Decrease in LSAT Pratice Test??!?!?! Forum

[yngblkgifted]

Hello All.

I am freaking out a little bit.

First of all, my LSAT diagnostic was pretty horrible (146). So I decided that I needed to take a prep course because I lack the self motivation to really study like I need to for the LSAT by myself. So far I have enjoyed the class. My eventual goal is to break 160 by the June LSAT. After a month of the prep course and doing most of the homework, I have only improved 5 points ( 151) on a self-proctored exam I took yesterday ( I know that's not great, but at least I was going in a positive direction. Today, I took another PT in my LSAT prep course and I checked my answers and in the back of our book and I think I got a 147ish ( some answers I didn't circle in my practice book because I put them directly on the scan tron so I couldn't get a complete score)

I was extremely pissed when I looked at my score. Some factors may have been that I had very little sleep the night before and I had to drive 2 and half hours before before I got to my prep course location. I took a five hour energy drink before I took the test, but I was still pretty tired.

Sorry this is so long....My question is... is there any hope for me to break 160 by the June test? I have a high GPA ( 3.9) and relatively good work experience while I was still in undergrad( I ran my own business for 4 months last the summer among other things). However, i know that without a good LSAT score I can kiss a decent Law School good bye. Should I take the LSAT in October instead? Or is it better to get it out of the way and take it while this course material is fresh in my mind?
Thought? Suggestions? Words of wisdom?

I'm frustrated and worried. *sigh*

[Close Diamond]

If you think that you can do better with more time, you're probably right. Don't be afraid to postpone until October. Late October is still early enough in the application cycle to give you some advantage. Even if you have to retake in December, not too much harm done. The moral of the story is: be prepared and don't rush it.

And BTW, you can absolutely go from a 146 to a 160.

[purple cow]

I had a similar experience, my diag was a 154 and over the course it slowly rose to 168, my highest practice test. Two days before the LSAT i took another practice test and got a 158 on it and was flippin out. I hadn't slept the night before it and I do think that severely affected my score, cuz I got a 170 on the exam. So getting a 160, if you do all the practice problems and work hard, is definitely an attainable goal.

[BruceBarr]

Hello All.
[strike]I am freaking out a little bit.

First of all, my LSAT diagnostic was pretty horrible (146).[/strike]So I decided that I needed to take a prep course because I lack the self motivation to really study like I need to for the LSAT by myself. [strike]So far I have enjoyed the class. My eventual goal is to break 160 by the June LSAT. After a month of the prep course and doing most of the homework, I have only improved 5 points ( 151) on a self-proctored exam I took yesterday ( I know that's not great, but at least I was going in a positive direction. Today, I took another PT in my LSAT prep course and I checked my answers and in the back of our book and I think I got a 147ish ( some answers I didn't circle in my practice book because I put them directly on the scan tron so I couldn't get a complete score)

I was extremely pissed when I looked at my score. Some factors may have been that I had very little sleep the night before and I had to drive 2 and half hours before before I got to my prep course location. I took a five hour energy drink before I took the test, but I was still pretty tired.

Sorry this is so long....My question is... is there any hope for me to break 160 by the June test? I have a high GPA ( 3.9) and relatively good work experience while I was still in undergrad( I ran my own business for 4 months last the summer among other things). However, i know that without a good LSAT score I can kiss a decent Law School good bye. Should I take the LSAT in October instead? Or is it better to get it out of the way and take it while this course material is fresh in my mind?
Thought? Suggestions? Words of wisdom?

I'm frustrated and worried. *sigh*

[/strike]


Problem.

[kaydish21]

Don't stress too much yet, a 5 point fluctuation in scores is completely normal, especially earlier in the study process. I still had some tests that were well below my standard and although frustrating, it just takes practice. Additionally, you should not feel rushed into taking the June test if you think you are not performing near your potential. October is still early enough to apply without any disadvantage at all. If you can even raise the score 2-3 points over summer, it is most likely worth it to wait and study hard all summer and get a better score in October.

[yngblkgifted]

Thanks for the replies. I am seriously thinking about taking it in October. I feel like I can do better on the test. The concepts of the course make sense to me. And though my score has not changed much, I slowly am getting better and faster at the games. I just feel that I might need more time.




My apologies, Bruce Barr -- What I meant to say was that I "lacked" the motivation - I currently don't "lack" anything but a decent score... But now that I have some structure around my my studying and have gotten my feet wet in the material, i feel determined to crack this thing...I just feel like the June LSAT might be too soon. Whenever Im not working or doing school work I'm doing these LSAT problems, so I don't feel motivation is the main problem for me anymore----I think it is just frustration.

[traehekat]

You have only taken 3 practice tests so far, right? How many do you plan to take between now and June? Breaking 160 is possible, but you have to take a lot of timed practice tests. Most people here who score in the upper 160s, lower 170s haven taken well over 15 practice tests.

I was in a position similar to yours and I decided to go ahead and take the June LSAT anyway, knowing I would probably retake in September because I wanted more time to study. My reasoning was, well, what if I get sick in September or something? I ended up canceling my June score because I knew it was probably horrible. I took it in September, 158. Retook in December after doing a lot more practice exams, scored a 164. I was satisfied with that, although I admit I could have probably done more to prep.

Taking the December LSAT won't kill you as far as where you are in the admissions timeline, but your chances at merit aid will be significantly reduced. If I were you, I would forgo from taking the June LSAT, study like crazy for the October LSAT, and rock it.

[A'nold]

If you went from a 146 to a 151 it still means you are not "getting it" regardless of your lack of sleep or whatever. You should look at all of the great "how to succeed on the lsat" threads on here and get to work on figuring out the logic behind the test. Good luck!

[yngblkgifted]

Are you suggesting that there is a wall I need to get past in order to "get" the test? If so, what score would this wall be?

Do you have any suggestions on what books I should get?

[yngblkgifted]

The class I'm enrolled in will have me taking about 5 or 6 more timed tests. But I plan on taking atleast 5 or 6 on my own before June.

[Close Diamond]

Are you suggesting that there is a wall I need to get past in order to "get" the test? If so, what score would this wall be?

Do you have any suggestions on what books I should get?

The PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible and the PowerScore Logic Games Bible should get you into the 160's. After about 163-5, their effects are negligible

Take 20 or more strictly timed five-section tests.

[traehekat]

Are you suggesting that there is a wall I need to get past in order to "get" the test? If so, what score would this wall be?

Do you have any suggestions on what books I should get?

There is no real "score" that indicates you are getting it. There is definitely a point, especially with logical reasoning, where the answer starts jumping off the page, especially for the easier questions. There should also be a point where, with enough practice, you are getting -0 to -2 on the games section.