- Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:48 am
#1564
Although the latest tests (post-2007) will be the most predictive of your score in October, I wouldn't say they are necessarily more difficult than the older tests. This is a highly standardized exam. For the last 13 years the LSAT has remained fairly constant. That is, the practice tests you take are no different in content than the officially administered LSAT that you are preparing for. The format does not change, the question types do not change, and the timing does not change. The only difference is that one test “counts” while the other does not. Granted, there may be a few more Flaw in the Reasoning questions today than 10 years ago; fewer Formal Logic questions; slightly more complex RC passages, and obviously a new type of Comparative Reading (dual) passage. Other than that, it's the same thing year after year.
In terms of taking practice tests, make sure you always take 5-section tests, with an experimental section added to one of the first three sections of your practice test. You can download supplemental sections from the Student Center, or break down an older exam into 4 individual sections and add one section at a time to 4 practice tests.
Remember - everyone is slightly nervous when taking a practice test. But the best way to avoid panicking is to recognize that positive attitude and confidence are remarkable predictors of success on the exam. Attached below are a few tips from the section titled, "Expectation is Reality: The Mentality of a 170-level Test-taker" published on the Student Center:
To help understand how confident test takers think and act, here is a comprehensive list of remarks that test-takers scoring in the 170s would never say (and the more empowering mindset with which they typically arm themselves). Be on guard against these negative thoughts, as they are frequently predictive of a less-than-optimal LSAT performance, and use this list to recast your approach to the test:
1. “I just wish this exam was over with.”
While on the surface this does not seem like a terribly crippling mentality, a more appropriate attitude would be expressed as, “I’m ready for this test, and I wish that I could take it tomorrow.” The key difference is that the latter statement lacks the impending sense of doom that is so pervasive in the first. A great test-taker sees the LSAT as a chance to excel, and, because they are eager for the opportunity to showcase their abilities, they do not approach this exam as a burden or an inconvenience. The LSAT is, for most people, the last major, unfixed variable in the admissions process (your GPA is permanent, your work experience is in the past, and your extracurricular activities cannot be altered). This exam should be regarded as a final opportunity to enhance your law school applications, not as a potential blemish inciting fear and anguish.
2. “I’ll never be able to score this highly again.”
For the last 13 years the LSAT has remained fairly constant. That is, the practice tests that you take during the course (or on your own if you are strict with the timing) are no different in content than the officially administered LSAT that you are preparing for. The format does not change, the question types do not change, and the timing does not change. The only difference is that one test “counts” while the others do not. This added pressure is certainly a factor, but to doubt your ability to score comparably on two tests of the same material is illogical and ultimately detrimental to your performance. A 170 test-taker knows that attempting successive LSATs does not increase the odds of failure, but rather increases their knowledge base and their experience, ultimately resulting in improved performance.
3. “This is my one and only shot at the LSAT.”
This is simply not true. First, if you are concerned about your performance, you have 5 business days after the test to cancel your score (you will never find out what you scored, but then neither will law schools). You are allowed to take the LSAT up to three times in any two-year period, so, unless this is your third test within that time frame, you always have the option of repeating the LSAT in a few months. It is far, far better to cancel your score from a disappointing LSAT performance than to have a low score on your application that is not wholly indicative of your potential.
Second, there are several tests within any given year, each of which is accepted by law schools for admission the following year (fall of the next calendar year). The only real concern is that of rolling admissions (a separate text would be needed to adequately address this subject), and a score increase of three points or more negates any advantage gained by submitting your application early. In other words, if neglecting to take the October exam in favor of the December test will likely result in anything more than a 1-2 point score increase, you should feel entirely justified in your decision to wait, regardless of the two-month delay in law schools receiving your application. The improved score more than makes up for your slightly adjusted position in the admissions committee’s chronological ordering of applicants.
4. “If I don’t do well this time, I can just take it again later.”
While this seems to be in direct contradiction to #3 above, students need to realize that (excepting unique and rare circumstances where there is a wide margin of score differentiation), law school admissions committees will average your multiple LSAT scores. Thus, this is not a test that you should plan on taking more than once. I know that this seems counterproductive in relaxing an apprehensive student, but the damage done by a flippant, cavalier approach to this test is irreparable. Outstanding LSAT performances are the result of giving this test the respect that it deserves and treating your first time as your only time.
To be fair, if you do find yourself in the position of debating whether to keep your score, remember that it is always better to cancel your score than to have a score that you feel is not indicative of your true potential, both on the LSAT and as a law student. Retaking this exam with a relatively blank slate (a cancelled score) is infinitely more desirable than retaking it with a low score on your record waiting to compromise your future efforts as the scores are averaged.
5. “I hate this exam and the people who make it.”
The other common iteration is, “the test makers are evil.” The truth is, several hundred thousand dollars are spent designing each LSAT, and it is one of the best-constructed standardized tests in existence. The test makers themselves are a highly intelligent (and slightly insane!) group of psychometric professionals whose goal is not to thwart your law school dreams, but rather to provide as accurate a measure of future law school success as possible. An accomplished test taker views this exam as a challenging puzzle to be solved, not an impossible task designed to torture them. Find a way to make the LSAT (and the requisite preparations) stimulating and enjoyable and I guarantee that you will see an improvement in both your outlook and your score.
6. “I will never be able to figure out Logic Games.”
If this statement sounds familiar, take comfort—you are not alone. I am confident that if students could vote to remove a section from the LSAT the vast majority would immediately eliminate Analytical Reasoning. This general frustration does not stem from the unequivocal difficulty of the Logic Games (people who “get” Games repeatedly clamor for more), nor is this discontent the product of some unpredictable element (if predictability was the issue, Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension would surely come under fire more often). Rather, the seemingly universal apprehension regarding Analytical Reasoning is likely the result of test takers’ fear of the unknown.
Few people have ever attempted anything resembling a Logic Game, whereas argumentation and comprehensive reading are familiar to everyone taking the LSAT (test takers’ increased comfort with Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension further substantiate this notion). As in life, when people are faced with an unfamiliar, daunting challenge, two groups become immediately apparent: those who welcome the challenge, tackling it head on; and those who shy away from the unknown, hampered by self-doubt. Not surprisingly, these same two elements are apparent on the LSAT and their respective performances mirror that varying attitude.
Appreciate the Logic Games section for the advantages that it conveys to test takers, rather than disparaging it for presenting a unique challenge. No other section of the LSAT allows for one definitively correct answer to every question and four that can be proven to be wrong. In other words, the subjective element that exists in the other sections is unrelated to success in Analytical Reasoning. There is no “best” answer choice – only the singular, correct answer choice that satisfies the conditions presented in each question. If answer choice “B” can be shown to meet those conditions, you can be confident choosing that answer and moving forward. The same theory applies to answer choice elimination – you should feel entirely justified selecting an answer choice simply by proving the other four wrong. The advantage here is two-fold: you can save a tremendous amount of time by selecting answers without having to consider all five as possibilities, and you can proceed from question to question with the confidence that comes only through proving answers to be categorically correct.
Great test takers embrace the objectivity of Logic Games and take comfort in the respite, however brief, from having to compare the relative “correctness” of answer choices. Adjust your own mentality accordingly and you will be amazed at the immediate improvement in your performance.
7. “I would be happy with a 160 (or any score below a 180).”
Another variation of this sentiment is “I would gladly take that score on the LSAT,” usually in reference to a practice test that was recently completed. The question I often ask test-takers when I hear this is, “Why be satisfied with anything less than perfection?” I realize that the vast majority of students are unlikely to score a 180 without dedicating an extensive and, in all likelihood, excessive amount of time to preparing for the LSAT. However, a great test-taker is never satisfied until they have reached their potential, whether that is a 158 or a 178. Do not settle on a particular score because you feel like you could never score higher (believe me, this is rarely ever the case, at least until you reach a 180), and, more importantly, do not give up the hope that improving your performance is possible—it almost always is.
There is a further point of clarification that should be made here, as well. If you find yourself in a position where you have consistently scored at a level that exceeds the requirements of the law schools you hope to attend, a certain requisite level of confidence should accompany that achievement. For instance, if your goal is to attend a law school where your acceptance is all but guaranteed by a 155 and you repeatedly score in the mid-160s on practice tests, rest assured that there is nothing, I repeat, nothing, that should stop you from achieving your goal (see #2). Allow yourself to embrace this confidence-inspiring fact, and your performance will consistently reflect that improved mindset.
Remember, your approach the test often determines your success. Expectations frequently become reality, and if you believe you will do well, your chances for success increase dramatically. The power of positive thinking must be a regular part of your preparation, and although you will likely stumble a few times while preparing, never forget that you have the ability to conquer this test. You just have to believe in yourself.
Nikki Siclunov
PowerScore Test Preparation
