Took December LSAT...NEED advice on retake and prep Forum

[org_chemist]

I took the December LSAT and was devastated when I got a score of 149

Prior to taking the exam, I was averaging between 160-165 on my PTs. I think the pressure of test day got the best of me. I want to do an October retake. I am looking to apply to T25 schools. Should I try doing a prep course, if so, which one? Or continue with powerscore bibles? Any advice/help is greatly appreciated.

[akili]

If you can, retake in June. You'll get your apps in the first day possible. Plus, some people do better with a later test start.

If you think anxiety was the problem, practice taking as many PTs as possible in test like situations. I took some in total silence at my house, but most at coffeeshops. It really helped on test day because I knew how to re-focus.

How are you doing with timing? How many PTs did you take?

[org_chemist]

If you can, retake in June. You'll get your apps in the first day possible. Plus, some people do better with a later test start.

If you think anxiety was the problem, practice taking as many PTs as possible in test like situations. I took some in total silence at my house, but most at coffeeshops. It really helped on test day because I knew how to re-focus.

How are you doing with timing? How many PTs did you take?

I took about 15 PTs. I always finished each section with a few minutes to spare. On test day though, I ran out of time on my first section.

[ATR]

If you can, retake in June. You'll get your apps in the first day possible. Plus, some people do better with a later test start.

If you think anxiety was the problem, practice taking as many PTs as possible in test like situations. I took some in total silence at my house, but most at coffeeshops. It really helped on test day because I knew how to re-focus.

This is good advice. Also, if you want to improve your techniques and your score, I suggest you adopt a study plan similar to this one: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =6&t=41657

Good luck!

[akili]

If you can, retake in June. You'll get your apps in the first day possible. Plus, some people do better with a later test start.

If you think anxiety was the problem, practice taking as many PTs as possible in test like situations. I took some in total silence at my house, but most at coffeeshops. It really helped on test day because I knew how to re-focus.

How are you doing with timing? How many PTs did you take?

I took about 15 PTs. I always finished each section with a few minutes to spare. On test day though, I ran out of time on my first section.

I would practice taking the sections in slightly less time than normal. Maybe 32 minutes or 30. Order all the PTs that you haven't taken, especially the most recent ones. I started with PTs 9-11 and they were confidence boosters/good practice. You want to finish you study plan by taking the most recent, but it's good to start with the old ones.

What's your weakest section? If you haven't finished working through the LG and LR bibles, do it! Make sure you practice a couple of 5 section tests (add in a random section, your weakest usually!).

Make sure you go back over your tests and review every wrong answer (why you thought it was right, why it wasn't right, why the correct answer is) and write this out in the booklet. It was EXTREMELY helpful for me. It seems minor but it can really give you good practice strategy. Also, review any that you struggled with (put stars next to them).

[org_chemist]

If you can, retake in June. You'll get your apps in the first day possible. Plus, some people do better with a later test start.

If you think anxiety was the problem, practice taking as many PTs as possible in test like situations. I took some in total silence at my house, but most at coffeeshops. It really helped on test day because I knew how to re-focus.

How are you doing with timing? How many PTs did you take?

I took about 15 PTs. I always finished each section with a few minutes to spare. On test day though, I ran out of time on my first section.

I would practice taking the sections in slightly less time than normal. Maybe 32 minutes or 30. Order all the PTs that you haven't taken, especially the most recent ones. I started with PTs 9-11 and they were confidence boosters/good practice. You want to finish you study plan by taking the most recent, but it's good to start with the old ones.

What's your weakest section? If you haven't finished working through the LG and LR bibles, do it! Make sure you practice a couple of 5 section tests (add in a random section, your weakest usually!).

Make sure you go back over your tests and review every wrong answer (why you thought it was right, why it wasn't right, why the correct answer is) and write this out in the booklet. It was EXTREMELY helpful for me. It seems minor but it can really give you good practice strategy. Also, review any that you struggled with (put stars next to them).

Thanks! That's all really great advice. My weakest section is definitely LR, so that was the bible that I was focusing on the most. However, I didn't analyze every single question that I got wrong on my PTs, which I think was a MAJOR mistake. I will definitely be starting that ASAP.