155 to 170+ in One Year? Forum

[ellewoodswannabe]

I just took my first cold diagnostic and got a 155. I'm fine with the time management aspect and did best in the logic sections, mostly need to improve in the reading comprehension and experimental sections, as I was most torn with picking questions there. I don't plan to take the real LSAT until the end of 2020 and was wondering what are some tips to improve my LSAT score by at least 15 points in one year besides just taking tons of practice tests? Thanks!

[shorklaz]

I'm starting with a 151 cold diagnostic, aiming for 170+. I'm investing in the 7sage program and have just about a year to prepare. LG was my worst and thankfully, this is the section most conducive to improvement. I'm not working, so I plan on making this my life for this entire year.

[zeglo]

I just took my first cold diagnostic and got a 155. I'm fine with the time management aspect and did best in the logic sections, mostly need to improve in the reading comprehension and experimental sections, as I was most torn with picking questions there. I don't plan to take the real LSAT until the end of 2020 and was wondering what are some tips to improve my LSAT score by at least 15 points in one year besides just taking tons of practice tests? Thanks!

Yes, it is totally doable. I went from a 153 diagnostic to a 168 final score (second attempt) after somewhere between 6 to 10 months, depending on how you count. That is 15 points

I took a class but was only practicing around 160 after it, so I self-studied a bunch after it. I was practicing around 168-170 range by the end of everything.

My score breakdown was a perfect logic games with I think -14 or so total spread around the other sections.

In short, you really should be doing timed sections (i.e., 35 minutes timed as if it is a real test, just one section rather than five). Simulate the real thing using preptests. Any section from any recent test will do. Get used to timing and everything.

Once you have your preptests and timed sections ready (of which many are available of course, with preptests after 70 being quite recent), just do a few timed sections per day and review them.

Logic games is possibly the hardest at the beginning, but it is the most predictable and easiest to get a perfect score on with practice. I would recommend doing timed logic games sections over and over against, with particular emphasis on tests 60 and up. I would simulate the real test when doing it.

I would recommend repeating games, too. You can do this without marking up test booklets if you just use scrap paper like on the real test. So you might do logic game from preptest 70 and get some wrong, then do the test again after maybe two weeks. You might vaguely remember it, but that is fine. The point is pattern recognition and muscle memory in your brain. You should be able to get a perfect or close to perfect score on any logic game section from preptests 60 and up.

If you get a perfect logic game, you have a ton of leeway on the other sections to get some wrong.

To improve reading, I am not sure exactly what to do. Just practice and learn patterns of questions asked. However, reading is the least important in my opinion because it is just one section and volatile.

Meanwhile, logical reasoning is always going to be half the test. I would just like with logic games do timed practice sections a lot. Always review everything. Understand patterns and types of questions. And a few weeks after doing a timed section, try doing it again (after you may have forgotten exact questions) and see if you improve. If you remember some questions you got wrong, that is okay. The point is not to not make the mistakes twice.

In short, just do timed sections from the preptests numbered 60+ with particular emphasis on logic games and logical reasoning. It's really simply as that; you will over time improve your score if you focus on patterns.