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Hey guys so I've read some posts about people who score lower or higher on the real lsat as compared to the pt they have taken and just wanted to get some feedback on your experiences in regards to this. I'm a few points off my goal of a 170 doing my pts (averaging a 167 right now) but I am simulating the actual LSAT conditions as best I can. I've heard most scores on the LSAT are lower than those people get doing their pt and just wanted to know if this is the norm or what based on other people's experiences.

My PT avg was roughly 171/172 going in and I scored 168, so I say the general theory about scoring a little lower on the first take than your average can be applied to me. I recently retook the same test as a PT and scored 173, and it felt more or less fresh outside a couple questions (questions I got right both times). The test center wasn't great, and I was definitely feeling anxiety, but I think I got the score I deserved in Oct. So if you're PTing at about 167, consider that it's likely you'll get 164 or so on your first take.

That said, do your PTs in as strict conditions as possible. I know that line's echoed a lot but it is so important. I didn't do that prior to Oct, as I'd often test with a cup of coffee throughout it, or I'd pause to get up and go to the bathroom if I had to go badly, but probably most importantly of all, I rarely used experimentals, so I would typically be doing a 4 section test, sometimes with a break and sometimes without. Put all this into consideration and again, it makes sense that Oct felt a lot different. Lately, I've refused myself water during tests and I only allow myself to drink it right before the test or after section 3 and before section 4, and I do an experimental section. It feels much more real.

Everyone is different, but the consensus is that most people will score a bit lower than their PT average.

I scored a bit higher. Testing under test-day conditions is important, but so is getting your test-day anxiety under control.

I scored exactly at my 15-PT average. Some people score below their averages and some people score higher than they'd ever done on a PT (there were a few in the October waiters thread). Don't spend any time worrying about it. You'll do how you do and worrying can only make it more likely that you'll do poorly.

I read somewhere the average is -5 PT average is a likely LSAT score.

My PT average was 167 and I scored 161 in October.

I was averaging 170/171. I got a 168.

I scored 6 points worse on the test than on my diagnostic. Sad story.

Real test was -3 from my 10-PT avg.

Was scoring 173-176 on my PTs. Got a 171 on the real deal first sitting.

Just wonder, what do you think accounts for these noted drop offs? Besides anxiety of course.

At least through my experience with PTs, I've only on occasion come across a true curve ball in the test.

It just seems interesting to me.

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dosto wrote:

vicpin5190 wrote:Just wonder, what do you think accounts for these noted drop offs? Besides anxiety of course.

At least through my experience with PTs, I've only on occasion come across a true curve ball in the test.

It just seems interesting to me.

What constitutes a curveball on the real thing is not the same as what would on PTs; it's extremely easy to get rocked on test day as opposed to PTs (when all you stand to lose is a bit of confidence).

Things can get very messy very quickly.

Slight drops are easily caused by letting the extra pressure of test day with it being the real thing cause people to get a little hasty with some questions and deviate from normal procedure a bit due to time pressure, causing a few more careless errors than usual. More significant drops from PT range can be caused by mild panic moments if you react badly to a few hard questions/game/RC passage and let it throw you off your game for more than just those questions.

How you react to the extra adrenaline of test day is a big factor. It causes some people to focus even better with laser focus due to the reality of it being the one that counts, while that extra pressure plus the flowing adrenaline can cause a negative stress reaction that interferes with performance in others. I scored 9 points higher on test day than my PT average from the previous two weeks of practice tests because I knew I was as prepared as I could be on test day and was not at all stressed. I treated it as just another practice test like the others from the past two weeks, another day another LSAT, so I was pretty calm the whole way through and didn't get flustered from making sure to work through all the proper steps to solve each question, no half-assing the analysis to try to save time since that always causes careless mistakes. Test day 177.

I went five points higher on test day.I never let the pressure get to me. I felt like I took the test way seriously than any PT and that helped me big time. Anywho, I'm retaking after sitting for PT 68, so take that with a grain of salt lol.

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I scored six points lower. It was more difficult for me to read stimuli in LR. I kept reading too quickly and just gazing at the words.

The answer to this question is extremely dependent on the individual, but in the aggregate it seems people generally score slightly lower than their PT averages.

Also beaware that TLS is a small community and just a fraction of actual people who take the LSAT. While most here may score lower, it could be totally different than reality. It depends on the individual, though.

My 15 PT average was 173, and that was as low as it was primarily due to a few outliers at the beginning (a 168 and two 170's-171's). My result on the October test, it being my first time taking a real administration of it, was 170. Retaking in December.

My last 5 or so PTs I took under strict test day-conditions: 8:30 am in the morning, 4 scored sections with one experimental, one fifteen minute break between sections 3 and 4, no coffee/food/etc during the test. These five averaged 174.

I hope now having been through the actual race once that this time I'll be more comfortable with the test and be better able to get into the 'zone', as I did on my PTs, while on this past administration it felt more like just stumbling through.

First time I took the test, I scored 10 points below my PT average. I wasn't timing as accurately back then, though, so the honest drop was probably less drastic - still a drop, though.

Use an LSAT proctor with background noise, give yourself less time on each section, convince yourself this PT is the real thing.

I didn’t do #2 and #3 and got a 165 after PTing 172-173. Retaking in a couple weeks.

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I practiced at 170/171 mainly and got 167. I never woke up that early in general (not a morning person), and I found the LR's much tougher on the test. I was pretty zoned out in the first section, which accounted for more than half of the overall mistakes that I made on the test

esther0123 wrote:I practiced at 170/171 mainly and got 167. I never woke up that early in general (not a morning person), and I found the LR's much tougher on the test. I was pretty zoned out in the first section, which accounted for more than half of the overall mistakes that I made on the test

This. Test day pressure is a REAL thing. Especially if youve NEVER sat for the real thing. There are students all around and a proctor. LG threw me off even though I managed to get -2 on it. But the resulting effects on my psyche were not good. Ended up -5 on LR1 when I've never gone more than -3 on LR. I was calm and aced the two sections after the break with a -0 for RC.

The difference between 171 and 174 for me would have been 3 more right questions. Margin for fuckups are small and that one LR section did it for me.

Took it twice already, both times scored at least 5 worse than my PTs, which I took under strict conditions every time...really hoping that won't be the case this time. Thankfully I'm PTing much higher than before, but every few days I completely screw up...also:

For those of you who had bad test conditions on the real day, what happened? Construction? Weather? Bad proctor? I'm taking my test abroad and am worried for some reason that everything that could go wrong is going to go wrong.

All great information. Just to put some input on how I am approaching it, I started the first few pts doing only four sections straight through no break while using the test proctor app and am now going to progress through to five sections (using other pts as the experimental). Also I too am not exactly a morning person, but I have started waking up at 7 every Saturday morning and going to the gym, just to got my body used to that time change so its not a shock test day. I am thinking of incorporating doing a section or some practice problems every saturday morning but we'll see about that.

Any other recommendations you guys can think of would be much appreciated.