improving from 164?

[spirals]

I got a 164 on a PT administered in test conditions (it was one of those free PTs offered by Kaplan). I had studied a little before taking the test, so it wasn't a true diagnostic, but I'd only put in a couple of weeks, and it was my first PT in test conditions.

I'd really like to hit the low to mid 170s on the actual test (which I haven't registered for yet). I don't currently have a timetable for studying, but I was just wondering how much improvement I should expect. My logic games performance is usually pretty good (-2 or -3), but I tend to miss more on logical reasoning and reading comp. How much time should I budget for studying, and how much improvement can I realistically hope for?

I have a pretty high GPA (3.85) and I just don't want my LSAT score to hurt my admissions chances.

[twenty]

164 is wonderful. Study your ass for the next month, and (probably) take the June LSAT. If you get a 170+, 'grats. Your 3.85 puts you above/well above median almost everywhere, assuming this is the CAS-calculated one. If you don't, study even harder, and you'll probably pick up a good 3-4 points come October.

Your improvement at this point is entirely determined by how badly you want it, and how common thunderstorms are around the area of your LSAT testing.

In two months, I went from -6 on each LR section to -2 on average. Totally doable.

Also, make sure you're doing recent PTs for now -- the RC reforms are going to suck if you're not prepared.

[banjo]

I scored a 164 on my first try (with modest prep), took a break for a few years, and improved by 12 points on my second attempt. I basically signed up for the Testmasters course and took it very, very seriously. I did every single homework problem, all the supplemental sections, came early to every class for the Q&A, treated every diagnostic like the real thing, and even did the vocab quizzes (I was on the first page of the leader board for a while). Basically, I was a TM gunner and I think it paid off. I'm not sure TM was the sole reason for my score increase (there were a few other issues the first time), but it definitely played a big part. The only section I didn't improve on was logic games, where I ended up getting -5 despite spending the most time on it. Honestly, I think that's all I'm capable of on games.

ETA: My point, if it wasn't clear, is that a large improvement is possible if you put in the time and study correctly.

[Micdiddy]

You can expect to improve to any score you want as long as you put the required amount of time and effort into it (I guess this is not technically true, some people may never reach a 180 if they studied for years 8 hours a day, but with a 164 on your first PT I do not think you are one of those people).

As point of reference, I got a 167 on my first PT (cold) and have since scored as high as 179 on subsequent diagnostics after 6 weeks of studying (taking LSAT in June). With the score and level you are currently at, I wouldn't even recommend a class (though I'm sure it couldn't hurt). Get the proper books, get every single released preptest there is and continue taking 2-3 a week, and once you start recognizing all the patterns and tricks your score will go up significantly.

With a 3.85 GPA, if you score well enough on your LSAT you're basically looking good to go to any school you want.