Question about Prep-test score/and other things

[dneuman]

Hi. Basically, I just need a little reassurance/help with a few questions. First, I've taken my fourth prep-test and got a 150 (I got a 140 on my cold test about two months ago). This is still very far off from my goal of around 165, and need maybe some guidelines, or help with what I need to do to really kick this last month of prep into full gear. (is it even common to jump 15 points in a month?) In the Powerscore course we are at lesson 11 (although I'm still now finishing lesson 10 homework).

Secondly, I have been taking my prep tests with a pen and Iphone timer. Since it's an online powerscore course, I haven't simulated yet a real test environment. I am planning on switching to a pencil, and trying out the powerscore "virtual" proctor, but what about a time device? Should I use any old watch, or will they let in stopwatches?

Finally, my logic game capability is horrendous, and I feel like if I can nail that more I can bring up the score quite a bit. I missed a lot of the previous homework for LG, is going back to those adequate enough to really master LG or should I try something more focused/intense?

Thanks! (and sorry for the long post)

Daniel

[jeff.wren]

Hi Daniel,

First, congratulations on your score improvement! A ten point increase is really substantial. As to how many points you can expect to improve in the next month, it is very difficult to predict and depends on many factors, perhaps most importantly how much time you have to study this month.

I'd recommend that you continue studying at whatever pace you are comfortable with and see where you are scoring the week leading up to the Oct. LSAT. If you are not scoring where you'd like to be at that time, you can withdraw from taking the Oct. LSAT and reschedule for a later date.

Some students put undue stress on themselves by believing that they must achieve a certain score by a certain date. While it is certainly helpful to have goals, those goals may need some flexibility as far as timeframe. In general, most students underestimate the time that they will need to study for the LSAT.

On the other hand, some students make the mistake of postponing their LSAT test date too early and then slack off on their studying because they feel like they have plenty of time.

Now, if you really need to make a decision on which LSAT you plan to take (for example, if you are planning to take some vacation time off of work and have to let your boss know ahead of time), I would play it safe and shoot for December or February. Improving your score another 15 points is no small feat, and each point becomes harder to get the higher you score.

I hope this helps.

Best,
Jeff