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The short of it. Just got Feb Lsat score back (167). Test isn't disclosed so I can't say that I f'ed up on a specific section but my results on preptests were consistent enough for me to know my weaknesees. I was PT'ing pretty consistently in the 169-171 range with a high of 175 and no tests that I can recall dropping below that range. So this first test was pretty consistent with that few point drop people talk about on the first test.

Obviously not terrible, and a place to start from but I was wondering if folks could critique my plan for retaking. Unfortunatley, my schedule is somewhat weird so I will be able to prep pretty solidly for a few weeks, then have to work for a week or so, and repeat. Might actually help me out as I can study hard knowing that I have a mandatory break coming up.

I'll break down my retake plan section by section

Logic games: This really is my strong section. 0 to -1 on almost every PT I took. Plan here is to drill some games on days where I'm feeling a bit worn out on the LSAT. I really enjoying taking the games and probably over prepped for this section.

LR: Definetly a big more of a crapshoot. Confidant in timing (finished both sections easily in Feb), but I need to get better at eliminating wrong answer choices and not making bad choices when I feel rushed. In the later preptests, I would go 100% from 15 onwards and miss two or three of the earlier questions.
Plan for this is to really work through Powerscore LRB again. Did more of a glance over, didn't complete the exercises in the book.

RC: This was my big red flag, and a section I entered the test scared stiff of. I got lucky, and didn't have a RC experimental. I basically neglected to take these sections early on, as I figured I was a good reader. They hounded me until my last prep test. Was all over the place, finishing with time and -2 wrong and taking 45 minutes and getting -8.
My plan here is to drill drill drill. I have a ton of fresh RC sections, as I didn't take them. I plan on starting here, taking 2 sections in a row, and spending alot of time reviewing.
Any suggestions on books or strategies that are helpful in this section? I know its the hardest to learn, and I will improve by doing more sections. I'm just looking for a way to approach this section with the calm I have in the others.

Also, another thing I'm sure was a mistake is I never took a 5 section test. My plan for that is to take PTs before the test with 5 sections, and more often then not, make that experimental RC.

If I follow these plans, and give my self ample time, do you think I stand a reasonable chance of falling within my initial range (169-171)?
How much of a boost can I assume for taking the test a second time (just entering the test room knowing that I have an LSAT that can get me into law schools I want to go to)?
Appreciate folks thoughts.

I only took the test once, but these would be my suggestions that you can take or leave based on your own assessment of your performance:
[*] Do not neglect your strengths. If you rock out on logic games every time, that doesn't mean you should only do them sporadically from now on. You don't want to lose points because you got overconfident and didn't prep. You might also be surprised how much more confidence you'll have going into the harder material. I'd do a game at the beginning of every other study session and do a couple of timed full games sections closer to the exam date.
[*] Do more timed LR practice. I'm not familiar with the Powerscore book, but be sure to do the questions under timed conditions whenever possible. Finishing a section before time is called is useless if you made careless or otherwise poor choices at the beginning. Remember, just because questions are at the beginning of the section, doesn't mean you have to answer them first.
[*] I used the Kaplan method for RC and it worked out well for me. Being a good reader means different things to different people. What you need to be is an efficient reader. Don't try to remember small, insignificant details. Once you know what types of questions typically come up in RC sections, you can underline or circle key parts of the text when you're reading it. Then it's easy to jump back to the right place in the passage to knock out the questions. Don't time yourself on RC sections until you have done untimed practice for a little while. Again, being quick is useless if you're frequently wrong. Get your plan of attack down cold first.
[*] Never ever let the test scare you or intimidate you. Own it.

Where can I find the kaplan method?

colorando wrote:Where can I find the kaplan method?

1. Buy Kaplan materials and/or take a class (http://www.kaptest.com):

or

2. Read this 3-part article as it seems to advocate the same roadmapping strategy: http://www.testsherpa.com/lsat/lsat-rea ... on-method/

This may have some additional information you'll want to glance over once you're familiar with the roadmapping concept: http://www.kaptest.com/studenthome/syll ... .html#rea3

I recommend option #2 so you can see if it works for you without forking over $$$. Some people hate this method but I found it useful. I definitely didn't do as much of the paraphrasing and writing in the margins as Kaplan recommended, but the general premise of underlining important points, circling keywords, moving quickly over irrelevant details, and anticipating the questions before I got to them were all very useful strategies for me. In fact, I just looked at that testsherpa.com article again - don't waste time writing whole sentences out. A couple of words is plenty. HTH.

Voyager's RC strategy is very similar to the Kaplan method. Atlas/Manhattan LSAT's RC guide has been reviewed favorably on TLS. For other RC tips and strategies, see this post: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5#p3370904