Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT... Forum

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ragazza1indy

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by ragazza1indy » Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:17 am

REALLY hope this inspires somebody, whether you are a re-taker or not. Believe in yourself, you can do it if you want it bad enough.
Definitely inspired me! I haven't taken the LSAT yet but I'm shooting for a 170+ to get into Berkeley. Kind of a long shot since I haven't been doing well on the PTs, but it's inspiring to hear that the LSAT is an "integrity" test rather than an aptitude test. God I wanna blow the LSAT out of the water!!!!

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by lakerfanimal » Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:23 am

ragazza1indy wrote:
REALLY hope this inspires somebody, whether you are a re-taker or not. Believe in yourself, you can do it if you want it bad enough.
Definitely inspired me! I haven't taken the LSAT yet but I'm shooting for a 170+ to get into Berkeley. Kind of a long shot since I haven't been doing well on the PTs, but it's inspiring to hear that the LSAT is an "integrity" test rather than an aptitude test. God I wanna blow the LSAT out of the water!!!!
Yeah man, glad to hear :)
If you are honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses, and design a study plan around that and work as hard as you can, i think you'll reach your goals.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by Trifles » Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:46 am

1) What score did you get? 175

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)
Powerscore LGB, read part of the Powerscore LRB

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?
None

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)
For about a month and a half, more in the last few weeks

5) How many preptests did you do? 11

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
I would have not given up studying in the last few days. I knew I was having trouble with learning games and I didn't stick with doing the drills. Ended up with -5 in the LG, if I had gotten -0 I'd have a 180. Don't get lazy the last week! Taking the day before off is good, taking the week off before will leave you kicking yourself.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.

Don't be scared to tell people you can't hang out with them if you need to study. They can hang out with you at your celebration party after you get your score back. :D

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by thickfreakness » Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:13 pm

1) 171 (with a couple of previous scores)

2) Kaplan stuff from a class, Logic Games Bible, and a ton of PrepTests

3) Did a full length Kaplan course that helped marginally. Self studied on retake that netted me the 171.

4) With the class, I was a full-time UG student but didn't do a ton of extra work. After that I studied about 20-30 hours a week while working about 50 hours a week, for about 8 weeks.

5) Took 18 5 section, strictly timed practice tests over the 8 week period. All were THOROUGHLY reviewed and LG sections were re-worked.

6) What would I change? I probably would've gone back and worked more logic games, but I was really under time constraints since I was a re-taker. I focused my effort on doing every modern test I possibly could.

7) Speaking as a former Kaplan student and teacher, I will say that their classroom product is marketed towards a bigger market of takers (i.e., not those that are that strong to start with), and their strategies seem to be geared towards getting those who don't think well enough during the test to cue on simplistic triggers to get more questions right, ESPECIALLY in their reading comprehension and logical reasoning strategies. I actually liked their LG strategies and integrated elements of those and the Logic Games Bible to create a hybridized style that worked decently for me. Definitely make sure you work a fair amount of mastery stuff when you're starting out, but focus on doing lots of timed PrepTests. That's where you'll really start to improve (if you review them thoroughly).

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by IHaveDietMoxie » Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:22 am

1) What score did you get?
168, 164, then 171
2) What books did you use? Here are the books I used in the order I would read them if I did it again:
Informal logic by Whalton...this is good for groundwork, but is a little long winded and fails on breadth. You might consider reading this if you are a couple years out and just want an idea of what logical reasoning is like in sketch form.

Intro to Logic by Copi/Cohen. This was absolutely excellent. Covers syllogisms, informal logic, symbolic logic, the "scientific method", etc, and most important, it gives you endless exercises on everything. I would study this first, and go through all of it, including symbolic, which will help with logic games/diagramming. Doing this book will make everything seem much less imposing.

LSAT Superprep this is the orange three test set with explanations. I would read this after the logic book, otherwise it can seem cryptic. Make one of these tests your first diag test, but keep in mind that the games in here are relatively tough. Do it, grade it, read the explanations cover to cover, and figure out what your weaknesses are.

Go to the bookstore and read through prep books, gleaning strategy(timing, LG diagrams, reading comp strategy, etc) as opposed to substance(the logic text covers substance). Just try to pick up stuff here and there. LG bible is a good start but is far from comprehensive and imo encourages worrying in order to breed dependence.

Practice Tests. Make sure you make multiple copies just in case you have to retake, it seriously sucks to erase a 30 page test. Make sure also to have many copies of the games sections, as you can repeat these over and over. Get a good analog chronograph watch (chronograph = a timer that counts up to at least 35 minutes). Start doing timed sections and work your way toward doing it with a 30 minute time limit and at 5 or 6 sections in a row with NO break. Note that you will probably start at 45-60 minute sections, and that this doesn't make you dumb. Experiment with doing all sections of a single type. Doing 6 RC sections in a row yields great insights while inuring you to the stamina problems of an RC experimental on game day (I got burned by this the first time.) Also, don't do PT's in order. Make sure to throw in some new ones early on so that you get used to the style shift that occurs around test 43. If anything I would start with the new ones and work backwards, finishing by repeating some of the new tests.

Outside reading, specifically Law review articles, scienceNOW articles, SSRN stuff, some history books, philosophy encyclopedia, whatever . This was my favorite part of studying, and I did it exclusive of PTs in the month before my highest score (december).

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)?
nada
4) How long did you study -- For about 4 months before June, 2-4 hours a day on average, then notched it up for the retake, doing 5-10 timed sections almost every day for like a month and a half, following a break. This had benefits and drawbacks. First, I became a total pro and really enhanced my endurance by doing lots of sections. The major downside was that it tired me out and stressed me out big time beforehand. I had some family emergency stuff before the test and ended up not sleeping even one minute the night before, which explains the 164 (make SURE you get an assload of sleep before you take!!! this is as important as the months of prep! figure this out, and let me repeat, figure this out!) I didn't do anything but read a lot and did maybe a few logic games before the higher score.

5) How many preptests did you do?
All of them including the rare ones (ie the two "triple prep" volumes, which have some hard games and RC)...probably redid like the last 15 or 20 tests...I don't want to think about it.

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
If I had to do it all over again, I would have read the books in the order listed above. I would have gotten really efficacious at the test, then let go for a few weeks before the real thing, just working on reading/cognition speed. The LSAT encourages bad reading, specifically circling back, so in one way taking PT's can actually make you worse at them. On the test you need to push right through the material at top speed with maximum comprehension. For this, I combined reading with writing synopses, so mainly I would read the intro/conclusions of law review articles (almost always skipping the middle) then immediately write a short synopsis. This had the additional benefit of allowing me to research faculty at prospective law schools, and some of the faculty scholarship is really brilliant stuff. It helps if you have university access to journals.
I would have studied away from home at a library almost exclusively. I would have scanned rather than copied all the PT's, for easy printing of LGs. I would have taken a beta blocker the first time...this is an old musician's trick and basically makes the nervousness disappear...but get it from a doctor b/c they can be dangerous. I would have studied more broadly the first two times so as not to get so attached to the test. If you get depressed b/c you score a 169, you are probably studying too much, go do some outside reading. Good luck all!
Last edited by IHaveDietMoxie on Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:37 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by fingerscrossed88 » Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:42 pm

I really think this is a test where studying can make all the difference. I didn't even take a diagnostic when I first started studying because I knew that I would score abysmally - I did one or two sections here and there before starting to study, and I got maybe 50% right on the LR sections and if lucky, 20% right on the LG. It was just ugly. So just so you know, this is DEFINITELY a "studyable" test - I studied my way to the score I got, there was no way I would have gotten it otherwise.

1) What score did you get? 174

2) What books did you use? Powerscore LGB and LRB (literally treated them like Bibles, every page), and lots of LSAC prep tests. NOTE: I started out using Princeton Review and they SERIOUSLY messed me up on logic games. I saw hardly any logic games in actual official tests that were of the models that the Princeton Review books teach you to solve. Awful, awful, awful. Things got much better when I switched to Powerscore.

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? None.

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? I took the June 2009 test, so I started in January because I was afraid of a tough semester where I wouldn't have time to devote to it. Sure enough things got moving and I didn't study again after I stopped in January until school ended in May. So altogether I probably studied for a little over a month. Half in school, half out. I started by combing through the Powerscore books page by page, and then after finishing those I moved to practicing individual sections and then timing those individual sections. The two weeks before the test, I began doing timed tests.

5) How many preptests did you do? I did maybe 7-10 tests where I sat down and took it timed in one sitting; then I did sections from maybe another 20 tests. Mostly trying to do the logic games, because that was my worst section by far.

6) What would you change if you were to do it again? I probably would just have tried to start earlier and take more prep tests. I think practicing really is key. Also, don't budget it more than one full-length practice test per day. I know some other people have tried it, but I don't know that you really get anything out of it the second time around. My brain always felt like bubblegum after the one practice test, so I spent the rest of the day just vegetating and reading a good book. So plan well, I guess.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions. Don't feel bad if you suck at logic games! When I first started it took me 30 minutes to do ONE logic game, and I didn't even get all the answers for that one, so you can imagine how I felt. It can definitely be learned.

Also, about the day of the test - scope out the test location. My test location was near my home at a university whose library and classrooms actually were unlocked and unused in the weeks before the test, since it was summer. This was perfect because I got to take the test in a couple locations where I thought it would actually be administered, and on the day of actually sat in a classroom almost identical to the one I practiced in. I thought that was pretty useful because it reduced the jitters and the "foreignness" of the situation. But maybe you test better in unfamiliar surroundings, I don't know. And when you are actually taking the test, put each section behind you when you're done. On the day of, I thought I had bombed logic games and that threw me off for the next section because I was still freaking out about having (in my mind) already "ruined" my score. In reality I hadn't done that badly (albeit due to a lucky guess or two). So just keep moving!

Umm, I don't know if that helped at all but I hope so. Good luck to anybody studying right now!

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by adora » Sat Jan 09, 2010 9:27 pm

1) What score did you get?
164

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)
LR Bible and LG Bible, old Princeton Review books, lots of practice tests.

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?
None

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)
About a month and a half...I half-assed it for a bit before that, but no hardcore studying until 1.5 months before.

5) How many preptests did you do?
16ish, I think...

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
I don't think I really maxed out on the logic games. I should have spent more time on them. I believe the other sections "click" at some point, and it's generally earlier than LGs "click" (at least for me, this was the case). I should have devoted more time to them. I just really think anyone can get them if they give it enough time.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.
I think it's really important to study under real testing conditions. Though I timed myself and did 30 min. sections, I should have been testing in libraries and stuff. Though I don't get test anxiety, I really believe I had an anxiety attack during the test. So much pressure. But it also helps...I think the adrenaline kicked in and helped me rebound...I ended up getting the same score I had on the several PTs leading up to the real thing.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by Giller » Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:00 am

1) What score did you get?

174 (Dec. 09)

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)

First, Barron's LSAT as an introduction to the test, but I wouldn't recommend it. Then the Powerscore LR Bible and a bunch of official LSATs for practice: 10 Actual Official...; 10 More...; and then PTs 51-56.

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?

None.

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)

2 months. During the first month I was working an awful job full time on the afternoon shift, but in the second month I dedicated all of my time to studying. My scores improved significantly when I started writing in the morning instead of at 1am after work.

5) How many preptests did you do?

24

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?

Nope.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.

I also went to the gym every single day during the month leading up to the test. I have no doubt that a lot of cardio helped my brain work better!

Good luck to all! :D

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by makingwaves » Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:42 pm

lakerfanimal wrote:If you are honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses, and design a study plan around that and work as hard as you can, i think you'll reach your goals.
I think this is the best advice I have heard/read yet.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by dovetail » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:49 pm

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Last edited by dovetail on Thu Oct 14, 2010 11:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by mikialjan » Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:31 pm

Just a quick note: This thread was, and continues to be, unbelievably helpful. Thanks to the OP for starting it and thanks for everyone's contributions of input.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by td6624 » Mon Feb 01, 2010 2:32 am

1) What score did you get?
168

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)
I don't remember the name of it, but the book I had that was dedicated to logic games was enormously helpful. I got a book full of practice tests too, but the logic games from those tests (1998 or so) were nothing like the ones on the actual test. The ones in the logic games book were exactly like the one on the test.

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?
None. I have a hard time believing I would benefit from these classes.

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)
I didn't start seriously studying until about a month before. And the vast majority of the time I spent studying was dedicated to the logic games in between classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I went through just about the entire book. Probably a total of 15 hours For the other sections, just doing 4-6 practice tests was sufficient.

5) How many preptests did you do?
Around 4-6

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
I probably would have studied more. Started in the summer. Taken more practice tests. I always thought that standardized tests were the sort of things that you either get or you don't. But now I can't help but think I could have gotten to 170 if I'd taken it more seriously.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by CardinalRules » Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:19 am

I posted general comments in this thread a few pages ago, but I'm available by PM if you have more specific questions. Although I can't guarantee an immediate response, I can guarantee a thorough one.

(I scored a 178, 98 out of 101 correct. My mistakes were 1 reading comprehension, 2 analytical reasoning, 0 logic games.)

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by mi-chan17 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:44 am

1) What score did you get?
169 (Oct. 09)

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)
Powerscore LRB and LGB. The games bible is amazing. When I took the test cold, games was my worst section. On test day I went -1.

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?

None.

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)
3 weeks during the summer (working through the bibles), and then 4-5 hours per week through September.

5) How many preptests did you do?
12

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?

I'd have started at the beginning of the spring semester and then taken the June test. The first reason, I live on-campus during the school year, which isn't conducive to getting a good night's sleep on a Friday night. The second reason, I mostly studied later in the day, so I think I'd have performed closer to my best had I taken the test later in the day as well.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.

There were a few things I did that I think were very helpful. The first was doing practice tests with time limits of 30 minutes per section, rather than 35, once I had gotten down the make-up of the test. That way, on test day, I never felt rushed. I had time to breathe a little and go back over the section to make sure I felt comfortable with my answers and hadn't misbubbled.

The second thing I thought was useful was varying where I practiced. I did PTs in as many different places as I could - usually places with some kind of noise - so that I could get used to different testing conditions. That way I got used to doing the test in a timely fashion even if uncomfortable.

Finally, the day of the test, I did one or two questions from each section before I went to the test center. Not timed, not even for the correct answers, just to get my brain in LSAT mode. Like a warm-up, I guess. It helped me be awake and ready for the test by the time I got to the testing center.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by kmreed1 » Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:29 pm

Ive been using the Kaplan Logic Games Workbook, and have almost finished the book and am still missing 8 of the 24/25 questions in a practice test. Can anyone who has had the same problem help refer something that might be better?

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by Traciela » Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:09 pm

kmreed1 wrote:Ive been using the Kaplan Logic Games Workbook, and have almost finished the book and am still missing 8 of the 24/25 questions in a practice test. Can anyone who has had the same problem help refer something that might be better?
Textbook: PowerScore's Logic Games Bible
Read it and try their strategies.

Problem Sets: GROUPED by Game Type and More GROUPED by Game Type
Use our books for 160 more official games to practice with.

Does Kaplan use actual, official LSAT questions in their Logic Games Workbook?
If Yes, repeat the games in that book and the GROUPED book over and over again until you can solve them accurately in under 8 minutes and 45 seconds.
If No, stop using the Kaplan book, and just use the GROUPED book and be sure to repeat the problems that you are not solving accurately or within the time frame.
Last edited by Traciela on Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by hypoxia » Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:04 am

1) 171 (first try)

2) Not important (powerscore LGB -- but it interfered with my Testmasters course and was not more beneficial than the course)

3) Testmasters full-length for the June LSAT (which is better for most people because it is written in the afternoon; note that most people our age learn and perform better later in the day)

4) I studied over the summer while essentially working part time. Note, however, that my "studying" consisted only of going to classes until two weeks before the test (see below).

5) 11 -- I wrote four as part of the Testmasters course and also properly wrote a full-length test every other day for the two weeks leading up to the test. This is where I saw my big gains.

6) I should've done the Testmasters homework! It sucks and 'identifying question types' is stupid, but I would've been able to achieve a much higher score if I had kept up with everything.

7) A few suggestions:

1. Take a full-year informal logic course, preferably at least a year before you write the LSAT. I took one in my first year and it was by far the best thing that I ever could have done to study. I suggest taking it long before the LSAT so that it has time to sink in and become natural. I also suggest a full-year course because after the first semester, I was still pretty useless. After the second semester, however, where we applied the theory from the first semester to real legal cases, I was a pro.

2. Use caffeine if it helps. Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant that will increase your processing speed. That makes caffeine a useful tool for a test like the LSAT where memory performance is not required. The problem, however, is that it is difficult to get the dose right because of upregulation. Caffeine is an adenosine modulator, so your body will get used to it (and, in fact, expect it) after a while. Some individuals also experience negative effects if they take too much. So, if you are unable to get the right balance, you can actually harm your performance. I rarely drank coffee or energy drinks, so that wasn't much of an issue for me. During some of the Testmasters classes I would drink a large london fog (tea), and during preptests I would sometimes drink part of a Rockstar. On the day of, I drank half of a Rockstar during the break and it seemed to work quite well.

3. Don't take any of this too seriously. There's no point in obsessing about performance tricks because you will end up psyching yourself out. Furthermore, none of these tricks are really going to make *that* much of a difference in your final score. Except, of course, the informal logic course. That one seems like it's actually important. :)

EDIT: Also, make sure that you do your preptests properly. Use an alarm to measure the times exactly, and don't be lenient with yourself. You won't have extra time to think on the actual test day, so don't practice doing so.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by mstiger » Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:09 am

1. 165- June 2009

2. None

3. Testmasters Full Length October 2008. It was helpful simply because of the amount of problems they give students access to.

4. My initial goal was to study 4 hours a day for 1-2 months leading up to the test. Horrible idea. I burned myself out within the first month.

5. Probably 5-7. I concentrated on Logic Games.

6. Study less. I originally planned to take the February 2009 test, but after taking the class, I could not stomach the thought of studying for the LSAT. So, I decided to take the June LSAT. I began preparing for the June LSAT intensely about three or four weeks before the test date. Also, in June, the LSAT is scheduled for the afternoon. I'm a morning person. I think that cost me a couple of points, and it's something for everyone to consider. I know the February LSAT was scheduled for 9 o'clock in the morning.

7. That damn dinosaur game really cost me. I missed three on that game alone.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by Shrimps » Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:25 am

For people who routinely get -0 on Reasoning sections - could you describe your strategy/thought process when you approach a difficult question where the answer is not immediately apparent?

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by NvrEvrGvUp » Thu Feb 25, 2010 12:52 pm

hypoxia wrote:1) 171 (first try)

2) Not important (powerscore LGB -- but it interfered with my Testmasters course and was not more beneficial than the course)

3) Testmasters full-length for the June LSAT (which is better for most people because it is written in the afternoon; note that most people our age learn and perform better later in the day)

4) I studied over the summer while essentially working part time. Note, however, that my "studying" consisted only of going to classes until two weeks before the test (see below).

5) 11 -- I wrote four as part of the Testmasters course and also properly wrote a full-length test every other day for the two weeks leading up to the test. This is where I saw my big gains.

6) I should've done the Testmasters homework! It sucks and 'identifying question types' is stupid, but I would've been able to achieve a much higher score if I had kept up with everything.

7) A few suggestions:

1. Take a full-year informal logic course, preferably at least a year before you write the LSAT. I took one in my first year and it was by far the best thing that I ever could have done to study. I suggest taking it long before the LSAT so that it has time to sink in and become natural. I also suggest a full-year course because after the first semester, I was still pretty useless. After the second semester, however, where we applied the theory from the first semester to real legal cases, I was a pro.

2. Use caffeine if it helps. Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant that will increase your processing speed. That makes caffeine a useful tool for a test like the LSAT where memory performance is not required. The problem, however, is that it is difficult to get the dose right because of upregulation. Caffeine is an adenosine modulator, so your body will get used to it (and, in fact, expect it) after a while. Some individuals also experience negative effects if they take too much. So, if you are unable to get the right balance, you can actually harm your performance. I rarely drank coffee or energy drinks, so that wasn't much of an issue for me. During some of the Testmasters classes I would drink a large london fog (tea), and during preptests I would sometimes drink part of a Rockstar. On the day of, I drank half of a Rockstar during the break and it seemed to work quite well.

3. Don't take any of this too seriously. There's no point in obsessing about performance tricks because you will end up psyching yourself out. Furthermore, none of these tricks are really going to make *that* much of a difference in your final score. Except, of course, the informal logic course. That one seems like it's actually important. :)

EDIT: Also, make sure that you do your preptests properly. Use an alarm to measure the times exactly, and don't be lenient with yourself. You won't have extra time to think on the actual test day, so don't practice doing so.
Yeah...I don't think everyone has the luxury of having a full year dedicated to prep, much less have a full-year informal logic course.

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by gltm » Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:13 pm

CardinalRules wrote:I posted general comments in this thread a few pages ago, but I'm available by PM if you have more specific questions. Although I can't guarantee an immediate response, I can guarantee a thorough one.

(I scored a 178, 98 out of 101 correct. My mistakes were 1 reading comprehension, 2 analytical reasoning, 0 logic games.)
How is that possible? AR = LG.

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dovetail

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by dovetail » Fri Feb 26, 2010 5:47 pm

gltm wrote:
CardinalRules wrote:I posted general comments in this thread a few pages ago, but I'm available by PM if you have more specific questions. Although I can't guarantee an immediate response, I can guarantee a thorough one.

(I scored a 178, 98 out of 101 correct. My mistakes were 1 reading comprehension, 2 analytical reasoning, 0 logic games.)
How is that possible? AR = LG.
Obviously, he meant Logical Reasoning. Give him a break.

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Metroid SR388

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by Metroid SR388 » Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:52 am

I hope that its all right if I post in here since I just made a 160.


1) What score did you get?

Dec. 09- 151. Feb. 10- 160

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)

I used the official LSAC preptests and their super prep guide.

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?

None. I did not have the money for it.

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)

I lived with my parents, and worked a part time job. If I wasn't working I would be studying. I took preptest every other morning about 3-4 weeks prior to the Dec. test. I only took 2 practice tests for the Feb.

5) How many preptests did you do?

12

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?

I wish I had the money to pay for a prep course. I also wish I had reviewed my mistakes and tried to learn from them. I spent most of my time just trying to get comfortable with the test.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.

Honestly I think a healthy lifestyle helps, I exercise and drink lots of water in general. The healthier you are the better your brain works, so don't neglect your health in your prep.

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KibblesAndVick

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by KibblesAndVick » Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:07 pm

1) What score did you get?
179 on the Feb 2/20 makeup exam

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)
LGB and lots of old practice tests. Old prep tests are the key material for mastering the LSAT imo.

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?
I didn't take a prep course. They are way overpriced.

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)
I spent about a month and a half studying nonstop. Usually upwards of 5 or 6 hours a day. I would take a PT in the morning, eat lunch, come back and review mistakes.

5) How many preptests did you do?
About 20

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
It worked out well for me so I don't think I would change much.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.
I think that successful LSAT prep can be broken down into three stages. First, you have to master the material. The LG Bible is absolutely wonderful for this. I didn't use the LR Bible so I can't attest to it. In the beginning of your prep you just have to make sure you understand how the test works, what to expect, why the right answers are right, and why the wrong answers are wrong. Second, you have to make sure you can preform under simulated conditions. Once you have a handle on the material, I think you should take every practice test with strict time limits and added experimental sections. Taken individually, LSAT questions are usually not very difficult. The real challenge (imo) is being able to piece together 5 near perfect sections in a row without running out of time. Third, and finally, I think that success on the LSAT comes down to showing up on game day. There are a lot of people who can average in the 170's on their PT. There are also a lot of people who have hit 180 on a practice test. The final step is being able to replicate that result when the game is on the line. This means you have to get a good nights sleep before the test and find a way of dealing with your nerves. This is something many people have trouble with. Personally, my strategy was to talk myself out of the importance of the test. I would tell my friends I didn't care about the LSAT and didn't really want to be a lawyer anyway. This was total BS, but it worked. I didn't freak out when my test date got postponed, I was able to get 9 hours of sleep before the test, and I felt calm and collected while taking it. If you're capable of hitting 170+ on practice tests, this is what I would stress most to you. You have to be able to remain calm under pressure. You could be the most accurate sniper in the world and it wouldn't do you a damn bit of good if your hands started trembling in the heat of battle.

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chutzpah

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Re: Great Advice on How to get 160+ on the LSAT...

Post by chutzpah » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:25 pm

1) What score did you get?
165 on the September 2009 exam
174 on the Feb 2/20 makeup exam

2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore LGB, etc)
Only LSAC materials - SuperPrep, Next 10..., PTs 49-59

3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length, weekend?
Self study. I work full time and thought studying on my own would be more effective.

4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? (during school, during the summer, etc)
I studied for about two months leading up to the September exam. I would do one full PT each weekend and individual sections at lunch or after work. My PT average going into September was 171 and I was disappointed with the 165. Even though I had submitted all of my apps in early December, I decided to take the February exam to help with WLs or pending decisions. I did not study much but was much more relaxed going into the exam.

5) How many preptests did you do?
24 total, some repeated before Feb retake

6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
ALWAYS take 5 or 6 section practice tests.

7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.
I agree with what the previous poster said. There will come a point in your studying where you understand the language and logic of the exam and you can identify the correct answers within the allotted time. At that point, you have to concentrate on endurance. I found that taking timed five-section exams was much more valuable (and challenging!) than taking individual sections when I had the time at lunch or after work. Obviously if you work full time or have a demanding school schedule you may not be able to study 5-6 hours a day like some people, but it is SO important to take long PTs at least once a week.

Stress matters. Do what you can to avoid or reduce sources of stress in the days (or weeks!) leading up to the exam. Eat well, work out, sleep enough. If you can't get rid of stress, then learn how to deal with or conquer it. That's an important skill in the real world.

If you take the LSAT and truly believe that you underperformed, figure out what went wrong and if its correctable, try again. I jumped 9 points because of two things - taking a few longer exams and being more relaxed. Oh, and luck.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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