Low scores on Preptests

[shelleyhdz]

Since October, I have taken 9 official Preptests. I have never scored higher than a 145 on any of them and my range is always 140-145. I already took the October LSAT and got a 145. I am taking the LSAT again in December, but I feel as if it is hopeless with less than a month away. I have all three of the Bibles, 10 official preptests, and recently bought the Logic Games Bible workbook. I work about 30 hours a week and go to school full-time, but I study 10-15 hours per week and don't feel stressed, so I don't think it's because I'm getting "burned out". I'm just really confused as to why I haven't been getting any better and am just wondering how many preptests it takes until I finally get out of the 140 range. I know everyone is different, so should I just not take as many preptests and focus on something else?

[BethRibet]

Hi Shelley,

Thanks for writing in.

Generally speaking, there are three elements that contribute to an LSAT score.

The first is analytical aptitude, that is how strong your intellectual abilities are relative to the specific types of skills the LSAT tests. Note that there are plenty of smart people who don't do well on the LSAT. The test is particularly geared towards certain types of -- mostly linear -- reasoning and analytical abilities. Some people are naturally inclined that way, for others it comes less naturally.

The second is about your prior educational training. Even people with natural analytical aptitude may score poorly if they do not have developed literacy (for instance the ability to read closely with an eye for detail), or have not learned the most basic elements involved in analyzing texts. The LSAT and other standardized tests have sometimes been critiqued for constituting a "test of educational privilege", primarily because students who have had inadequate K-12 educational access are likely to be poorly prepared for testing.

The third is preparation, and at this stage, this is the only element you have immediate control over. It's important to understand that preparation will take you so far, basically in helping you maximize the score you're capable given your own intellect and your educational background. It is also possible to remedy educational deficits, though in general, this takes more time (what you might accomplish before the December test date would be limited). All this to say, it's entirely possible (not knowing you) that you're doing just what you need to in preparation for the test, and there's nothing you're getting "wrong", but your potential score is limited by factors that are out of your control.

It's also entirely possible that you may be able to improve your score within a month, if there is something missing from your preparation, and you can identify that soon. If repeatedly taking prep tests is not giving you a boost, then it may not be all you need. Studying the testing strategies in the PowerScore materials in more depth may be helpful if you haven't already, and you may also want to consider working with a tutor, particularly if nothing else seems to yield results. Be sure to study your wrong answers, in order to see if you can identify a pattern to your missed questions. If there are question types that are repeatedly dragging you down, you may be able to improve your testing performance, by concentrating on strategies related to those question types.

Good luck!
Beth