Goal is to get from 155 cold diagnostic to 173+ by September. Thoughts on my study plan? Forum

[Jkuk98]

As indicated my cold score was a 155 and my goal is to get to 173+ by September 2017.

My current plan is to start going through the bibles and take plenty of PT's with blind review until June. Then from June-September, do lots of hours of Testmasters private tutoring.

I'm open to making any adjustments and would love some advice. Is that enough time to prepare? Is Testmasters tutoring the best way to go or choose a different company/do a course/just self study.

Thanks in advance!

[AJordan]

Anecdotally, it's possible. I did almost exactly that starting last SEP and taking the FEB test. I would caution you from taking that "goal number" too seriously and just treat the process as a process. Focusing on such a high number has a tendency to cause anxiety once you, almost inevitably, plateau at some point. Personally, I plateaued in my study around 167-170 range and it really did hurt me mentally. First step in studying is likely the cheapest/easiest. I would recommend getting access to all PT logic games and use the 7Sage youtube videos to study. Once you're at -2 or better every single time then you can move on to things that cost more money. Rare is the taker who doesn't get perfect on LG who scores 173+ imo. Cross that hurdle first and once you've gotten there then reevaluate your situation. Making grandiose plans just sets you up for disappointment. Just one guy's opinion who did what you want to do.

[Platopus]

A 173 is certainly not out of the question, but is by no means guaranteed. If you put in the work to master the concepts & fundamentals you should be able to get there or at least very close. You'll have plenty of time if you start studying now. Starting with the Powerscore bibles seems like the right call. In your first couple months, I would suggest avoiding taking any full-timed PT's. Instead, take tests 1-40 and break them up by section so that you can drill the sections independently. Aim for 100% accuracy, or close, before starting to time yourself. Mostly importantly, don't neglect concentrated review. Review every question you get wrong, and fully understand why the correct answer is correct, and why your answer (and all the others) is incorrect.

[McMooch]

I agree with the previous posters. You have to see this as a process of improvement rather than a race toward a goal.

Avoid taking timed tests in the beginning, better to work on fundamentals. But I think that you should work on each piece on its own, then once you've worked on all of them you take a test or two. No guarantees of perfect score on the practice tests, but that will give you an idea of what it's like and where you need to focus.