Retaking the Test for the 3rd Time

[legally98]

Hi Powerscore!

I'm an international test taker who has now taken the LSAT twice. The first time, I ended up taking my test at 3 am my time due to a scheduling mishap and scored a 155. I was half asleep while taking it so I decided to take the test again this January 2024. I had a much better testing experience this time but was completely disheartened to only have a one point increase to 156.

To be perfectly frank, I did not ever time myself through a full prep test even when prepping this second time around. I timed myself through select sections but did not sit the whole 2 hours and 45 minutes. I wonder if this could be the root cause. I admittedly only ever truly prepped in the last 3 weeks leading up to the test.

Overall, I'm quite demotivated. I've self studied the entire test and feel a little at sea. My target score was quite quixotic; I've always wanted a 175+, ideally a 180 but I really am questioning my capabilities at this point. I know retaking is a deeply personal decision and there may not be a right answer to this but I would really appreciate any input on whether retaking it the third time is a worthwhile endeavour. Has anyone personally seen a test taker increase their points dramatically from a 156 score to a 175+? If so, are there any steps I can take to change my method and improve my result if I choose to embark on a third try? I am extremely humbled by my latest result and I'm genuinely questioning my intelligence and feel like I'm at an impasse. Please help; thank you!

[Robert Carroll]

legally98,

Your second paragraph answers your own questions! You never took a fully timed PT and only studied 3 weeks! The action steps are apparent to me - make a real study plan that gives you time to work gradually at improving on the test and practicing both to assess where you're at and to get used to the endurance match that a full test is. Cramming doesn't work for LSAT study.

I've personally had students that moved up from 159 to 172 and 160 to 173, respectively, so I know personally that some increases close to the ranges you're talking about are possible. Other PowerScore instructors could give you even more stories. Here's the thing about the two students I'm thinking of - they studied for three solid months, did a ton of homework, and did a number of PTs in their studying. You've got to do that as well. And you can't expect the first PT, or even the second, to reflect the score you ultimately want. And you can't let that be discouraging. Improving will be a process. You may see PT scores that move up and down as you study, and what you're seeking is not monotonic improvement but an overall trend line that is moving in the upward direction. So if your first PT is a 156 and the second is a 155, that doesn't necessarily mean that anything is going wrong. You have to make some mistakes along the way to know what areas you need to work on, and then you need to work on those to improve.

Make a plan and stick to it! And shoot for the long term.

Robert Carroll