LSAT score on computer screen? Forum

[FutureLS10]

Should one expect a higher score on a paper LSAT than on an LSAT taken on a computer screen?

I am asking because I recently took my diagnostic on a computer and scored a lower-than-expected 150. I noticed that my eyes were bloodshot after the lengthy period of intensely staring at the monitor. I found myself unable to finish the RC and both LR sections, which is odd since I have a good reading speed (650wpm). Thanks for your responses!

[luckyme]

Should one expect a higher score on a paper LSAT than on an LSAT taken on a computer screen?

I am asking because I recently took my diagnostic on a computer and scored a lower-than-expected 150. I noticed that my eyes were bloodshot after the lengthy period of intensely staring at the monitor. I found myself unable to finish the RC and both LR sections, which is odd since I have a good reading speed (650wpm). Thanks for your responses!

how did you do logic games on the computer?

[berkeleykel06]

Try one and find out?

[FutureLS10]

Try one and find out?

Haha, I did not want to use another preptest this early, considering that it was only a diagnostic and there will be plenty of time for those later.

[FutureLS10]

Should one expect a higher score on a paper LSAT than on an LSAT taken on a computer screen?

I am asking because I recently took my diagnostic on a computer and scored a lower-than-expected 150. I noticed that my eyes were bloodshot after the lengthy period of intensely staring at the monitor. I found myself unable to finish the RC and both LR sections, which is odd since I have a good reading speed (650wpm). Thanks for your responses!

how did you do logic games on the computer?

I used a blank sheet of paper for notes.

[luckyme]

Should one expect a higher score on a paper LSAT than on an LSAT taken on a computer screen?

I am asking because I recently took my diagnostic on a computer and scored a lower-than-expected 150. I noticed that my eyes were bloodshot after the lengthy period of intensely staring at the monitor. I found myself unable to finish the RC and both LR sections, which is odd since I have a good reading speed (650wpm). Thanks for your responses!

how did you do logic games on the computer?

I used a blank sheet of paper for notes.

lol this sounds like a really useful prep test

[EarlCat]

Should one expect a higher score on a paper LSAT than on an LSAT taken on a computer screen?

I am asking because I recently took my diagnostic on a computer and scored a lower-than-expected 150. I noticed that my eyes were bloodshot after the lengthy period of intensely staring at the monitor. I found myself unable to finish the RC and both LR sections, which is odd since I have a good reading speed (650wpm). Thanks for your responses!

I would hate doing LSAT on computer. Bleh.

[amorfati]

I've heard that the average person reads at about 75% of their normal reading speed when reading of a computer screen. So yes, I think you could reasonably assume your score would be lower. Also, doing the logic games from a screen would just be crazy annoying... i for one need to make notes on questions, including crossing some answers out, etc. That, and you should get used to the amount of space you get for diagramming.

[FutureLS10]

Try one and find out?

Thanks, meat stick.

[HowdyYall]

i dont think a practice LSAT taken on a computer is at all indicative of your real LSAT score. I think i wouldve scored at least 15 points lower had LSAT been on a computer. Id use up whole pencils marking/underlining/diagramming each test

[berkeleykel06]

Try one and find out?

Haha, I did not want to use another preptest this early, considering that it was only a diagnostic and there will be plenty of time for those later.

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Try one and find out?

Thanks, meat stick.

Bipolar much?

So let me get this straight. You think taking a preptest in the format that, ya know, the actual exam will be given in to use as a diagnostic will hurt your ability to study for the LSAT because it wastes a prep test, but instead basing your study strategy around the score you got from an online test using scratch paper that you now have to arbitrarily inflate to how you think you'd do on a paper test is a better idea?

[mallard]

one should not expect any particular relation between a preptest taken on a computer with scrap paper for logic games and a real diagnostic

[clarsen]

I think it depends on the person. My job entails reviewing documents on a computer, so I am well adapt to staring at text on a screen for consecutive hours and actually prefer it to reading text on paper. I also don't write a lot, so using a pencil to fill in bubbles may be a disadvantage to simply checking a box with a cursor. However, using scratch paper vs. writing in a test booklet for the games is a huge advantage. I took the December 2010 test, and on the first game there was almost no space to setup the game.

Regardless of what results you can gather from a computer practice test, the LSAT is not on a computer so I would suggest only taking practice tests using a test booklet, pencil, and highlighter.

[fosterp]

some of these responses are hilarious...

do you really think having scratch paper for LG is THAT much of an advantage? Yeah the dec LG had a shortage of writing space but its just an annoyance not a huge hindrance

its possible reading from a computer screen might make your eyes tired after a while, depends on how your used to it. the only thing I would think that matters is being able to cross out answers, underline stuff for RC, other stuff that I did habitually - if I couldn't do that it would sort of mess up my test momentum. Something about crossing out answers just made my mind think in a more orderly fashion.

That said, for all of the 7-38 PTs I used scratch paper for recording answers and doing LG to avoid making any marks in the book simply because I wanted to resell them when I was done. It didn't seem to be a big deal because all of the 38-61 tests I did in the entirety in the actual books with bubble sheets and all.

[rman1201]

Do real preptests and get the bibles, not some $10 discount lsat prep software.
/thread

[FutureLS10]

I will take an official prep test tonight and post the results.

[rebexness]

[robotclubmember]

You should try to simulate real test-day conditions. I wouldn't train for a boxing match by playing Wii Sports. That's all I have to say about that.

[2014]

You will do better on paper, but don't count on doing MUCH better.

[FutureLS10]

I took a test on paper and earned a 156 - a 6 point increase. I do not think this was entirely a result of the change to paper; I believe my increased familiarity with the exam contributed to the increase as well.

Anyway, given a 156 on my second lsat, do you guys think that a 170 is realistically attainable for me? I plan to take the lsat either this summer or in October, depending on my lsat progress.

[Kurst]

Yes, 156->170 is very doable. See this post for a discussion of LSAT score improvement: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p3938803

[angua]

I did my first cold diagnostic on a computer and let me tell you, it was not AT ALL indicative of my potential at that time. One week later I took a pencil-and-paper, test-day-simulating PrepTest and scored 13 points higher. In one week.

tl;dr: I do not like computer-based exams.

[FutureLS10]

I did my first cold diagnostic on a computer and let me tell you, it was not AT ALL indicative of my potential at that time. One week later I took a pencil-and-paper, test-day-simulating PrepTest and scored 13 points higher. In one week.

tl;dr: I do not like computer-based exams.

Wow! I felt that testing on paper was far superior to comp. testing. I was able to crossout wrong answers, read faster, and underline and make notes on the test. All of these helped to increase my score from 150 on the computer to 156 on paper, with no studying in between.

As far as my actual diagnostic results:
LG: -7
LR1: -6 (I answered the first 17 correctly, but I only answered 1 of the last 8 correctly!)
LR2: -8 (I had a similar pattern (to LR1) of 85% correct in the first 18 q's; but, then my accuracy in the latter problems dropped significantly again!)
RC: -11 (I did not get to the last passage, which had 8 q's)

[angua]

I did my first cold diagnostic on a computer and let me tell you, it was not AT ALL indicative of my potential at that time. One week later I took a pencil-and-paper, test-day-simulating PrepTest and scored 13 points higher. In one week.

tl;dr: I do not like computer-based exams.

Wow! I felt that testing on paper was far superior to comp. testing. I was able to crossout wrong answers, read faster, and underline and make notes on the test. All of these helped to increase my score from 150 on the computer to 156 on paper, with no studying in between.

As far as my actual diagnostic results:
LG: -7
LR1: -6 (I answered the first 17 correctly, but I only answered 1 of the last 8 correctly!)
LR2: -8 (I had a similar pattern (to LR1) of 85% correct in the first 18 q's; but, then my accuracy in the latter problems dropped significantly again!)
RC: -11 (I did not get to the last passage, which had 8 q's)

Being able to write on the test and cross things out was HUGE.

fwiw, the last questions in an LR section tend to be harder, but maybe you're also getting tired at the end of them...? Endurance is tough. And if you're rushing through the last ~8 questions of a section, you might make more mistakes than if you went slower. You might not get to all the questions in a section if you slow down, but doing 3-4 really carefully and guessing on the rest is better than rushing through all of them and getting 1/8 correct. Just my $0.02

[DarkPhantom]

as the LRB says, it is better to do 20, guess on the rest, and get 18 right, than to rush through 25 and get 15 right...