153, 152, 152, 152 - What am I doing wrong?

[isoifer]

Hello, I have taken four practice tests thus far, and despite studying every day for almost 4 months, I'm stuck on the plateau of 150's. When I practice I can feel that I am understanding concepts better and am getting more and more in the LSAT mindset. I even feel less anxiety when I jump in to practice a test. Yet again, my score remains the same. I review after each test to see where I missed, I usually understand where I messed up, and yet still...150's. Any advice on how I might get out of this plateau and start to get closer to my goal, which would be at least 160, if not better? I'm getting a bit fed up with what feels like constant failure.

[Adam Tyson]

My first bit of advice, isoifer, is to take a day or two off. If you've been studying that much and that long, you may well be suffering from some degree of burnout. Time away from the LSAT can give you an opportunity to come back later feeling refreshed and with a different perspective. Take a whole day off and get some exercise, some fresh air, and some fun. Don't even think about the test. If that idea makes you feel stressed, then it's all the more proof that you need a break!

Next, try something different. Plateaus can be caused by mental blocks and by doing the same thing over and over the same way, so shake things up. Go somewhere new to take a practice test, maybe somewhere with a lot of distractions that will force you to tune everything out and focus more actively. Do the questions in reverse order, or just do the odd numbers and then go back to do the even numbers. None of this has to do with a strategy that you will actually use on test day, but these are things you can do to stimulate your brain in ways that it is not being stimulated now. Think of it like being a right-handed athlete who tries batting lefty or dribbling the ball up and down the court with just the left hand. These choices force you to think differently about everything you are doing, including your stance, the way you move, even the way you breathe. Odd changes in the way you study and practice can have a similar effect, getting you out of the same old patterns and forcing you to think about your process differently.

Finally, understand that plateaus happen, and they are not the end of the world. This does not mean that you have maxed out and are not capable of doing any better, so if that's what you are worried about, stop! Check out this article from our blog for more about plateaus: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/how-to ... lsat-study

Good luck breaking out of your rut! You can do it!