Using a Timer

One of the most important tools for test success is a timer. Your timer should be
a constant companion during your LSAT preparation, and, as discussed earlier,
you should use your timer to help construct an accurate Pacing Guideline.
Although not all of your practice needs to be timed, you should attempt to do as
many questions (and sections) as possible under timed conditions. Time
pressure is the top concern cited by test takers, and practicing with a timer will
help acquaint you with the challenges of the test. After all, if the LSAT was a
take-home test, no one would be too worried about it.
Keep in mind the Law Services test center regulations concerning time:
“Supervisors will keep official time. You may take a noiseless watch to the test
center. Alarm, calculator, and beeping watches are not permitted. The supervisor
will announce a five-minutes-remaining warning for each test section” (from the
LSAT & LSDAS Registration & Information Book).
Your timer must be noiseless. Although this rule is randomly enforced, you do
not want to find yourself in a position of having your timer taken away when
you depend on it. Second, the supervisors will call a warning when there are
five minutes remaining. Since you have a timer this warning announcement
should come as no surprise to you. As you progress through the section, check
your timer every 4-5 minutes for tracking purposes. There is no need to check it
every minute!
When practicing with a timer, keep notes about how many questions you
complete in a given amount of time. You should vary your approach so that
practice does not become boring. For example, you could track how long it
takes to complete 3, 5, or 10 questions. Or you could see how many questions
you can complete in 10 or 15 minutes. Trying different approaches will help
you get the best sense of how fast you can go while still maintaining a high
degree of accuracy.
A timer is invaluable because it is both an odometer and speedometer for the
section. With sufficient practice you will begin to establish a comfortable testtaking
speed and the timer allows you to make sure you are maintaining this
pace. Whether you use a watch, stopwatch, or a kitchen timer is irrelevant; just
make sure you time yourself and that your timer is silent so you can use it on
test day.