LSAT Curve Patterns? Forum

[TMC116]

Recently I took 2 tests in the 40s and both had curves of -9. Ouch! Me no likey.

So I was wondering if anyone had an idea about the major LSAT patterns in recent years.

I've heard that games are easier and RC is harder. But does anyone know how that corresponds to the curves from PT 30-present. (i.e. in the 30s there are hard curves and easy games, or easy RC and generous curves, etc.)

[tmon]

Well, there's this: http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/ea ... -june.html

But I honestly wouldn't read too much into the trends you're talking about as long as you have experience with the most recent tests by test day. There were a fair number of people who were tripped up by games in the 60s (stained glass, balls, probably others). There were a fair number who had issues with RC too, but plenty who did fine on it. It's hard to see the difference between some possibly tougher sections that have shown up and a true trend until things really change I think. Best to just go in after lots of practice with the confidence that you did what you needed to do to prepare.

[bport hopeful]

idk why people care about the difficulty of the curves. Its standardized.

[Jeffort]

Spending time worrying about or trying to figure out 'the curve' and its patterns is a giant and misguided waste of time.

The LSAT is not graded on a curve. It is a standardized test. Each test has a raw points (how many questions you answered correctly) scoring scale designed to equate for minor difficulty differences between test forms. It is engineered so that your scaled score (120 to 180) measures and represents your ability/skills/performance level on the day you take it.

How other people that take the same test perform has no effect on the raw points to scaled score conversion for each test form. You are competing with the test itself and not being graded on a curve against the performance of other test takers the way many grading systems in undergraduate and other classes work.

It doesn't matter or have any effect on your score how poorly or how well anybody else performs on the same test form you take.

Focus on learning the logic, concepts and patterns of what is repetitively tested to get good at applying logical thinking and sound techniques in order to answer as many questions correctly as you possibly can. Leave the scoring scale and nonsense about 'the curve' to the psychometric people.