Tips for June tester who isn't scoring where she wants to be

[allgoodthings]

I've been studying for the LSAT since January. I finished all the bibles by mid-march and since then have mainly been focusing on games (timed drilling and sections).

My first PT score after going through the bibles was a 154. RC: 21 right to 26 right (out of 28) LR: 17 right to 22 right (out of 25) LG: 11 right to 20 right (out of 22).

My next test was a 152 with a BR score of 167. LR: 15 right to 20 right (out of 26) LG: 12 right to 23 right (out of 23) RC: 18 right to 20 right (out of 26).

I just took another PT and scored a 155. LR: 20/26. RC: 17/26. LG: 13/23. I haven't blind-reviewed that one yet.

To be honest, I'm feeling pretty down. I'm not seeing much improvement despite continuous hours of studying every day. I didn't expect improvement in LR or RC because I haven't been focusing on those sections, but to see LG stay the same, if not, worsen is disheartening.

My BR score makes me hopeful of my potential -- I certainly couldn't have gotten that 3 years ago when I first studied for the LSAT. But at the same time, being stuck in the 150s and unable to break into the 160s make me feel like a 168-170 is out of reach.

I'm registered for the June test. I know realistically a 168-170 by then is not likely, which is why I'm okay with taking June if I can score in the low 160s or waiting until August if I can't. It's not ideal but I'd rather save my ability to cancel a score for circumstances out of my control on test day or underperforming vs. going in knowing I'm not going to get my ideal score. Seems like a waste of a test to me.

That being said, I don't really know where to productively go from here and am looking for some guidance. I took a 3-day break a week ago because my attitude and headspace were just not in a good place. I have a history of standardized tests not predicting my success, so it's easy to get into the "you're inevitability going to be splitter" mentality.

Was I crazy to expect to be scoring in the 160s with a month of timed practice? Is it possible to get a 160-163 by June? How? Should I focus on just one section for improvement or try to make small gains across sections? Should I go back to untimed practice?

Everyone talks about hitting that point during studying where you just have to push through to get to the other side. I hope that's where I'm at, but days like these make me feel like a 155 is the best I've got in me. I don't want that to be true, but I don't know where to go from here to use my remaining time wisely and close the gap between my timed and BR score.

[Adam Tyson]

It is absolutely possible to hit those 162+ scores by June, allgoodthings, and the 6+ weeks left before that test is a lot of time. But to get there you will need to do a few things, including:

1) Change something in your habits. Look at how you are approaching the test, and find ways to shift that approach. Are you always trying to prephrase answers? Always sorting out answers into losers and contenders without stopping to analyze them until after the sorting is done? Identifying key reasoning types, like causal and conditional, and applying the appropriate strategies?

2) Take care of yourself! Eat healthy, exercise, get sleep, and be kind to yourself (which includes periodic breaks during which you actually do fun things and relaxing things, like naps and massages and bike rides and hangin with friends).

3) Study wrong answers as much as, or more than, right ones. Find out what makes each wrong answer wrong (and don't just settle for that catchall answer "out of scope," but dig a little deeper than that). Learn the ways that the authors are trying to trap you and trick you and confuse you, and you will be less likely to fall into those traps.

I'd also suggest reading articles in our blog, including this one: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/how-to ... sat-study/

You'll get lots of encouragement there that goes well beyond just test strategies, and which can help you adjust your test mentality to a more positive outlook. Be confident in your continued growth and success! You can do this!