Is taking a diagnostic test necessary?

[userdeb24]

Hello,

I just recently started training for the LSAT and I am wondering wether it would be necessary or useful to take a diagnostic test prior to any form of preparation?

Wouldn't the fact of taking a diagnostic test without any form of preparation provide unreliable results or misrepresent the actual abilities of the student?

According the Logical Reasoning Bible, it is necessary to take a DT.

What are your views regarding this matter?

Thank you for your answers.

[Claire Horan]

Hi,

Thanks for your question. I think the answer is very much up to you. Taking a test up front can make you aware of which areas are your strengths and which areas you will need to work on most. It can also help you realize how much you are improving, which will help further motivate your studying. On the other hand, taking a test before studying could be discouraging if you are not very familiar with the types of questions on the LSAT.

I personally think it would be okay to wait a while because it sounds like you'd rather wait, and you could build up to it by doing full timed sections. That said, if your test date is coming up anytime soon, I strongly recommend doing some full-length practice tests because it takes a lot of stamina to do a full test at once.

Good luck in your studies!

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi userdeb24,

Let me add my 2c to Claire's excellent response above.

While some students may find it demoralizing to get a really low score, it's important to keep in mind that your diagnostic score has no predictive validity. However, it does establish a useful baseline against which to measure your progress, which is why I strongly encourage my students to take a timed, diagnostic test before they commence their studies. Such a test will acquaint you with the types of questions presented on the exam, you will get a sense of the endurance and focus required to complete it, and begin figuring out where your strengths and weaknesses lie. The benefits of taking that test vastly outweigh the costs, IMO, which is why all of our Self-Study Guides and Full-Length LSAT courses begin with a diagnostic test.

Good luck!

[userdeb24]

Hello again,

Can I already do full timed LR sections even if I haven't gone through the entire LRB yet?
I am currently at chapter 7 and even though I plan on studying for at least 6 months, I would like to avoid wasting some valuable time by making silly mistakes during my preparation...

Thank you for your answers.

[Adam Tyson]

You can and should! Plenty of people take the LSAT "cold", with no prep at all, and some of them do just fine. There is nothing preventing you from taking a diagnostic test, and you have everything to gain by doing so - familiarity, increasing comfort with the test, beginning to build stamina, establishing a baseline, giving yourself a good sense of what to expect so you can better appreciate what you are learning and think of it in a realistic context. The next best thing is to do some timed sections to start applying what you have learned so far. This may help you in reinforcing the things you have already studied and identifying areas where you may need to go back and review.

At this point there are no silly mistakes, just mistakes that you can learn from. What are you worried about? There's no grade, no negative consequences from doing some timed practice, but there is plenty to be gained. Do it.