June Test - Am I ready?

[strivingfor180]

Hello Powerscore,

I am roughly halfway through your 3-month self-study plan and curious about when to register to take the actual exam. My goal is to score 175+. My first diagnostic was a 164, and a month later my two PTs this week were a 171 and a 173 (thanks Powerscore Bibles). My predicament is that I am unsure whether to register for the June test or wait until September.

I am relatively confident that I can bring my score up a few additional points by working hard for the remaining two months. My main concern in this regard is that on both PTs I took this week, I was perfect on the Logic Games Section. Stress of the test could conceivably cause me to miss a couple questions on Logic Games, which could offset gains in other areas.

Could you comment on how a typical score progression works out? Is it unreasonable to think I can take a 171 PT to an actual 175 in roughly two months? Is there a specific distance from the test that my practice test scores should exceed my goal (or else I move my registration)?

I have the Powerscore Bibles, Workbooks, and the Question/Game/Passage Type Training for each section, as well as the recommended PTs.

Thanks,

Cody

[Kristina Moen]

Hi Cody,

Welcome to the Forum, and congratulations on the jump from 164 to 173! That tells me that you are studying effectively. Moving from 171 to 175 within two months is definitely possible - it depends on a few factors, including how you study. Keep in mind that at the higher scores, the difference between scores may be one or two questions. You have a bit less "wiggle room" to achieve your desired score. You want to be consistent on your PTs, but at some point you do have to take the actual test - and taking it twice (June and then September if you are not satisfied with your score) is perfectly normal. Many schools take the highest score (check with the schools to which you are applying). If you postpone, how do you feel about studying during the summer? Will your schedule allow you to be just as focused as you are right now?

Since you are usually acing the Logic Games - where do you generally miss the most questions? Can you narrow that down further into question type? And then further into logical reasoning type? (causation, conditional reasoning, etc.). One thing that will help you achieve consistency (so on test day you are able to score the same as your PTs regardless of stress) is if you have a strategy for each question type. You are not relying on your intuition (which a 164 diagnostic tells me you have in spades!).

An excellent blog post written by colleague about this topic can be found here:
LSAT Score Plateau? Focus on Process

Do make sure that you are taking PTs under testing conditions (see The Ideal Way to Take an LSAT Practice Test). I will also add to that blog post that you should use the same tools you'll use on test day - analog watch if you are using one, #2 pencils, etc.

One way to use a PowerScore tutor is to take a PT each week and then go over the questions you missed with that tutor. You can also go over some of the questions you got right and try to explain to the tutor why the incorrect answers are wrong. Every question gives you an opportunity to learn something that you can use another question - even if it's learning how to spot and eliminate incorrect answers. You can also use the LSAT Forum in that way! Good luck.

[strivingfor180]

Thanks for the help!

The only consistent LG issue I have been running into is time. My range is usually finishing with a minute or so to spare to running out of time with three or four questions remaining. I also have a tendency to rush the last game and overlook simple things (can be true vs. cannot be true, etc.).