LSAT Prep: can I reach my goal ???

[Ssn1994]

So I’m supposed to take the lsat this October, however I’m likely pushing it to November. I got a 137 on my diagnostic test in a difficult setting and over the next 3 tests my score increased each time, up to a 153. I’ve been studying for almost 2 months. However, two weeks later, after studying almost everyday for 1-3 hours each day, I got a 146. Now I couldn’t sleep the night before, so I only got 5 hours of sleep, I rushed through the questions more than usual to ensure I didn’t just guess on some of them, and I took the test at Starbucks. But this is really freaking me out because my goal is a 160 and I’ve raised my UG GPA by .46 grade points by making all A’s the past 4 semesters with the motivating factor being getting into law school and becoming a lawyer. I’ve never been so passionate about a career path and I don’t want this test to ruin my chances. So do you guys think it’s possible to get it up to that score or at least really close ??? And how long did it take you guys to get to your goals ?? Is hiring a private tutor a good idea ? Or switching up prep softwares better ? Currently using Khan Academy. Please let me know guys I could really use some encouragement and suggestions.


Thanks

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Ssn1994,

Thanks for your very good question.

First, congratulations on the tremendous improvement you've achieved in what appears to be a very efficient way! A 16-point scaled score increase (and a nearly 50-point percentile increase) over the course of four practice tests is outstanding and, in my experience, relatively unusual. What you're doing to prepare appears to be working very well for you, and, whatever changes you contemplate making (and some could be beneficial), you should make sure to continue using most of the concepts, strategies, and study habits you're already using.

Second, outlier tests occur from time to time. Improvement is almost never (at least in my experience with thousands of students) strictly linear. People take steps back on practice tests from time to time for the reasons you're mentioning. In your particular case, it does not sound like you have reason to be tremendously concerned about your recent 146 practice test score. You identified controllable conditions that made taking that test far less than ideal, including lack of sleep, rushed performance during the test, and test location. These are all things I talk to all of my students about avoiding when they're about to take a practice test. Don't schedule a full practice test (and skip one if you need to) on a day when you know you can't get your normal amount of rest. Don't take a test at a location where there will be significant distractions. A moderate-traffic library setting could be okay (some distractions, but not significant). A high-traffic coffee shop is probably not a good choice. Make sure you schedule your next practice test at a more ideal time and location for you to take it. See where you land. That will give you a better read on whether that 153 is a stable representation of your current performance level.

On your question whether it's realistic to improve from a 153 to a 160 by the October test, I would say absolutely, for several reasons. You've already seen dramatic improvements in a relatively short time. You have a little ways to go, but not quite as far as you've already come, both in terms of scaled score (7 points beyond the 16 you've already improved) and percentile performance (you need another ~25 percentile points, since a 160 is an 80th percentile score, compared to the ~50 you've already improved). Having mastered the basics, you'll be able to focus your studying on different things now to see further improvement. Prepping harder on the more difficult logical reasoning questions, logic games scenarios, and reading comprehension question types or passages will be an important shift in your studying focus to get where you want to be. On your question about how quickly people see improvement, that's going to vary from person to person. But I will tell you I've had students made the kind of improvement you're looking for (7 points) in a period from as short as 4 weeks to well within the 9 weeks you have until the October exam. It's been done many times!

But finally, I will say that, in some sense, the easiest improvements are now behind you. Often people see the dramatic improvements you've experienced at the beginning of their study time, because they begin to master the basics of the test in ways they hadn't before. The basics are, in some sense, the easier things to learn and master. You've got some of the hardest work ahead of you in terms of what you need to master. You're looking at deciphering more complex logical reasoning arguments, and answer choices that are written in ways that are harder to understand. You're going to need to apply more advanced techniques and inference-making approaches in logic games in order to get that section closer to perfect. You'll likely need to be more efficient with your reading process in the reading comprehension section. All of those things will take time and effort to master. Plan to spend as much or more time studying before the October exam as you've already spent to get where you are. You'll need that time, and you won't regret spending it!

Now, if you can see clearly the path to mastering those harder concepts I've been discussing, it may be that self-study is the way to go. If it were me, I wouldn't rely solely on the prep material provided by a (don't get me wrong, very helpful) free resource like Khan. There are some drawbacks to the way that material is organized and presented that make it hard to recommend as a sole resource for someone striving for an 80th+ percentile score. For self-study, consider PowerScore publications like the Logic Games Bible, Logical Reasoning Bible, and Reading Comprehension Bible, Workbooks, and Trainers, available here: https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/publications/.

A tutor could also be very useful to help you identify the more advanced subjects you need to master, to lay out a study schedule that will realistically let you master them, and to motivate you and check your progress along the way. That's something we also have vast experience with, if you're interested: https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/tutoring/.

Please let us know how we can help, and we'd be happy to discuss it further!

I hope this helps!

Jeremy