Anyone have wildly different scores based on focus/routine? Forum

[Tabemaju]

I'm trying to determine whether I'll be ready for the June LSAT and, with only a week or so to go before I have to decide, I'm having difficulties based on the fluctuation of my scores. My question, which I'm hoping hasn't been explicitly asked already, is whether others are having the same problem I am: if I follow a certain routine before test time, my ability to focus results in a 10 to 15 point swing in my scores.

I know some people on these boards feel better about certain tests over others, but I haven't seen anyone have as big a swing as I've been having. For example, as long as I get up early, have coffee, eat lunch and drink half an energy drink before the test and the other half halfway through the test, I can score into the high 160s (and hit the 170s for the first time a couple days ago), but when I don't follow my typical routine, take the test later or earlier in the day, it becomes incredibly obvious even during the test that I'm not going to do well. And by not well, I mean high 150s at best (I've never scored below 157, but oftentimes have difficulty hitting the 160s).

Does anyone else seem to have this problem? I am thinking of registering for June and trying to hone my habits to the 12:30p timeline, but I'm also wondering if I should be conditioning myself toward doing well when my focus is lacking. I also worry about the October test time, because it seems as though I'm better focused at noon.

I know, advice wise, what I should be doing, but I guess I'd like to know that I'm not the only one having this issue.

Thanks!

[Eugenie Danglars]

I definitely did better when I followed my morning routine, so it's not just you. However, I think that big of a swing is probably you psyching yourself out a little. Tell yourself that it's you getting that 170 and not the routine. You also might want to purposely make small changes in your routine to sort of wean yourself away from dependency- you don't want to meltdown mid-test because you dropped your 2nd energy drink or whatever.

Good luck!

[incompetentia]

I was distracted and nervous on a test a week before test day and ultimately scored 21 points lower than what I scored on the real thing.


If you can score near 170 when focused, I think you need to worry about making sure that focus is going to be there when you take the real test, rather than trying to hedge adn up your distracted score.
You seem to have a routine that you can stick to, and it seems to be working. Try to set it so that you do this for every PT that you can (barring scheduling concerns).

[Tabemaju]

Thanks guys. I took a "if I get 167 I'll take the June LSAT and if I don't I'll wait until October" preptest yesterday and, of course, got a 166. So I spent the rest of the day weighing the options, and decided to go ahead and register for the test. Luckily, the June test time fits within my "focus range". I'm going to spend the next month prep-testing heavily, and after finals I'll have 3 week to heavily prep. Hopefully by June I'll have a little consistency that doesn't require a zen-like test-taking state.

[Kels-Daddy]

Stop being a crack-head, you'll be fine-- you'll score your 170. Just get into UC so I can come visit next year.

[swc65]

Thanks guys. I took a "if I get 167 I'll take the June LSAT and if I don't I'll wait until October" preptest yesterday and, of course, got a 166. So I spent the rest of the day weighing the options, and decided to go ahead and register for the test. Luckily, the June test time fits within my "focus range". I'm going to spend the next month prep-testing heavily, and after finals I'll have 3 week to heavily prep. Hopefully by June I'll have a little consistency that doesn't require a zen-like test-taking state.

How are you typically on game day? some people excel much more when it's the real thing. Others crack under the pressure and don't perform as well. You have taken enough test to know which category you fit into, I would imagine.

For me adrenaline>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>coffee or energy drink

[Tabemaju]

Stop being a crack-head, you'll be fine-- you'll score your 170. Just get into UC so I can come visit next year.

Ha. I'm not too worried about getting into CU anymore--I'm shooting for NYU . I know, though, that worst case I'll be at CU, and I can be happy with that. It doesn't mean, though, that I'm going to stop obsessing about getting 170+.

How are you typically on game day? some people excel much more when it's the real thing. Others crack under the pressure and don't perform as well. You have taken enough test to know which category you fit into, I would imagine.

For me adrenaline>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>coffee or energy drink

In general, I'm a good test taker, but unfortunately I've found that most college tests test more my ability to memorize than to actually use logical systems to find the answer, so I don't know. I'm an older student--I can't even remember my ACT test or scores, nor have I taken any other standardized tests.

My problem with the LSAT is that I'm easily distracted. For example: on my last practice test, I was feeling really good for the first 20 questions or so, then I realized that the "new" practice test book on Amazon I bought had erased answers that I could easily make out (found out afterward, in the answer section, that whoever it was scored a 147, but I still didn't want my brain to get swayed). I spent the next 10 minutes scribbling out answers so I couldn't determine what answer had been marked. From that point on I felt like my whole test was thrown off. Afterward, upon review, I made 11 "duh" errors that should have been obvious during the test. Instead of a 173, I got a 166. It's that sort of stupid focus drain that I get.

But yes, I should be happy that I'm able to figure out why I got a certain answer wrong... and I know I'm freaking myself out, but thankfully I'll have a 3 week break once my June test is done. Ha!