“How long should I prepare?”—that’s one of the most frequently asked questions before the DLR test. The answers you find in forums range from “5 days was enough” to “6 months wasn’t enough.” The truth lies somewhere in between—and depends heavily on how you train, not just how long. This plan shows you, week by week, what you should do so that on test day, you’ll know: You gave it your all.
Why 8 weeks? The logic behind the plan
Cognitive skills like working memory, processing speed, and divided attention don’t improve overnight. Cramming right before the test simply doesn’t work here the way it does in school. What does work is regular, progressive training over several weeks —similar to sports.
8 weeks is the sweet spot for three reasons:
- Enough time for measurable improvements in all 10 modules—even the difficult ones like MIC and RMS
- Not so long that motivation fizzles out —a clear endpoint is psychologically important
- Flexible enough for daily life, school, or college — the plan focuses on 45–60 minutes a day, not full-time studying
If you have less time, you’ll find a streamlined plan below. If you have more time: Start with Week 1 anyway and simply extend the first two phases.
3 Core Principles of Effective DLR Training
Before the plan begins, here are three principles that make all the difference:
1. Specificity beats generality
Puzzle apps, Sudoku, and general brain teasers improve general cognitive flexibility—but not the specific formats of the DLR test. What counts is training exactly the types of tasks that appear on the test: mental arithmetic without aids, Running Memory Span, MIC coordination. If you’re unfamiliar with these, you’ll be at a disadvantage on test day simply because of the unfamiliar formats.
2. Consistency beats intensity
45 minutes a day for 8 weeks is more effective than 4 hours a day in the final week. The brain consolidates learning progress while you sleep—that’s why spreading it out over time is crucial. Schedule fixed daily slots, even if they’re short.
3. Progress must be visible
Mindless repetition without feedback is of little use. You need to know how you’re improving from week to week—and where you still have room for growth. Only then can you direct your focus effectively.
Step 0 (before Week 1): Know your starting point
Before you begin, you need an honest assessment. In the week before the official start of training , go through a trial run of all available test modules—without preparation, without warming up. The goal isn’t a good result, but an honest picture of your starting level.
After each module, note down:
- How confident did you feel?
- Was the format easy to understand?
- Where did you notice significant weaknesses?
These notes will help you set the priorities for the next 8 weeks. Everyone has a different starting point—if you’re quick at math, you’ll need to focus less on KRN. If spatial reasoning is a weakness for you, you should tackle PPT and WFG intensively early on.
With DLR.TEST-TRAINING, you’ll see your score and your progress compared to the average after each practice test—this makes your assessment particularly precise.
Weeks 1–2: Orientation and Basics
Goal of this phase: Get familiar with all formats, build a comfort zone for each module type, and establish an initial routine.
Daily workload: 45 minutes daily (5–6 days/week)
What you’ll practice
- All 10 modules once a week — 1 run each
- Focus on the three most difficult modules for most candidates: MIC, RMS, KRN
- KRN: 10–15 minutes of mental arithmetic daily — even outside the app (while cooking, on the bus)
What to focus on
- Understand the principle of each module before you start timing yourself
- For MIC: Get used to the controls before aiming for accuracy
- For RMS: Try out different strategies (saying the numbers out loud, grouping them) and find what works for you
End of the phase: What you should have achieved
You know the format of each module. You know which three modules are your personal weaknesses. You have a daily training routine that feels somewhat natural.
Weeks 3–4: Focus on the core modules
Goal of this phase: Achieve measurable progress in the key modules MIC, RMS, and KRN. Work intensively on weak modules.
Daily workload: 50–60 minutes daily (5–6 days/week)
What you’ll practice
MIC (daily, 15–20 minutes):
- Several runs per week — repetition matters more here than in other modules
- Consciously build the ability to switch between joystick control and auditory monitoring without losing focus
- Pay attention to your error patterns: Do you tend to lose track of the auditory task or the visual one?
RMS (daily, 10 minutes):
- Consistently practice your personal chunking strategy — don’t keep switching it
- Systematically increase the length of the number sequences
Your personal weakness modules (2–3 times per week, 10–15 minutes each):
- PPT: Start with simple cube nets, gradually increase the complexity
- WFG: Practice mentally rotating routes—first slowly and deliberately, then under time pressure
- TVT: Brush up on basic physics (levers, electrical circuits, simple optics)
All other modules (1–2 times per week): Maintain, do not neglect.
End of the phase: What you should have achieved
In MIC, you’ll notice that you no longer experience the first few minutes as chaotic. In RMS, you’ve found a stable strategy. In your weak modules, you’ll see the first measurable score improvements.
Weeks 5–6: Endurance and Overall Workload
Goal of this phase: Stay stable under sustained stress. Get to know the effects of fatigue—and learn to deal with them.
Daily workload: 60 minutes daily (6 days/week)
Many test-takers train individual modules well—only to realize on the actual test day that after a 4-hour test marathon, they perform significantly worse than during isolated training sessions. The reason: They have never trained under realistic overall stress.
What you’ll practice
- At least twice a week: Several modules in a row without long breaks—simulate the workload of a real test afternoon
- Continue with MIC daily—during this phase, you should become noticeably more consistent
- KRN: Increase the complexity of the problems (longer calculation chains, mixed operations)
- SKT: Time yourself — the goal is 10 blocks without interruption
Special exercise in this phase: The module duo
Purposefully combine two challenging modules directly one after the other — e.g., MIC, then immediately RMS. This trains your ability to refocus immediately after a demanding test. That’s exactly what happens on the actual test day.
End of the phase: What you should have achieved
You can regain full concentration within 2–3 minutes after a strenuous test block. Your scores in the main modules are significantly more stable than in Week 1. You feel confident that you can get through a long test day.
Weeks 7–8: Fine-Tuning and Simulation
Goal of this phase: Bring everything together. Systematically reduce test anxiety through full-length simulations.
Daily workload: 45–60 minutes daily (5 days/week) — slightly reduce in Week 8
What you’ll practice
Week 7 — Full DLR simulation:
- At least 2 full test simulations this week — all core modules in sequence, under real-time conditions
- Goal: Get a feel for a real test day before things get serious
- After each simulation: 10 minutes of honest reflection — what went well, what didn’t?
Week 8 — Stabilization and rest:
- One more simulation at the start of the week, then targeted fine-tuning of remaining weaknesses
- Starting 3 days before the test: No more intensive training — short warm-up sessions of 20 minutes maximum
- The day before the test: Relax, go to bed early, don’t start anything new
DLR.TEST-TRAINING offers a complete DLR simulation specifically for this phase—all 6 core tests in a row within the original time frame. Anyone who has run through this simulation multiple times enters the actual test day with a significantly different mindset than someone experiencing it for the first time.
End of the phase: What you should have achieved
You know what a full test day feels like. You know how to recharge during the lunch break. You have a solid strategy for each module—and you trust it.
The last 48 hours before the test
This part is often underestimated. What you do (or don’t do) in the last two days can make a measurable difference:
Day 2 before the test
- Maximum 20 minutes of light warm-up—no new modules, no focusing on weaknesses
- Sort out travel logistics: book a hotel, plan your route, check your ID
- Go to bed early — 8 hours of sleep is demonstrably better for cognitive performance than cramming
Day 1 before the test (the night before)
- No morestudying — your brain needs rest, not additional stress
- Normal evening routine, no alcohol, no caffeine after 4 p.m.
- Quickly review the schedule so nothing takes you by surprise tomorrow
- Go to bed early
On test day
- Breakfast: Balanced, not too heavy — your brain needs energy, but you don’t want to feel sluggish after eating
- Caffeine: Okay in moderation if you’re used to it—but no more than usual
- Plan for a buffer: Better to be 30 minutes early than to arrive stressed
- During lunch break: Go outside, move around briefly, don’t discuss the morning modules with other candidates—that’s more unsettling than helpful
What to do if you have less than 8 weeks?
Sometimes deadlines are tighter than planned. Here’s a condensed version:
| Available time | Priority |
|---|---|
| 4–6 weeks | Shorten Phase 1 (1 week), complete Phases 2 and 3 in full, 1 simulation in the last week |
| 2–3 weeks | Start immediately with MIC, RMS, KRN. 60 minutes daily. All other modules once a week. 1 simulation 3 days before the test. |
| Less than 2 weeks | Focus on format familiarity: Go through each module at least twice so nothing comes as a surprise on the actual day. MIC daily. Don’t expect miracles, but don’t expect disasters either. |
One thing remains true in any case: even one week of targeted format training is better than no preparation at all. The biggest improvement often comes simply from knowing the formats—not from weeks of intensive training.
Your plan, your pace
No preparation plan fits everyone—this is a framework, not a dogma. What matters is that you start, that you stick with it, and that you know where you stand.
With DLR.TEST-TRAINING, the platform calculates a personalized training plan based on your test date—tailored to the time you have left and your starting level. The adaptive stage system ensures that you always train at exactly the right difficulty level: not too easy, not too frustrating. And with the integrated DLR simulation, you can run through your test day as many times as it takes until it feels familiar.
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