A surge in score unexpectedly on test day? Forum

[boosane]

Is it possible for someone to get a 5-10 point increase from average PT score out of nowhere on test day? Maybe from adrenaline? Or just shifting to 101 percent gear?

[blackbirdfly]

I can't recall any instances of a random 10 point increase from PT a person's average, but I've seen 5 point increases. Some people perform better under pressure, some perform worse. I've never seen this jump in top percentile scores though.

[objection_your_honor]

The vast majority of test takers experience a ~3 point drop. I took the LSAT 3 times and this was true in each instance.

[rinkrat19]

You should pretty much know, from a lifetime of test-taking, how likely it is that you outperform your PT average on test day. The LSAT is just another test. If you have a history of rocking standardized tests, then it very well could happen. If you have a history of massive test anxiety, then this test is probably not going to go any differently, unless you've done something very different to deal with that anxiety.

Short answer: Most people don't have a score jump.

[Jeffort]

I can't recall any instances of a random 10 point increase from PT a person's average, but I've seen 5 point increases. Some people perform better under pressure, some perform worse. I've never seen this jump in top percentile scores though.

It is super super rare, but has happened before. From my many years of LSAT experience I only know of one real case of a big test day jump that also resulted in a top score, myself. My PT average the last two weeks leading up to test day was ~168-169, test day score = 177 for basically a ~9 point jump from my average. My highest PT score was 171 but was above average due to a few lucky blind guesses at the end of the LG section. My big jump was almost completely caused by nailing the LG section, which was my worst section on PTs but -1 on test day. The -1 was a missbubble of question #1 in the section (Doh! dumb mistake, I was nervous cuz games and was scared of them at the time!). Before test day I was never able to finish a LG section in time without some blind guesses and hasty answers on game #4. On test day everything came together and I finished games with more than 5 minutes remaining, so the big jump wasn't all that surprising all things considered. I was just slow on games leading up to test day and getting my timing and time saving strategies in place in the final days. I had been pretty solid on LR and RC long before test day, it was just games and getting fast at solving questions and finding deduction oriented methods to solve questions instead of brute forcing a bunch of stuff that made the section come together.

[UnderrateOverachieve]

Some people utilize that dash of adrenaline better and just have a lucky test day. My friend jumped from 175 to 180 (a -0 180 at that). I, on the other hand, had 6-7 point drop. I did not sleep at all the night before.

[bp shinners]

Some people utilize that dash of adrenaline better and just have a lucky test day. My friend jumped from 175 to 180 (a -0 180 at that). I, on the other hand, had 6-7 point drop. I did not sleep at all the night before.

I've seen both happen. The latter is, unfortunately, much more common than the former.

[IgosduIkana]

I had a 2-3 point jump from most of my PTs! I feel it was due to that adrenaline rush. Miracles can happen. Just don't count on it.

[Chucky21]

Everyone is different. All you can do is prep the best you can. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Good luck.

[ltrego]

I didn't do this on the LSAT (where I score just at my median), but I did on the GRE. On the GRE, my PTs had put me at the 70th percentile on reading (!), but I scored into the 93rd. Different test, but same concept.