Did not take a diagnostic--am I screwed?

[kenzie]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the LSAT and started studying at the end of May for the September test. I decided to jump right into the PowerScore Bibles in order to understand what the test was about, and I've now finished the LG Bible and am almost done LR (a little behind because I'm doing an internship abroad this summer). I didn't realize a diagnostic test was such an important thing, and as I was starting to study, a friend who scored in the upper 170's told me that I shouldn't do a diagnostic before doing the LG book. What are the impacts of not doing a diagnostic? Will I have less grasp on what I need to improve...?

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Kenzie,

The good news here is that you will be fine A diagnostic is great for two things:

• 1. It shows you where you are when you start, which helps focus your preparation.
  2. It provides a market to show how far you've come, which can be a big psychological boost.

However, the nice thing is that any timed practice test will provide a snapshot of where you are, and thus help you shape your preparation. That's really the more important of the two functions there, and so not having that initial score isn't going to hinder you.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!