Should I postpone? I should postpone right?

[JazzyMac]

Been studying for this test for years. Or if I'm not studying, I'm staring at the books doing something wrong because as of now I still cannot understand the basic concepts of strengthen/weaken, and necessary assumption. Oh yeah, and flaw. Might as well add in MSS. You know what? I don't understand anything it seems.

Took it twice already before all the "real studying" started.

Needless to say, after a set of Powerscore Bibles (or two, I don't remember), the weekend class, the two month class, plus self-studying, I'm STILL not testing anywhere at a premium level.

My scores are all over the place. Untimed, I can get 157-159, (-2 on games). However, when I go timed, I'm usually scoring in the 140s...lower than I've ever scored...141, 148. I've previously scored timed in the mid-150s, and yet no improvement! When I go back over my answers, I realized my anxiety caused my reading comprehension to go awry, but still...no improvement at all? Decreased improvement? Who does that?

Answer: Me

So take the test and see what happens, postpone, or give up entirely?

I've put some test scores in Powerscore, but then started using 7Sage because (honestly) it's just easier with the app. Sorry, just being honest. I'm at 20 tests untimed and timed, not to include drills, and one off problems here and there. It's like my brain is a brick wall to understanding the concepts, and when the timer is on, it's flight.

[James Finch]

Hi JM,

The short answer is that you'll want to take the test when you feel ready. And by ready, I mean not just feeling prepared and knowledgeable about how to attack the test, but confident and calm enough to focus and use the best process you can to answer the questions. You have to take a hard and honest look at where you're at; it sounds like you've put in a lot of work to learn proper techniques, but are you putting them into practice when it comes to taking the test? If not, why not?

Are you focusing on past questions you didn't feel confident about, or are you focusing on the current question, not letting past or future questions trip you up (or even enter your mind)?

If test anxiety is the thing holding back your scores, do you have a good method to overcome it? Or is it always present?

Has all the work you've put in (with seemingly no payoff) given you an unshakable pessimism in your ability to do well on the LSAT?

Are you applying the techniques you've learned in the Powerscore classes/books? If not, why not?

These are just a sample of the things that could be hindering you, and the first thing you'll need to do to score well whenever you end up taking the test is identify what the problems are. And once you've done that, then you can remedy them, and we're always here to help.

In the end I can't really tell you whether you should postpone taking the test or not. But you should know before you take it where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and how you can bolster your strong areas while minimizing weaknesses, and feel confident in your ability to do so.

I really hope this helps!

[Adam Tyson]

I'll second everything that James said, JM, and add a few points:

1. Right now there is no prohibition against taking the test as many times as you want - that rule changed earlier this year - so in at least that sense there is no harm in taking it in September. You've paid, you won't get your money back, so it can be looked at as a free practice test.

2. You just might hit the lottery and get your best score yet, and it would be nice to get that out of the way, right?

3. Most schools these days care only about your high score, instead of averaging (that changed a long time back now), so for the most part it won't hurt you to get a lower score than what you need for your target school.

4. Then again, after a certain point, having a bunch of low scores on your record doesn't look good. They won't officially average it, but they still might be influenced by it. We like to say that you should take the test when you will do your best on it, and do not take it when you know that you will not do your best. Will postponing it result in you doing better next time, or will you just further exhaust yourself spending two more months studying and practicing?

Try taking a look at these resources for now. Seems like test anxiety is a real factor here, so deal with it however you can:

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid/346 ... e-thinking

Worried about the impact of a delay on your application chances? Check this:

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/struggl ... r-too-late

Seems like you have hit something of a plateau, so perhaps this will give you some insight to help you break through it:

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/how-to- ... -are-stuck

There's no wrong decision here - do what is best for you, and that means for your score and also for your mental, physical, and emotional well being. Whatever you decide, you're right, and we support that decision. Good luck, and hang in there!

[JazzyMac]

I just took another prep test and scored a 137. I'm amazing even myself with these low scores. I've never scored this low--ever. There's zero chance I'm walking in that test room this weekend.

[JazzyMac]

Also, many thanks for taking the time to respond and provide insight. You're both right, and the links helped. My anxiety combined with "holes" in my comprehension is causing huge score fluctuations. When there is no timer, I can analyze it correctly, but under the timer, the words are too jumbled together and it's hard to understand. I literally go, "oh crap, here's a weaken question", and it's usually downhill from there.

I know I can do this, and I will! Thanks again!

I think I lose access after this weekend, so take care!

[Dave Killoran]

I think I lose access after this weekend, so take care!

Hi Jazzy,

You never lose access to the Forum, so we're always here if you have questions