Can I go from 158 to 170 in 2 months Forum

[christinanmc]

So I am taking the LSAT in 2 months exactly, on January 13th. I've studied (quite sporadically and inconsistently) over the past couple of months, with LR as my main (almost only) focus. I've taken a total of 4 prep tests and have improved my LR score in particular a lot. I used to skip over a lot of questions and would miss over 20 questions in LR alone but have improved under timed conditions. On the last test I took, I missed 10 in LR. Overall I missed 30 on the last test I took, which produced a 158 score for that test.

My worst section is LG but RC is not too far behind. I typically do very well on 2 of the 4 logic games, performing these 2 games quickly and answering all questions correctly (these games are typically the straightforward sequencing or grouping games). However, when it comes to the remaining 2 games which are often combination games or under some other category, I won't even complete one game accurately. On my last test, I missed 11 on LG because I completely guessed on all of the questions in the last 2 games.

Then comes RC. I've gone from missing 5 in RC on one test to missing 12, ultimately missing 9 on my last test. It's hard for me to even maintain focus while reading these articles, but my performance seems to largely be influenced on my mood when doing these sections. Apart from this, even when I am at my most focused, I still seem to struggle with understanding RC a lot.

So that was a ton to read but I want to ask for an honest opinion on my January goal score; I figure that explaining where I am losing the most points will help to indicate whether or not I can improve drastically in a short period of time. With all that being said, is it reasonable for me to shoot for a 170 on my January exam (12 point increase in 2 months)? If so, where should I dedicate my time? I don't know if I should spend most of it on LG because people say this is the easiest to improve on, or LR, or RC?

Any advice and thoughts will help!

[dvlthndr]

You are weak in every section, and it sounds like you may not have a lot of intuition for the material. Starting where you are, you have no real chance of cracking 170 unless you sit down and actually study all of the material.

To do a 170 on exam day, your goal should be consistently hitting above 170 on practice tests. Drilling practice tests or switching your focus to LG probably isn't going to cut it. Even if you had an actual study schedule (or took a course that meets twice a week or something) there is only a slim chance that you could get yourself to that level in the next two months. It's not impossible... but the odds aren't in your favor.

[askingforhelp]

Yes -- You can! I went from a 143 to a 171.

Took a Testmasters Course, meditated, overcame test-day anxiety, and took MANY PTs under test-day conditions.

If I can do it, you can. Don't lose hope!

[zeglo]

Two months seems a bit fast, but you can definitely make that improvement within some period of time. Maybe two months, maybe six, maybe ten.

[LSATWiz.com]

I've had students make 10+ point jump on retakes before, but these were students who previously took a mainstream course (think Kaplan/Princeton) and didn't meaningfully jump from their diagnostic and/or didn't know what the questions were asking. These jumps were at lower ranges though - 140 -> 155; 150 -> 160.

Within the 160 range, I've had many students make 5 point improvements in that timeframe, but 12 points if you already know what you're doing seems unlikely. I think something else to consider is the odds that the test is held in 2 months don't seem that high so I wouldn't necessarily rush it. It's likely that the test dates will change.

[EnjoyIllinois]

Quick Tips

1. Rearrange the question order. Go from definite questions to indefinite. Start with “which is an acceptable order.” Then do questions of the type “If it is assumed that...” If the question gives you little to go on, push it to the end. You’ll pick up examples of combinations that satisfy the rules.

2. This is old-fashioned but it’s due for a comeback. Print out an LG section of 4 games. Copy it until you have four copies. Do the exact same problems over and over under timed conditions. It’s boring. It uses a lot of paper. But repetition is how humans learn.