Chances of improving LSAT Forum

[Barbm145]

I felt quite anxious after doing my Diagnostic and seeing my score of 140. I'm planning to take the exams in October, so I've been studying for about 4 hours a day during the work week and 8 hours during the weekends. Is it achievable for me to get a 165 by the end of September? I would appreciate an honest opinion. Thanks!

[talons2250]

No one can really answer this for you, and you just have to study as best as you can and try your best, and see how you score. It is definitely possible that you can go from 140 to 165 and I'm sure many people have made improvements like that. If you really want a numerical prediction you could take your 1600 SAT score (reading comprehension + math), multiply it by .048, and then add 100. (For me and several people I know, that formula was fairly predictive of our ultimate LSAT score.) But it's just a prediction and for loads of reasons your ultimate LSAT score could be higher or lower.

[Antetrust]

Yes, you can do it. But you have to work very hard. My advice:
1) First, read the LSAT bibles and master one section at a time without time constraints, then with.
2) Once you do that, take every practice exam ever printed. Take them under test conditions (actually, take them under harder-than-actual test conditions, e.g., do extra sections or extra tests consecutively with no additional break).
3) When reviewing a practice test, mark the questions you got wrong WITHOUT remembering the correct answer. Answer those questions again without time constraints. Pay special attention to the ones you got wrong twice.
4) MOST IMPORTANTLY: track every single question you miss (e.g., in an Excel spreadsheet) and take notes on WHY you missed it and what principle, idea, or tactic you can take away to apply in the future. There are online resources where people explain the answer to every question. Review your notes periodically and try to avoid making the same mistakes multiple times.

[thegrayman]

I went from a 145 diagnostic to a 168 actual. I worked my ass off, it was not an easy road. If you're up to it and you study your ass off like your life is riding on it, you can do it. In my experience, the one area I couldn't improve on was reading comprehension. Through all the hard work I sunk into it, I didn't improve on that area at all. The remaining areas I was able to improve a lot.

[jamestaylorrecordsas]

I knew an idiot who took months and months of prep classes and got a 176. I would not have trusted this guy to wash my car. I say take a year to study for it and you'll get mid 170s. I say this with 100% honesty.