December LSAT Curves

[mattm]

I looked on the LSAT conversion charts and looked at the tests beginning in 2006 and noticed a pattern that the December LSAT's have overall had a more generous curve than June/Sept.....what are some factors or possible reasons behind that?

Is it because since the scores are curved/equated some top scorers are satisfied with their June/Sept exam and do not take it in December...or are the December LSAT's slightly more difficult so therefore a more generous curve, ? I found it kind of odd that it seems to be a recent pattern rather than an abnormality that Dec LSATS had a more generous curve

And as a random aside question how does one know when they have reached their "peak" and cannot improve anymore.....I started at a 145 in February ( first diagnostic and only got 5 right on LG which killed my score), to a 168 as my personal best....my last PT was a 160 and had a very weak RC but overall was pleased since Its clear thats my weak point ( I missed as many questions on RC as the other three combined )...but I know not everyone even if they studied diligently could reach a 175 for example so I was wondering when do you feel a student has "maxed out"?.....I plan on taking the exam in December with the intent of seeing how applying for this cycle goes and if necessary sit out a cycle if I feel like I could improve the range of schools I'm accepted to/or increase scholarships

[Nikki Siclunov]

Matt,

Thanks for your question.

First, let me dispel the notion that the LSAT is a true "curved" test. It is not. If the test was curved based on how everyone else did that day, then clearly your score would depend - at least in part - on the particular administration you chose to take the test. If it turns out, for instance, that the average December test-taker has a lower ability than the average June test-taker, then taking the test in December would put you at a comparative advantage, as you'd be compared against a weaker pool of test-takers. The folks over at the LSAC are smart enough to figure this out. Their answer? Test-equating. "The equating process assures that a particular LSAT scaled score reflects the same level of ability regardless of the ability level of others who tested on the same day or any slight differences in difficulty between different forms of the test. That is, the equating process assures that LSAT scores are comparable, regardless of the administration at which they are earned." http://www.lsac.org

To put it bluntly: you can't "game the system," because the conversion scale for each administration is set ahead of time. Test-makers pre-test each question in order to determine its difficulty, logical validity, possible inconsistencies and misleading information, etc. Then, each fully assembled test section is administered on one or more separate occasions (the so-called "experimental sections") for the purpose of pre-equating. As a result, test-makers know precisely the overall level of difficulty of the exam they are about to administer, and set the conversion chart accordingly. When the test is given at a regular LSAT administration, but before final scoring is completed, statistical analysis is conducted one last time to ensure there are no "problem" questions that need to be removed from scoring.

So, what you're noticing about the December administrations is purely coincidental and of no predictive validity.

Regarding your second question about "when you've reached your peak"... well, when no additional effort or time spent practicing seems to improve your general performance and your score plateaus, you may have reached your peak. It is possible to "break out" of your plateau, of course, but this often requires a fundamental change in strategy or approach. Check out these blog posts that might be relevant to your question:

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid/316 ... -Attention

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid/243 ... Your-Score

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/get-a-g ... -lsat-prep

Hope this helps! Good luck