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As in any activity that takes intensive training for a single event — a musical concert or a game against rivals — some days of testing will feel better than others; there are days when we just feel “on” and perform at a higher level, and others days when we just feel “off” and perform poorly. The goal of preparation, in this light, is not only to learn the contents of the test, but also to minimize the number of our “off” days and increase the ceiling — our highest level of proficiency — of our “on” days.

Effective test prep, then, should make sure that students are “on” for the main event. One simple, but counter-intuitive, strategy that I began using for LSAT prep but have extended to all tests? Dedicate the week before the exam toward improving on one’s strengths, rather than working on one’s weaknesses. This preparation can both provide students more time for the more challenging material on the test (because the less challenging material will be completed even faster than usual) and, more importantly, bolster students’ confidence, giving them a boost that will translate to all areas of a test.