Who's had a low diagnostic but a high LSAT score? Forum

[laidoffjournalist]

Hey, anyone out there get a low diagnostic but ended up with a high actual test score? I need a little encouragement here since my diagnostic was a 149. I get people telling me no one ever scores more than a few points higher than their diagnostic, but I believe there's no reason why someone who studies shouldn't be able to make huge gains.

If you had a crappy diagnostic and a high LSAT score, tell me what your diagnostic was, your actual was and what you did in between the diagnostic and test day (how many hours a day for how long of studying). I need to glean some inspiration when I start doubting myself too much (such as right now)!

EDIT: When you state your diagnostic score and your most recent scores, please indicate how much time it's been since your diagnostic! If it took you a whole year to raise your score by 20 points, that's much different than if it took you three months!

[RMstratosphere]

My diagnostic in June was 154. My last PT (#51) I scored a 168. Game day is 09/26. Good luck and don't get discouraged.

[Unitas]

My diagnostic was horrid... It isn't that uncommon, especially a clean diagnostic. Clean diagnostic meaning you have never seen an LSAT test or know anything really about it. It's not like you look at the games section while timed and just see the answer. No one does. Given unlimited time I would've done great, but with reading the intro to each section and trying to figure out what to do time killed me. RC should've been the only thing you were good at. Because well it's RC....

When I took it I tried to bring in all my outside knowledge and some of the answers just didn't fit in LR. Now I know better. I also saw the games and thought what do they want. Now I know better.

I have not taken it and won't until 9/26 I will let you know of my grade Oct. 19th. I am scoring in the 170's on PT with occasional spikes up, which is pretty consistent with my percentile on SAT's and ACT's and the such...

A diagnostic shouldn't be used as an indicator of future scores. Your first test after reading everything you can should be the indicator. Meaning after you finish the major prep. Once I finished all three bibles I took a test and was scoring in the 170's. Hasn't changed much since.

[beebs]

First test ever - 150
June LSAT - 160
Highest practice test since post-June - 168

Take a cue for Michael Jordan's speech tonight: "Limits, like fears, are often an illusion."

[Heidelightful]

Well, I haven't taken the LSAT yet, but my initial diagnostic was 159, and I'm scoring average 170 with the highest at 173 now. Eek. We'll see come September 26 though... Good luck!

[iminlstrick]

Diagnostic - 151
Retake LSAT - 173

It's possible. Good luck!

[laidoffjournalist]

Exactly how much studying are we talking here to make these gains, to those who have responded? I realize it will be different for everyone, but are we getting off on an hour or two a day, or more like 6+ daily? Any insight into your very impressive and encouraging gains would help too! (But hearing the numbers is great motivation, still.)

[ValiantVic]

Haven't taken the real thing yet. Averaging around 170 with a personal best of 175. My diagnostic was a 161. As far as studying goes I would say 1-2 hours a day. I think studying efficiently is the key. At first I just kind of did a ton of problems with out really looking at why I got them wrong, I just wanted to expose myself to as many problems as possible. While IMHO I think it's too late to cram a bunch of studying for Sep. if you haven't really started if you have and you are just looking to tweak a couple of things I would say now would be the time to start doing full length tests (I do 2 a week) to get used to the amount of focus needed in addition to really focusing on the questions you have gotten wrong and spending the bulk of your time trying to understand the logic behind them.

As far as logic games I just did a bunch of them until I was exposed to just about any type of game type. I was missing 5-6 on games and now average about 1 wrong each. If I had to give a one piece of advice for the LSAT it would be this, "accept it." As the test taker you must accept the reality that is presented to you and be hyper cognizant of whatever personal assumptions or biases you take into the test. These are your worst enemy. While this may not necessarily apply to you, for me it helped greatly to have kind of a meta-understanding that the test is meant to be taken in a certain amount of time, consequently any individual answer cannot be difficult to find and so every answer is in front of your face, you just have to familiarize yourself with the structure of the test.

[pre-law]

Hey, anyone out there get a low diagnostic but ended up with a high actual test score? I need a little encouragement here since my diagnostic was a 149. I get people telling me no one ever scores more than a few points higher than their diagnostic, but I believe there's no reason why someone who studies shouldn't be able to make huge gains.

If you had a crappy diagnostic and a high LSAT score, tell me what your diagnostic was, your actual was and what you did in between the diagnostic and test day (how many hours a day for how long of studying). I need to glean some inspiration when I start doubting myself too much (such as right now)!

My diagnostic was a 139. The last timed, proctored preptest I took (last weekend) I scored a 172. Gameday is in 2 weeks for me.....can't wait!

But ya the whole idea that you can't improve tremendously beyond your diagnostic score by studying is false.

[pre-law]

Exactly how much studying are we talking here to make these gains, to those who have responded? I realize it will be different for everyone, but are we getting off on an hour or two a day, or more like 6+ daily? Any insight into your very impressive and encouraging gains would help too! (But hearing the numbers is great motivation, still.)

Study full time (4-6 hours per day) for at least 6 months. Take every LSAT ever released AT LEAST ONCE timed and proctored. Study using the best methods (Powerscore's LSAT Bibles)

[onthecusp]

Exactly how much studying are we talking here to make these gains, to those who have responded? I realize it will be different for everyone, but are we getting off on an hour or two a day, or more like 6+ daily? Any insight into your very impressive and encouraging gains would help too! (But hearing the numbers is great motivation, still.)

Study full time (4-6 hours per day) for at least 6 months. Take every LSAT ever released AT LEAST ONCE timed and proctored. Study using the best methods (Powerscore's LSAT Bibles)

Somehow I see that leading right into the law of diminishing returns. Most have it right...it has more to do with the quality of your study rather than the quantity. Just because you did over 1000 assumption questions during your prep doesn't mean you learned anything if your approach was wrong every single time. Learn the basics, then expand....move on. Relax.

[laidoffjournalist]

Six months? Uh, I'm taking the LSAT in December.

[citrustang]

4 months is solid. Get to work!

[Tangerine Gleam]

6 months may work for some, but for me that would be way too much. I'm taking the September LSAT and I took my first Diagnostic in the very beginning of July.

In 2.5 months, I've gone from 163 on my diagnostic to a 180 on my last PT. Although that last score is probably a fluke and I got a bit lucky -- my goal for test day is 173 or higher.

Bottom line -- if you're in the high 140's there's no reason to believe that you couldn't get a really amazing score with 3-4 months of studying. Anyone who tells you otherwise can go fuck themselves.

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

diagnostic: 147
June lsat: 162
practicing at: 169-171

[02082010]

Diagnostic: 154
Lowest ever PT: 150
Oct 08: 168
PTing right now around 177, retake 9/26

[OrcinusOrcas]

Oct 08: 144
First PT this year (July 09): 149
Currently scoring on PT's: 160-164

I agree that quality of practice is where it's at. Analyzing every little mistake you make on questions and figuring out how to avoid those mistakes is what's really helped me so far. It's also a mental game; your attitude can completely influence your focus (and intense focus is probably the most important skill I've had to work at on this test), and once you've gone through all the techniques it becomes a mental game. Also, knowing you' will have seen every past LSAT question and worked through it makes you feel more confident as test day approaches. I still have hopes of breaking 170 if I can get better at timing my games.

BTW, I did Testmasters.

[govols]

First test ever - 150
June LSAT - 160
Highest practice test since post-June - 168

Take a cue for Michael Jordan's speech tonight: "Limits, like fears, are often an illusion."

What I took from his speech was that he said shit, slammed his owner, and basically was trying to show up everyone in the audience.

[emtuoh]

Diagnostic: 148
June score: 166

I took a Kaplan course, which only helped me in that it gave me a structured time to sit and study for the LSAT. My teacher was crap, and I learned much more from studying by myself. I think the best suggestion is to take as many PTs as possible in a test-like environment, and go back over them to figure out why you missed each question you did.

[LSAT N00b]

First test ever - 150
June LSAT - 160
Highest practice test since post-June - 168

Take a cue for Michael Jordan's speech tonight: "Limits, like fears, are often an illusion."

What I took from his speech was that he said shit, slammed his owner, and basically was trying to show up everyone in the audience.

Jerry Krause deserved that.

[snowbunny87]

don't get discouraged!! my diagnostic score was BAD (145)! a big reason for that was that i had never seen logic games before. anyway, now i'm testing in the mid to upper 160s. i'm taking the sept test and looking at a high 160 score, possibly low 170s.

[pre-law]

Six months? Uh, I'm taking the LSAT in December.

Why December? Your apps will be late if you plan on applying this cycle.

[rx3r]

I get people telling me no one ever scores more than a few points higher than their diagnostic, but I believe there's no reason why someone who studies shouldn't be able to make huge gains. !

Don't listen to this person, they don't know what they're talking about. I'd say I studied on and off for 6 months (maybe an hour a day except when doing full practice tests). My actual LSAT was 19 pts higher than my diag.

Just study, try to see the patterns in things. It's like learning a new language. Slowly, the stuff on the page just starts to make sense.

[Guardian]

Cold diag was 155. Second one was 163. Right now, scoring as high as 176.

[laidoffjournalist]

Six months? Uh, I'm taking the LSAT in December.

Why December? Your apps will be late if you plan on applying this cycle.

Because I decided on law school in August and September was too soon to be ready. My apps will be later than I'd like, but still before deadline. Most schools stop accepting apps by around February, it seems. I don't want to wait until 2011 to begin law school. I'd like to start next year.

I feel like three months of studying should be enough if I commit to it. If my practice tests aren't good, I may have to wait. But I'd prefer not to.