Is TestMasters Worth It?

[Miamiboi305]

Hello all,

I'm currently trying to study for the lsat and I've been looking at practice problems and noticed I've been getting alot of the wrong for reasons I'm not sure of yet. I feel I do better when I have somebody show me how to do something rather than trying to learn it on my own. I have a friend who has taken a prep class and he told me that once you get the basics down from instructors on how to answer certain questions than things will start to clique. Im a considering taking the full length test masters course but want to make sure its worth it before I give up 1500 dollars. I'm looking to get between a 160-165 which should get me into the school I want to attend. Advice?

[etwake]

If you in any way can afford it, then YES, do it. The investment paid off 10X for me. I tried studying by myself, and Testmasters is sooo much better. Instructors help out a ton, and you'll end up getting every penny back out of the class either by scholarship money or getting into a better school.

[kkl219]

if you have any self-discipline, it's not worth it. the teaching is so fragmented and you are in a room with 100 people so they go so slow because there's bound to be at least one person who doesn't understand basic concepts. thus, it's not a very maximized way of spending your time.

my recommendation would be to familiarize yourself with the test on your own the best you can (through bibles, this forum, and a few preptests) and then spend that money on something non-lsat related or a private tutor.

clearly it's worked for many, but my best prep has been via taking preptest after preptest with close examination of correct/incorrect responses, especially on the most difficult questions and/or questions you've missed.

that's just my $.02.

[JoshHK]

ah... the good old test prep debate.

as a test masters alum, i feel pretty good about saying it was worth it for me. in early 08, when i was just starting this whole process, i was working 60-80 hrs/week and just having a really hard time picking up steam in terms of studying for the lsat. i had a couple of Kaplan books and a practice test, but i just wasn't getting anwhere. so i took the class... first diagnostic was a 151. i ended up getting a 159 (disappointing, i know) on the june 08 test. i then picked up the powerscore LG bible since that's what had really tripped me up, and i went through that twice. i also made much more use of all the materials that TestMasters came with (evey lsat question ever published, broken down into a bunch of different question type clusters, etc...). retook in October and got a 163.... not as high as i had hoped for (i was practice-testing in the 169-172 range), but it was enough to get me into a couple of schools i'm happy with.

in the end, TestMasters was good for me because it forced me to methodically go through material and study for at least 10 hours a week (in terms of class time and doing work for the class). i probably could have made better use of all the materials provided to me through the class, but i was kinda burnt out and had a hard time balancing work and lsat prep.

fwiw, my class was about 50 people, and my instructor was excellent. he kept the pace moving quickly enough, and tended to handle the 'slower' people one on one when we were working on completing timed questions or something... but, as you'll read over and over again in these forums, i think the single best thing you can do is to just take a lot of practice questions and then GO BACK AND EXAMINE EVERY QUESTION ONCE YOU'VE SCORED YOURSELF TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS CORRECT AND WHY THE WRONG ANSWERS WERE WRONG. this is what you do in class at TestMasters, so this is what you should do on your own as well, whether or not you take the class.

short answer: worth the $1500? absolutely. necessary? not at all.

[je_ne_regrette_rien]

It was a waste of money for me. I don't feel that I learned much in the class that was valuable (or worth 1500). But it's different for each student. Some people in my class REALLY improved. I put a lot of time and effort outside of the class and didn't improve my score.

The PowerScore Bibles, on the other hand, really really really helped me. This might be because I'm better at studying by myself. And, also, I'm better with reading something and understanding it. Having it explained to me by the TestMasters instructor went in one ear and out another.

Also, the whole sitting in a hotel ballroom with 100 people (many of whom couldn't identify a conclusion in a stimulus a few weeks into a course) was kind of a bummer. I had some really great people in my class. It would've been better if the huge class were divided into those who needed more help/those who had specific areas of difficulty.

If you work full time, and the TestMaster courses in the evening are the only way you can force yourself to prepare for the LSAT, then go for it. But if you can use those hours more effectively by studying by yourself, then that would be my advice to you.

[BatMobile]

An important part of taking a class and investing $1300+ or - is the instructor. Make sure you ask about the instructor you receive because you can take TM which is considered one of the better test prep classes, and a crappy teacher, and not get the most out of your money.

[Drake014]

An important part of taking a class and investing $1300+ or - is the instructor. Make sure you ask about the instructor you receive because you can take TM which is considered one of the better test prep classes, and a crappy teacher, and not get the most out of your money.

This is very true. I switched teachers because my first one was bad. My second one was excellent. No matter how you prepare, make the most of it. That may mean switching teachers, getting different supplementals, etc.

[pastorjohn27]

It may depend partially on where you would be taking the course. My class had about 15 people in it with a really good instructor and so it was well worth it. I would definitely check into it. The interaction and feedback you can get from instructors is invaluable.

[Miamiboi305]

thanks guys I think Im going to go ahead and take the course I live in atlanta...I figured I don't want to trust my self study technique because I also work full time as well and I need that 160 to go top 14(Im a urm 3.45 g.p.a)

[JoshHK]

thanks guys I think Im going to go ahead and take the course I live in atlanta...I figured I don't want to trust my self study technique because I also work full time as well and I need that 160 to go top 14(Im a urm 3.45 g.p.a)

um... not to be a downer... but you're going to need a 170+ for a shot at T14...

[Miamiboi305]

I highly doubt that my brother no softs black make 3.2 159 got into emory this last year lol...im also a minority 3.43 and worked full time all throug college..president of pre-law program...and im a big brother in the big brother big sister program..he also got into vandy also so if he can do that i know i can get in lol

[JoshHK]

I highly doubt that my brother no softs black make 3.2 159 got into emory this last year lol...im also a minority 3.43 and worked full time all throug college..president of pre-law program...and im a big brother in the big brother big sister program..he also got into vandy also so if he can do that i know i can get in lol

my bad... i somehow overlooked the urm part... good luck!

[Miamiboi305]

thanks...and f.y.i im not trying to use my u.r.m status as a boost at all really..if i could manage to get a 170+ on the test ill shoot for it...after all i'd rather make it in not crossing my fingers and checking the mail each day lookin for that gold envelope lol..