The Purpose of Drilling

A lot of students treat drilling like a warmup and sections like the “real” work. That couldn’t be more wrong.

The only real difference is that one involves a clock and the other doesn’t. But your job is the same in both: solve one question at a time. 

Why Drilling Works

When you drill, you don’t have to wait until the end of a section to learn from a mistake. You can review it immediately, while it’s still fresh in your mind. 

Learning compounds faster when feedback is immediate. If you miss a question, try it again using blind review. Then read or watch as many explanations as necessary until you feel the click. If you still don’t understand, click the Ask Button, and one of our teachers will respond within 24 hours. Then repeat the process  with the next question.

Drilling also adapts to you. The Demon algorithm adjusts difficulty based on your performance. If you’re struggling, you’ll see easier questions so you can build fundamentals. If you’re excelling, it will push you harder. A static section can’t do that. It’s more random. Drilling is targeted.

Timed Sections Aren’t About Timing

Timed sections matter. They help you get used to the format and the experience of test day. But the way you approach them shouldn’t be different from when you drill.

Too many students treat timed sections like a different task. They speed up. They skim. They lower their standards because there’s a clock on the screen.

That’s when scores drop.

The best students treat timed sections exactly like drilling. They read carefully. They solve one question at a time. They refuse to rush.

Your job doesn’t change in either mode. Understand the argument. Eliminate wrong answers. Pick the right one with confidence.

If you run out of time, that’s fine. In fact, unless you're scoring 175 or higher, you shouldn’t attempt all the questions. Accuracy first. Speed follows.

How To Combine Drilling and Sections

Drill one day. Do a timed section the next. Repeat.

On drilling days, build streaks of correct answers. Review questions you get wrong immediately. Don’t move on until you clearly understand why the right answer is right and why the wrong answers are wrong.

On section days, simulate the real test. Hide the clock. Focus on solving questions correctly, even if that means you don’t finish.

After the section, thoroughly review every question you missed. Then review any question you didn’t get to or weren’t completely sure about. 

The questions you didn’t reach aren’t urgent. You can come back to them later and treat them like individual drills. 

Never sacrifice understanding for speed.

The Real Purpose

You can only serve one master. If you’re thinking about timing, you’re not thinking about the question. And if you’re not thinking about the question, you’re not improving.

Drilling makes it easy to focus only on the question in front of you. As you get better at that skill, bring it into your timed sections. That’s when you’ll really see your scores jump. 

Solve one question at a time. Review it honestly. Then do the next one.