But while drilling is efficient for tackling tough questions, it doesn’t fully replicate the unpredictability of the actual test. In practice, you don’t know which questions will be easy or difficult as you move through the exam. That’s why timed sections and practice tests play key roles in preparing you for the mental and emotional challenges of the LSAT.

Blending Both Approaches

The best LSAT prep should include drilling, practice tests, and timed sections. Drilling helps you improve in specific areas, practice tests teach you to manage time, deal with pressure, and balance questions of varying difficulty, while timed sections blend both. 

It's important to simulate test conditions so that when you encounter the real exam, you're fully prepared to handle everything it throws at you.

High-scoring students like Kevin should continue to practice the easier questions to avoid getting complacent. Staying sharp on the easier questions will also help you solve them efficiently, giving you more time to focus on the harder questions which can make all the difference in your score.

Takeaway

Drilling is a useful tool for focused improvement, but you shouldn’t neglect practice tests or timed sections. Each is critical to building the full set of skills you need to succeed on the LSAT. 

Taking a balanced approach and incorporating all three will ensure you’re ready for all aspects of the exam.