I need an honest opinion please!!

[avengingangel]

I need an honest opinion(s) on the likelihood of me getting a decent score on September 24 LSAT test. I just took my *first* timed practice test (besides my diagnostic test) since I began studying in May, and the results are below. I moved through the questions as quickly as I could, but I chose to only answer the questions I had time to read (which obviously would not be my actual test-day strategy). I began my studying at the end of May, and am using PS's 4-month Study Guide, to provide context.

Prep Test 55, October 2008

Logical Reasoning I
Answered 11 of 25 questions, getting 64% of answered questions correct

Reading Comp
Answered 13 of 27 questions, getting 93% of answered questions correct (I missed 1 question)

Logical Reasoning II
Answered 16 of 25 questions, getting 82% of answered questions correct (I was happy I improved my LR time by 5 questions at least...! )

Logic Games
Answered 9 of 21 questions, getting 67% of answered questions correct
(Here, I'll say I only got through the first game, and got stumped on the second, and by this time was pretty pissed with how the whole test was goin, and kind of gave up...)

I just want to check-in, & ask if I'm on-track, or if I'm way behind where I should be. For what it's worth: my mindset is that it's totally doable & that I'm totally capable, but I want to make sure I'm not living in a dream world. I do feel good about my pace of learning the test concepts, but clearly my biggest challenge is the time it takes me to complete questions. But, as with most things, I feel that the more I learn/practice, the faster I will become. I really actually enjoy learning the LSAT (esp the way PS Bible's explain it!) and have full commitment to studying (even while working full-time). But it would be great to get someone else's perspective given that the test is in a little over 2 months (omg!!). I welcome any and all responses. Thanks.

**I will note that I have not gotten thru all of the Bible's yet (including the Section Strategy & Management chapters of each bible!!), so there still many concepts I have yet to learn. Below is what I have completed up to in each Bible:
Reading Comp Bible - Chp 4
Logic Games Bible - Chp 7
Logical Reas Bible - Chp 10

[Adam Tyson]

I think the answer depends on what you consider to be a decent score! I think for most students it's too soon to decide whether to reschedule to December. Focus for now on improving your approach to each section, to each question type and game type. While you are at it, a few things in your post jumped out at me, and I will address them in order:

1. "I moved through the questions as quickly as I could" - my first thought is "stop that!" Maybe I am misunderstanding, but that sounds to me like you are rushing. There is never any good that comes from rushing on this test. Move at a pace that allows you to answer questions with confidence and accuracy, working on understanding what the conclusion of the argument is, understanding what the stem is asking you to do, prephrasing your answer, sorting into losers and contenders, and then picking the best choice from among the contenders. If you get stuck on a question because you don't understand it, guess and move on - your time is better spent elsewhere. Just don't ever make speed a goal - your goal is accuracy, not speed, and as your accuracy improves and you get more confident in your approaches, you will get faster automatically. Speed is a byproduct of confidence and accuracy, and is never, ever a goal in and of itself.

2. "I chose to only answer the questions I had time to read (which obviously would not be my actual test-day strategy)" - when you take a practice test, you should attempt to do everything exactly the way you intend to do it on test day. Why practice a method you have no intention of using? What are you hoping to gain from doing so? See above about your strategy - read the stimulus, and if you don't understand it, guess and move on, because that IS a strategy you should be prepared to employ on the real test. If you are saying that you did not guess on the remaining questions when time was almost out, then I would suggest that you should start doing so if only to build that habit. You have to account for the time it takes to do so, after all, and it's good to know whether your guessing strategy is paying off or not. Feel free to disregard those questions for the purposes of determining your strengths and weaknesses by question type, but at least practice bubbling in an answer on everything.

3. "I'll say I only got through the first game, and got stumped on the second, and by this time was pretty pissed with how the whole test was goin, and kind of gave up." - I understand how you felt! The test can be very frustrating at times, but again, you need to practice doing everything the way you intend to do it on test day. Stay positive! Do not let frustration with one question affect your work on the next question, or frustration with one game or passage carry over to the next game or passage. Instead, look at each new question game, or passage as a new opportunity to get some more correct answers and improve your score. If you get stumped on the second game, fill in the bubbles and try your hand at game 3. If you don't have enough time to tackle a game, at least see if there is a list question that you can answer using the rule-by-rule method with no diagram - easy points! Try doing the games out of order - look through them quickly to see if any impress you as being up your alley or otherwise easy and straightforward. Play to your strengths, and don't let the test dictate your reactions and choices.

Keep working through the books, improving your grasp of concepts and strategies. Practice untimed for much of your work - save the timer for practice tests. Don't worry about speed, but about accuracy and confidence. As your comfort level and familiarity with the material improves, so will your performance.

I agree with you - it's doable. You are not living in a dream world. Just be sure to set reasonable goals for yourself, work towards them steadily, check your progress periodically and, if needed, adjust your expectations accordingly.

Tell us more in a few weeks, after you've gotten some more concepts under your belt. Looking forward to good news!