How do you make that final leap in scores?

[oychoi]

Hi Powerscore,

I have been studying for the LSAT for a long, long time. I recently scored a 162 on the November LSAT but I know I could do much better because my PT scores prior to the test were in the mid-to-high 160's range. As a result, I am retaking in January.

I recently took Preptest C2 and scored about a 164 but had a Blind Review score of a 171. I seem to be in this rough range now of remaining in the mid-to-high 160's and having the potential to hit the low-170's but just not quite there yet.

I know the margin for error is significantly smaller when you are trying to reach into the 170's but I am wondering if you have any specific suggestions of what I should focus on doing differently if I really want to see breakthrough?

I believe I am capable but I do need some guidance. I do not think churning out PT after PT is the answer here.

Thank you very much.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Oychoi,

It sounds like you have a strong understanding of the concepts, you just have to apply them. Easier said than done, I know. In the heat of a timed test, it can be really hard to go through the process every time. But honestly, that's usually the difference between the timed test and the blind review. So, focus on process in your tests, and your reviews. Particularly on reviews, pay attention to what your process was originally, v what it was on review. Which steps did you skip under timed pressure? That's the targeted way for you to see inside your mind, and to see what you really shouldn't skip. The last bit of improvement is often process based and not concept based.

The other process thing that's worth playing with is flexibility in how you go through the questions. If you aren't already, you should move through the questions in LR willing to skip over questions that are difficult. Spending 4 minutes on a question that you might get wrong anyway due to difficulty just isn't worth it. Get as far as you can, guess, flag, and move on. Come back at the end when it won't take time from questions you can answer correctly.

You are right that just doing PT after PT without making changes won't likely lead to the change you want to see. So make that change. Adjust your process. Pay attention to what questions you miss, and adjust your diagramming/process the next time so that you won't miss those. I'll give you an example. In RC, when timed, I noticed that I had a tendency to miss questions that relied on the viewpoint of someone other than the author. Once I noticed that pattern, it was easy to fix---I did a better job of tracking that particular information, and it became easier to see it when I needed it.

Stick with it. Celebrate improvement.

Hope that helps!