Score Increase in a Month

[srcline@noctrl.edu]

Hello,

So I apologize in advance if this post turns out to be quite long.

Firstly, I enrolled in the full length Powerscore courses this past summer and I remember having a diagnostic in the mid 130s. So I have been studied for this LSAT by purchasing both the LR and LG Bibles and along with the courses have helped tremendously. So I would like to say thankyou to Powerscore for that.

Secondly, I started taking timed LSAT practice tests since September, and I just finished my 38th one. my highest score is a 157. But The December 1998 practice test really brought down my score, and now I'm worried. So In total I have been studying for about 8 months and I am taking the June 2016 LSAT. My goal is a 173. Which I know is a big jump, but at this point, I really need some guidance on the steps that I can take to achieve this score. I have been taking 3 times practice tests a week, and in between those days I have spent 4 hours going though primarily the LR and LG sections of the tests. As well as posting on the forum. Achieving this score is the only option for me given my particular circumstances. Reading Comp is by far my strongest, usually I miss about 2-4 questions on this section. Not counting the Dec 1998 test, I usually miss between 6/7 questions on LR and LG is by far my lowest section.

Thirdly, I would be very grateful if someone can give me some guidance with a month left till the exam, on the steps I need to take to improve my score. I'm getting nervous at this point, please help!

Thankyou very much
Sarah

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the questions! I have a few thoughts that I hope will help here

First, congrats on the improvement so far! I'm really impressed by your dedication, and it's great to see that the time and effort you've been putting in has given you some results. I know you aren't done yet, and you aren't at your goal yet, but sometimes there's value in stopping for a second and acknowledging that you've already come a long way!

Second, as far as the December 1998 LSAT, don't let one test get you down! As I've written elsewhere, there are some tests that are better for you than others, and so you will see natural variations in your score. And that particular test features the brutal Snakes and Lizards game, which is one of the hardest games of all time! So, struggling on that one test shouldn't be something you over-emphasize (and, in fact, it can even be helpful to have a bad test result. Read more here: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/the-benefits-of-failure).

Next, I think you should slow down your rate of test taking, and increase the amount of time you are devoting to reviewing those exams. Three tests a week is a lot, and while it's not unreasonable, if you are only putting in about 4 hours reviewing each test, then I don't think that's enough. I can see from the questions that you've posted on the Forum where you struggle, and what I'd like to see is for you to adopt a slightly different manner of taking tests and reviewing questions. Specifically, I'd like to see you use Method II: Delayed Blind Review, as detailed here: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/the-bes ... tice-tests. I feel that will slightly re-focus your efforts on reviewing errors and looking for patterns, and de-emphasize volume in doing questions. Properly reviewing and understanding 300 LSAT questions a week is a tall order for any student or instructor, and I believe you may not be getting full value for the time you are spending doing questions. One additional note: since you are rock solid in RC, I agree with the decision to focus less on reviewing the questions from that section. But it also tells me that if you can dominate RC in that fashion, you should be able to do the same in LR, so it's more a matter of concept and technique understanding in LR.

Your nerves are natural, but don't let one test throw you off. Spend the next few weeks doing fewer questions, but looking more deeply at each, and look over your past misses to see if there are specific patterns to your errors (for example, are Flaw questions the bane of your existence? Then you know you have work to do. Is it a specific type of Flaw that gets you each time? Ok, spend a day studying just that idea. And so on...).

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

[srcline@noctrl.edu]

Hello Dave,

Thankyou very much for your helpful reply. I will absolutely check out your recommended study plan.

Sarah

[srcline@noctrl.edu]

Hello Dave

So since this post I took a two un-timed tests. On the first one I got a 159 and the one that I took yesterday I got a 157. So I am registered for the June 2016 LSAT and since I want to be scoring in the 170s I am not sure how to proceed from this point on. Is is possible to improve my score almost 16 points? Or should I wait till the October LSAT. Logic Games is the section that is completely bringing down my score. I usually struggle with the setup more than anything. I have the course books and the LG bible and I have been going through them pretty in depth, but it is alot of information and I want to make the best use of this last month that I have left.

Thankyou very much for your feedback and guidance.
Sarah

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi Sarah,

Let me jump in and give you my 2c. Is it possible to improve by 16 points in a month? Absolutely. Is it likely? No, unless you know what you need to focus on. Check out the blog post I wrote a few months ago about improving from the low-160's to the low-170's. It's the most difficult score bracket to reach, which is not coincidental.

The good news is - you know what to focus on! The even better news is that the section costing you the most points is Logic Games, undoubtedly the most coachable section on the test. By focusing about 50% of your time on Logic Games, and the rest on taking and reviewing practice tests, you stand a good chance of improving your score on that section and the test overall.

Score improvement is a function of accuracy and efficiency, a motto that is perhaps best exemplified by the LG section. Once you learn how to recognize limited solution set games, improve your ability to make inferences, and develop a more efficient approach to the creation of local setups, both your efficiency and your accuracy will improve. Seeing how games are solved in "real time" is also hugely beneficial, as games are more about the process than the eventual outcome. This is why many students decide to invest in tutoring when they reach your level, especially if they face similar issues to yours. Tutoring, though expensive - is a tremendous value proposition given the potential benefits.

Even if you aren't ready by June, you cannot know this today. You wouldn't know it until a week before the test. Proceed as planned, and postpone until October only if you're absolutely sure that a June test won't give you the score you want. There are significant benefits to taking the test in June, as I discuss here. Don't bail out!

At least, not yet.

[srcline@noctrl.edu]

Hello Nikki

Thank you for your advice, it really put things in perspective, I guess I wont know in a week if I am prepared for the June test.

Thankyou
Sarah