Going in the right direction?

[FOBsoFLY]

Hello PowerScore team,

I am feeling very concerned that my prep is not going as planned, and that I will not improve enough by the Oct test date in order to achieve the LSAT score I need/know I am capable of.

Here is a bit of background: I am currently enrolled in one of the full-length online LSAT prep courses, and we just covered Lesson 6 in the PowerScore materials. I have taken three practice tests, with my baseline score being a dismal 136, and my two subsequent scores both being a 143. I am spending about 5 to 6 hours a day on the course material, going through the drills and homework for each lesson and have watched most of the supplemental modules that correspondent with each lesson as well. My question is, what can I be doing more of/better in order to raise my practice test scores? I plan on applying to several UC-system law schools and the median LSAT for most is between 158-170. Is it realistic for me to score that high on test day, or should I be looking at other schools/push my test date back? Any advice or guidance given would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Emily Haney-Caron]

Hello!

It is normal to feel worried towards the midpoint of the course. Many students find that, as they are learning the PowerScore methods, they start to get a bit slower at answering questions (because it takes a while to really get comfortable with the approaches that will ultimately improve your performance and score), and aren't performing where they'd like to be. It is great that you are doing the drills, homework, and supplemental modules; that's all very important. You may find that now is a good time to start also targeting your approach. Which kinds of questions are most difficult for you? Which sections? Work on perfecting your approach for those that are very challenging.

A 15 point jump in less than a month is not impossible, but is also very rare; that's a HUGE improvement in not much time. I don't know whether to recommend pushing back your test date, but I think you should consider how much you are likely to improve given your improvement so far combined with your intensive study approach.

It sounds like you are doing all the right things, so keep it up, and keep working to master the material each week.

[FOBsoFLY]

Hello Emily,

Thank you for the great advice and words of wisdom! My anxiety level has leveled off a bit now. I have identified those areas that are causing me the most trouble, and will start tailoring my study plan to focus more on those as opposed to areas I feel more confident in. Thanks again and wish me luck

Jessica