156 diagnostic Forum

[josemnz83]

I took a diagnostic test last night (Test #68). I was really disappointed with my reading comprehension score. Not sure what happened. Here is breakdown:

RC: 15/27
LR: 18/26
LR: 19/25
G: 14/23

I was surprised that I earned a 156 considering how poor my RC was. My target score is 160. About how long should I study for this and which area should I target? I am not in a rush to go to law school but do have a family and cannot dedicate all my free time to studying. I would appreciate any advice.

[chingiz]

Hey,

I just took a diagnostic and scored 152. But RC was my best section. I hadn't done any prior preparation at all, but I saw a suggestion for tackling RC questions in a reddit thread that just stuck with me before I took the diagnostic. And that was to read the entire passage twice, in a careful and deliberate manner before moving to the questions. I think the point is to store the passage in your working memory as you answer each question. This way, you don't have to keep referring back to the passage and waste time. Hope it helps you.

[jmbsimi97]

I hope that studying is working out well for you, did you take the Oct or are you scheduled for the Nov test?

[lawstudentcoeur]

hey I had a cold take back in my sophomore year of a 132... ouch. And I PT in the 160s now. I would suggest working on youre weakest section first. Mine was LG and now I get -2 to -3 on my LG. Once you find out the patterns for LG, you figure them all out with ease, and I am no way a mathematical person, and LG felt like math to me at first. I used 7Sage, powerscore bibles, and now bought that CLIR book for LR.

[datenginedatcould]

A diagnostic is only a representation of where you land without ANY LSAT training. Think of it this way: you can get into many law schools already with that raw score. Now, your focus should be on sharpening your skills. You could break into 170 with patience and practice. This will require time. As a comparison, my LSAT score was 19 points above my diagnostic after only 4 months of studying. LSAT can be learned and can be done efficiently so retakes are not necessary. Take the time you need.

[crownlsat]

That's a great diagnostic in my opinion. I was roughly 10 points lower than that when I started and got to 171. I took a while but it seems that you have time. I'd give it a shot. The good news is that LG is generally what people find the easiest to improve. If you study the LG Bible and/or 7Sage, that's a great way to get ahead there. The other sections just depend on your situation and you may find it useful to consult a tutor to figure out where your weaknesses are in LR and RC before attacking those. Good luck!