Test Day score decline from Practice Tests

[mattm]

Hello,

I have often heard from many of my friends that test day LSAT scores are often lower than practice exam scores.....What are some potential reasons as to why test day scores are lower and how to avoid those factors?

Unfortunately the same thing happened to me as a first time test taker in June.....I received a 154 which was about 5-6 points off from what I wanted.....I showed a constant increase in my Prep Test scores but my June exam score did not reflect the prep well....to put it in perspective my second practice exam score in March after one month of prep was a 153....i feel like I certainly improved more than just one point between March and June....I was apron. in the high 150's to 160-161 range at the end of my prep as while I was taking timed 35 sections out of prep tests I was missing about 7-8 per section.

Thanks!

[BethRibet]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the great question. Obviously I don't know your specific circumstances, but the three things which seem to commonly drop test-day performance are:

1) Overpreparation: some students burn themselves out in the weeks before the test by spending many hours relentlessly taking practice tests. You ideally want to preserve some mental energy for test day. Overpreparation can also increase the likelihood that some of the test questions will "psyche you out" or cause you to second-guess yourself more. Staying fresh with the material is fine, but keep it medium to light, rather than heavy, especially in the 3-4 days before the test.

2) Fatigue: getting plenty of sleep in the week before the test is crucial, because sleep deprivation can slow and disrupt cognition. Avoid anything else that tends to impair cognition as well (e.g. more than minimal alcohol consumption kills brain cells!). You ideally want to rest and engage in stress-relieving, healthy activities. Eat a healthy breakfast with protein before the test, as it will help your body remain stable and enduring as you get through the test.

3) General test anxiety: if you tend to underperform under testing conditions, it's important to work on releasing stress, and figuring out what will help you have a healthy attitude on test day. A little adrenalin is fine, and will help you focus most likely, but staying in a state of even mild agitation for 3-4 hours is likely to cause you to underperform, as the stress is distracting, makes you more tired, and may cause you to doubt correct instincts. Whatever techniques you have to get yourself into a calm, focused state, this is the time to break them out. Breathe deeply, remind yourself that while you can handle this test, you don't need to be freaking out about it -- it's just a test! It matters, but it's good to remember it's not the whole world. Law school still lies ahead!

Good luck,

Beth