(another) big test day drop. yay! Forum

[sglassman]

Hey peeps.

So here's the situation - I had a 172 PT average, with the only fluctuations being above that. A few weeks before test day, I started scoring 174, 177, 178, etc.

I just got my test back and got a 164... -3 (LR), -1 (LG), -9 (RC), -5 (LR).

RC was def my worst, but the worst I'd ever done is -5... Even when I first started prepping. Looking back, I made some really weird decisions on it...

Usually I do -1 on LR, although looking back thru June 2015 questions, they seemed pretty tricky..

Anyway - wondering what I should do. Is this a sign from the gods that law school is shitty? Scheduled a retake - how should I go about studying?

WTF happened? My only explanation is that I was intimidated by the weird LG and it distracted me for the rest of the test...

[blsingindisguise]

Are you being absolutely strict with yourself about taking the practice tests under test-like conditions? 100% strict with timer? Maybe you should try practicing in uncomfortable chairs, in places with distractions, too hot/cold rooms, on low sleep, etc. Either something is off about the way you are doing practice tests or you have a big test-day anxiety issue that's hampering you -- those are very big differences.

[sglassman]

Are you being absolutely strict with yourself about taking the practice tests under test-like conditions? 100% strict with timer? Maybe you should try practicing in uncomfortable chairs, in places with distractions, too hot/cold rooms, on low sleep, etc. Either something is off about the way you are doing practice tests or you have a big test-day anxiety issue that's hampering you -- those are very big differences.

So the weird thing is I was pretty calm during the test. I walked out thinking I didn't do well, but not to the same extent. And yes timing is realistic - I usually finish sections with 5-10 minutes to spare regardless, and I use the 7SAGE proctor and skip the breaks. I also occasionally took a 5th section experimental, as well as the occasional 2 tests back to back to improve stamina.

[trqdor]

I have almost identical stats... -4, -1, -10, -6 (163), though I wasn't PTing as high as you. RC was my worst section going into the test, and I've never gotten -10 before, but I suppose there's a first for everything.

part of the problem for me may have been the fact that I was redoing a lot of the same questions that I've already seen, giving me the illusion that I was scoring high on PTs. maybe look at older tests if you need fresh material?

[sglassman]

I have almost identical stats... -4, -1, -10, -6 (163), though I wasn't PTing as high as you. RC was my worst section going into the test, and I've never gotten -10 before, but I suppose there's a first for everything.

part of the problem for me may have been the fact that I was redoing a lot of the same questions that I've already seen, giving me the illusion that I was scoring high on PTs. maybe look at older tests if you need fresh material?

Are you retaking? If so, how are you going about it?

I was thinking about just retaking the most recent 15 exams over the next few months to get my stamina back and boost confidence.

[trqdor]

I have almost identical stats... -4, -1, -10, -6 (163), though I wasn't PTing as high as you. RC was my worst section going into the test, and I've never gotten -10 before, but I suppose there's a first for everything.

part of the problem for me may have been the fact that I was redoing a lot of the same questions that I've already seen, giving me the illusion that I was scoring high on PTs. maybe look at older tests if you need fresh material?

Are you retaking? If so, how are you going about it?

I was thinking about just retaking the most recent 15 exams over the next few months to get my stamina back and boost confidence.

yea, i will retake in october (i think) and it will be my third time taking it, so i'm trying to be as thoroughly prepared as i possibly can in the next few months. i will likely buy the cambridge packets since they seem to be highly recommended and review the LSAT trainer & lr bible (already finished them in prep for june).

the more passive things i plan on doing to help build/refine rc skills is reading scholarly things on my morning commute to work. i recently started getting into reading supreme court opinions. i find them to be really interesting, and the structure of the arguments resembles super long passage A/passage B in the rc section.

and this is going to sound bizarre, but i'm also looking into using nicotine patches while i study. i don't smoke, but i recall reading a study about how nicotine improves short term memory and focus (there is also an LR question about this topic too, if i remember correctly). as much as RC is about knowing the main point, structure, and tone/opinion, it is also about confidently remembering the passage. i think this is especially true for the recent trend in RC having tricky answer choices that force you to choose between two or three attractive choices. in this regard, i think the extra boost from using nicotine patches may help. i've never tried anything like this before, so i might not even end up doing this long term, but i thought i would give it a try. again, i know it sounds ridiculous, but im down to try anything for the sake of improving my score.

ill also probably end up retaking exams just because i have no other choice. but i would caution against using them just to be able to pat yourself on the back for scoring high.

[ihenry]

Are you being absolutely strict with yourself about taking the practice tests under test-like conditions? 100% strict with timer? Maybe you should try practicing in uncomfortable chairs, in places with distractions, too hot/cold rooms, on low sleep, etc. Either something is off about the way you are doing practice tests or you have a big test-day anxiety issue that's hampering you -- those are very big differences.

So the weird thing is I was pretty calm during the test. I walked out thinking I didn't do well, but not to the same extent. And yes timing is realistic - I usually finish sections with 5-10 minutes to spare regardless, and I use the 7SAGE proctor and skip the breaks. I also occasionally took a 5th section experimental, as well as the occasional 2 tests back to back to improve stamina.

Seems to me you just had a bad day; people under-perform at times. You will definitely do much better when you retake. Good luck.

[starry eyed]

honestly i would look into adderall or something. I underperformed both tests, but did noticeably better when i popped an adderall the first time. It's not a studying issue bc you know the material. But i would take a couple PT's on addy first, and if you're doing the same or better, i would def take it on exam day.