Your LSAT Score vs. Your Initial Diagnostic Forum

[Entchen]

1) What was your score on your initial diagnostic? 168

2) What were you getting on preptests? Other than the initial, 172x1, 173x1, 175x4, 176x1, 177x1, 180x1. Mean, median, and mode were all 175.

3) What did you score on the June (or any previous LSAT)? 177. No previous LSAT.

Studying consisted of taking one PT every other weekend or so Feb-April, and then one every weekend late April-June.

[Stringer6]

1. 148
2. 164-172
3. 165

[coffeeonthepatio]

Initial Diagnostic- 156
Preptests- only took 3, including the diagnostic But 156, 163, 162 repesctively.
June 10- 161

[Bildungsroman]

Initial diagnostic: 161
Prep tests: 161, 164, 163, 167, 169
Test day: 168

Probably retaking in October after actually putting some work into studying.

Edit: that diagnostic was timed. Untimed =/= to real diagnostic.

[berkeleykel06]

Looks like I'm one of the only ones to actually do worse than my diagnostic

Diagnostic: 167
PT avg: 174
Scores: 166 (June 09), 166 (June 10)

[slax]

1. Initial Diagnostic: 154
2. Took TestMasters and about 15 PTs. Average and mode were 173. Range was 168-176.
3. June '10: 176

[rejectmaster]

initial untimed: mid 160s
initial timed: 153

practice: read over the logic games and short passages bibles lightly.. most of the valuable information is at the beginning where they tell you how the questions work.

was averaging between 172 on preptests with a range of 169-174

got a 172 in dec '09 with the monster -14 curve.

i also don't really get nervous for tests because i've been taking silly placement tests since i was a wee child

[njgal]

Initial diagnostic: 157
Practice tests: range was from 164-169
Actual test (June 2010): 167....cannot complain although reading comp destroyed me

[Indebted]

[deleted]

[vandalvideo]

1. Cold LSAT score when I first started was 154.

2. I was averaging 174 a month before the test.

3. Took two weeks off and reverted back to 167 on test day.

[missvik218]

Initial cold LSAT: 159

PT range (exam 1): 159-166
Feb 2009: 161

PT range (exam 2): 167-173; average: 168
Sept 2009: 169

[juevonate]

Background on my studying. I took a Kaplan course about two years ago. My first planned test, I could not sleep the night before, so put it off for two months. Two months later, I and scored in the 160's, after a 160 diagnostic. I was really disappointed, and took a year off to do something exciting.

I then studied for three months leading up to the test, using the LG Bible, and nearly all PT's 28 to present. I did about 20 PT's in the month leading up to the test. I took them all under strict timed conditions, at approximately the same time as the real test, and switched between 4 or 5 different locations, all of which provided varying levels of distractions. I actually did one practice test intentionally sleep deprived and hit well over 170. I made the hour and a half drive to the actual testing center three times before the real test, and took a full length test.

For the actual test, I was more sleep-deprived than I had been for any of the previous takings (even my sleep-deprived one) It obviously didn't affect my LR ( I had done so many, the process just became second nature for my brain) I am confident I would have done a bit better on the LG and RC, (I did 2 worse on LG than I had on my 20 most recent takings, including 3 on the sequencing game, my strength.)

Bottom line: I should have/could have scored in the mid 170's, but with my sleep struggles, and variability of tests, it makes a higher score at best tenuous, and the 170 puts me in a good situation.

[prerna]

Initial Diagnostic: 156 (note, i took this still a little um, sick, from the night before lol)
Avg PTs: 173
June test: 170

[joeshmo39]

Diag: 156
Preps: 167-169 usually, some 166s, some 170s, 172 highest, I was never incredibly consistent.
Actual: 166

[nematoad]

Diag: 152 (untimed)
PT Average: 170
December 2009: 162, June 2010: 166

[Sandro]

cold diagnostic has little to no bearing on potential lsat score. I am convinced that had i taken a full length PT I would have scored in the abysmal 140s, this from just doing one LR section of the June 07 free lsat. My last PT was a 168 and I fully expect to be prepping in the low 170s before Oct 10.

[ConLawLover]

1) What was your score on your initial diagnostic? 149

2) What were you getting on preptests? 173

3) What did you score on the June (or any previous LSAT)? 178

[Kretzy]

Diagnostic: 158

Prep-tests: between 175-179

Actual LSAT: 170, June 2009.

I broke my ankle the Monday before the test, and had to take pain meds during the break. Missed 5 of the last 7 questions on the test...at that point, hadn't discovered TLS, so didn't realize what canceling was. Still turned out okay, but the score was a bit disappointing.

[planQ]

Diag: 163
Preptests: 169 consistently
LSAT: 174

[Timberline]

1). Initial Diagnostic: 166
2). Prep tests: 175 (an average of the last 5 tests I took before the actual test; range was 173-179)
3). Actual LSAT (from this June): 163

I would appreciate any advice anyone has to offer on whether or not I should retake in October and/or if I should cancel this score... a more full explanation of the scoring discrepancy is explained in a separate thread. I don't mean to take over this thread, though, so if anyone has any advice, I would appreciate a private message or a response in the other thread.

[scgoaliface32]

1) initial diagnostic: 152

2) preptests average: 165 (158-169)

3) Dec '09: 167

Like previous posters have mentioned, more sleep probably would have helped.

[mahalo109]

1) What was your score on your initial diagnostic? 168

2) What were you getting on preptests? 166-180

3) What did you score on the June (or any previous LSAT)? 174

The strategy that I finally settled into was to take a couple preptests to figure out where I was struggling and then go back through specific question types until I'd worked out the kinks.

Once I felt like I couldn't pinpoint a particular place I was struggling, that it was more random, I just started taking preptests. The more the better because on test day, you will need to be able to draw on that confidence and familiarity to calm your nerves and convince yourself that you are doing okay.
I had a headache through the whole thing but I think the adreneline neutralized it. I'd imagine a similar thing could happen for lack of sleep.

[alive]

Initial cold timed (Kaplan free exam day or whatever): 154

Studied for 9-12 months while working ~60 hours/week, did bibles and Pithypike's guide

Did about 15 full PrepTests, scored 168-174

June 2010: 170

I know I could have done a few points better (was really anxious at the start of the exam), but I can't bring myself to retake a 170.

[CryingMonkey]

Diagnostic: 177
PT average (14 test): 178.5
June 10 LSAT: 179

I'll bet I'm the only person who got a 179 and also missed the first question of the Logic Games section. Just trying to be unique

[chrisnashville]

Diagnostic: 160
PT Avg: 160 (Low 157, High 164)
June 09: 166

Worked through the LG Bible (although maybe only half of it, unfortunately), LR Bible (most all of it) and 6 PTs very, very slowly. 40 hours a week + freelance work left me little wanting to crack open the books! :\ All said, I was quite pleased with my score.