What was your initial diagnostic score? Did you prep? Forum

[jakebosco70]

I took a diagnostic at a Kaplan testing center about a year ago and scored a 145. I decided to take it cold just to gauge where I was with no prep whatsoever. I purposely didn't even want to know the test was structured. I still have almost a year to take the actual LSAT (june 2011 test). I was very disappointed at first, but since then have been scoring in the mid 160s on the LSAT Connect iphone app. Where do you think I really stand? Have you ever tried the iphone app? Does it inflate scores? Does Kaplan purposely deflate scores in order to drum up more business? There are just SO many variables to consider!

Anyways, if you have any experience with what I mentioned above please include it in your answer. Otherwise, please answer the following. It would help me a great deal!:

1) your original diagnostic score

2) amount of prep BEFORE taking that first diagnostic test

3) amount of prep between original diagnostic and actual LSAT exam

4) actual LSAT score

Thank you!

[lawduder]

1) your original diagnostic score: 146

2) amount of prep BEFORE taking that first diagnostic test: nothing, it was a diagnostic

3) amount of prep between original diagnostic and actual LSAT exam: 4 months

4) actual LSAT score: 167

[TaiRuiJin]

1) Diagnostic: 147

2) No prep prior to diagnostic

3) 1.5 yrs, 45 practice tests, power score LG and LR bibles, Intro to Logic course offered at college

4) End result: 171

A word to the wise: the iphone app should not be relied upon as to how well you will do on the LSAT. I am a firm believer in taking practice tests in as realistic a situation as possible. I even got to the point where I would do an experimental section whenever I did a practice test (so I did 5 sections instead of usual 4, and my wife would choose the experimental section randomly). FWIW.

[FuManChusco]

initial: 169

prep: LGB, thought it was worthless unless I familiarized myself with this section. LR and RC are somewhat natural, but logic games are pretty unique.

prep between: Started in January, and I'm taking the LSAT in June.

actual: Again, taking in June, but my PTs are low to mid 170s right now. Need to improve RC a point or two. I imagine I can 175 pretty easily considering I've taken my time studying. Scores are high so I want to save 15 of the most recent PTs for April/May.

[NewtonLied]

1) Diagnostic: Didn't take one

2) N/A

3) 3 months casually reviewing Princeton Review. No full test until test day.

4) End result: 167

HTH.

[clyde_barrow]

1) 159
2) nothing; i was reading the instructions at the beginning of each section
3) i estimate 3 months aggregate of taking practice tests on a regular basis (2-3 per week) or doing the equivalent with other test-prep materials
4) 173

[sanpiero]

1.) 154
2.) None
3.) Just over two months, about 15 PTs, and the Kaplan course
4.) 162

Lesson: Take 30+ practice tests, take at least 3 months to dedicate to study, and do not wait until December of the year prior to matriculation to decide to go to law school (thereby giving yourself once chance - February - to determine your professional fate for the next 5+ years).

Also note: Kaplan is helpful in getting you to the 160s but not very helpful in getting you through or past the 160s.

[Cosmo Kramer]

1) 154

2) None

3) 3-4 Months self-study

4) 168

[widreher]

I know I am breaking from the format here a bit, but I just wanted to add my own bit of advice:

LSAT prep courses, as already noted, seem to have helped those people I knew who said they didn't have the discipline to self-study. Note that self-studying means taking at least 1-2 tests per week for 3-6 months, and taking the time to review the test/errors you made. Self-studying with a partner seems to be the best approach based on my limited knowledge. I did this and it was very helpful.

Think about it this way--the people teaching these courses are just people who've taken the LSAT before and received decent scores. The rest of the "insider knowledge" can be gleaned online or from the opening of the books you can buy for a fraction of the cost (or rent from a library). Anybody you know who scores a diagnostic of 165+ will be as good a tutor if you can convince them. Significant others work well also

Overall lesson, from my (admittedly limited) experience: don't spend the money on a class unless you don't trust yourself to actually commit to studying. And if you can't commit to studying for the LSAT, do you really want to commit $180,000 to studying the law for three years?

[ConMan345]

1) 164

2) I knew the format, but didn't practice with any questions

3) After finding TLS, not enough. 2-3 weeks of pretty intense studying. I kind of regret it, kind of don't.

4) 167 Oct 2008, 171 Feb 2009

[MF248]

1) 157
2) None
3) 'Three months' - about 6 full tests and maybe another 4-5 tests worth of material.
4) 177

Saw a big jump up after about 2-3 weeks of practice/3rd test taken and then kinda took it easy after getting the gist of the test.

[tomwatts]

1) 154
2) Glanced at a book describing the sections and briefly looked over some logic game stuff (so I knew to draw diagrams, but I didn't particularly know what the diagrams should look like).
3) The bulk of my score improvement came from a two-month period right after the diagnostic. Did timed sections (2-3 sections most days, usually spent at least 50% as long going over them as doing them in the first place) 7 days a week.
4) I didn't take the test immediately after studying, but I was PT-ing high 170's/180 consistently. I studied originally in summer '06. Took the test in December '07 and got a 176 (I blame lack of timed practice for errors of any kind, because I hadn't done any timed practice in over a year). Took it again in February of this year and got a 180.

[BioEBear2010]

1) Initial: 162
2) Pre-Diag Prep: None -- I had heard there were games, but I thought it would be a big sudoku or something
3) I took a Testmasters course (with a fabulous instructor) and went through a good number of PTs (10-15ish)
4) Result: 172 (was PTing in the 172-177 range)

[quasi-stellar]

I honestly think it's pointless to begin LSAT preparation with a timed diagnostic.
If anything, one should attempt to do the whole test untimed (incidentally, that's what the lsacs senior test developer recommends).
Otherwise, if you time yourself on the very first test you will not only miss the problems that you would answer incorrectly even without time constraints, you would be likely to run out of time which means you could potentially miss up to 20 additional questions.
The outcome is a diagnostic that is significanly distorted.
It is even more bizzare to read peoples posts saying they went from 160 cold timed diagnostic to mere 165 on a real test.

[umichgrad]

Diagnostic: 154
Amount of prep before diagnostic: none, but was loosely familiar with logic games
Total prep: 3-4 months (definitely could have prepped longer), 2-3 tests per week and Kaplan course
Real Score: 167

I was happy with the jump, but should have put more energy into really understanding the test on my own (which I only began to do in the two weeks before taking it) rather than expecting to leave the Kaplan class just "getting" it.

[redsox4lyfe]

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[02122015]

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[joemoviebuff]

1. 155 - timed.
2. None
3. 6 months. LGB and LRB and a book called Informal Logic. 35 timed official preptests, 2 each week or so, sometimes 3, sometimes 4. Reviewed every answer I got wrong to see why I got it wrong and learn how to do it properly.
4. December 2009 = 170

[KG_CalGuy]

1. 156
2. Absolutely nothing. I refused to even look at a question before the diagnostic and took the diagnostic as part of a prep course.
3. 3 months (twice). I retook the LSAT because there was an "incident" during my exam (the Marching band decided to practice during of our sections right outside the window. Sat in on a Princeton Review course the first time. Got fresh books from them and did it myself the second time. Took a practice exam every Saturday and took multiple exams per week 2-3 weeks before the test.
4. 167 (October 2008) and 173 (September 2009).

[JWicker10]

1. 157
2. No prep, it was a diagnostic
3. I studied pretty hard for about 10-12 weeks
4. Final Score: 174


I think with hard studying, it wouldn't be unrealistic to hope to increase your score by in the neighborhood of 20 points.

[174]

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[094320]

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[ze2151]

1- 164
2- none, i walked into dec 08 official exam like an idiot
3- 8 months self study
4- 176

[NoleinNY]

1. Kaplan Diag - 145

2. Nothing

3. Took the diag 8 months before the LSAT. Didn't start studying until 4 months later for a number of reasons. At first I took an ultra-cheap prep course through my school... but it was really bad. I didn't realize how bad until it was finished and I took the LSAT for the first time, and then canceled. Took a TM course, did lot's of practice tests and as much of the HW as I could (heavy semester load ate up time). PTed at 158-161 w/ a mean of 159.5.

4. 165 (would've been a 166, but I accidentally double bubbled... Yeah, it was a painful realization). I definitely credit the class, though in retrospect a few more months of self-studying following the test could've produced even better results.