Questions About PRep

[Kdup]

Hi Power Score,

So, I recently purchased a in-perosn class for the Dec. 2 LSAT. I'm excited and I am currently doing the 2-month powerscore bibles study plan before I start the course in October. Do you think this is a good way to start prepping before I take the actual in person course in October. Besides sticking to the schedule outlined in the plan, how many tests should I take between now and the start of my class? Which tests should I take to avoid repeating the same tests that will be given in the course. My cold diagnostic score without doing anything or knowing about the time constraints of the LSAT was a 137. I am aiming for a 165 or higher on the LSAT. Is that 27 point increase possible with the time constraints that I have?

[Adam Tyson]

Hey there Kdup, thanks for the question, and we're excited to have you joining us for your upcoming class. Your pre-class prep plan sounds great, and should give you a real boost once the class begins. While many of our students come into our classes with little to no prep and do just fine, it can only help for you to build a good foundation now.

Some folks preach that LSAT prep requires taking dozens of practice tests, and if they are done correctly, including a useful review afterwards, that can definitely help a lot. However, just banging out one test after another with no deep analysis is typically not helpful, and may even be counterproductive if it leads to increased frustrating and burnout. Pace yourself, taking a few tests spread out over time, and look into our blog for help on how to do a useful review after each one.

The tests you'll be doing in our course will be from June 2010, October 2011, October 2012, and June 2015, and you'll also be doing a chunk of December 2006, so don't burn those tests before the class begins. Try to use mainly recent tests, 2007 and later, for your timed practice tests, and older tests for more untimed practice.

Your score increase goal is aggressive, but not unreasonable. I've certainly seen growth like that in my classes! It's going to take a lot of work, though, so it's good you're getting started on it now. Focus on short term goals for now, like a 5-point increase and a better grasp of key concepts like conditional and causal reasoning. Don't bite off more than you can chew!

Looking forward to hearing updates as your studies progress. Good luck, and enjoy your class!

[Kdup]

Thanks Adam! This was really helpful. You're right about focusing on short term goals... I think that ould help me make the improvements i really want to see.