Score Dip before test?

[ceaton94]

The June LSAT is right around the corner and I'm getting a little nervous. I have a relatively low GPA but have always been a strong test taker (800 on my SAT verbal), and so I'm really hoping to get at least a 170 on my test. The weeks before this one I got a 174,177, and a 175 on practice tests. But this past week I've gotten a 167 and a 168. Anyone else have this problem? Any tips on what I can do to maintain the high scores that I have been getting? I know that a 168 or a 167 is a fantastic score, but my GPA is only a 3.07 and I know that actual test scores end up lower than practice test scores. I really want to get into UCLA which would be a pipe dream if I came in below 170. Any help or explanations would be very much appreciated!

PS - I don't know if it could actually cause a decrease in score, but between the 175 and the 167 I lost the watch I have been using to time myself the entire year of studying and had to switch to my phone timer. I'm hoping it's the change that threw me off because I'm getting a replacement today! Could something like this actually cause a score decrease?

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi ceaton94,

First off, congrats on hitting such high scores so consistently! And seriously - don't worry about the outliers this week. Here's the thing with scores above 165: at that level, even 2-3 questions can make the difference between a 169 and a 172, or between 172 and 175. So, we do expect some variance in your scaled scores. The smallest deviations from your usual habits, such as losing a watch, can absolutely cause a minor loss of attention, increased nervousness, etc. That, in turn, can translate into a few more missed questions.

From now until Monday, you need to make sure there are no surprises come test day. Make sure you know exactly where you're going, what you need to bring with you, etc. Check out these additional resources:

Free seminars on Test Mentality (which cover issues such as test-day anxiety): http://player.vimeo.com/video/94263795.

Recent blog post on how to spend the last week before your test: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/june-20 ... ays-to-180

If all of this sounds common sense, you're right - it absolutely is. But you'd be surprised how many people underestimate its importance, usually to their detriment. So, don't change anything about your daily routine, and get enough sleep the night before. Maybe bring a backup watch with you

Good luck!

[Nikki Siclunov]

PS. Another blog post you might find interesting:

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid/309 ... st-Go-Down

[ceaton94]

Thank you!!! All of that information and those resources are really helpful! I wasn't even thinking about how the differences could have been caused by so few questions missed but that completely makes sense! I'll go out and super glue that watch to my wrist. (not really)