Low outlier score - concerned?

[jschruhl]

I've been consistently PTing in the high 160s/low 170s for the past month or so. I recently got a score quite a few points lower than I am hoping for. I am slightly concerned as I feel like I should be able to consistently reach my target score by now and that is the lowest score I've gotten in about 1.5 months. I am taking the test in 3.5 weeks (October admission). Any words of advice? I definitely don't want to push the test back, but obviously this was a big let-down.

Thanks so much!

[moshei24]

If that happened to me I would immediately think about WHY it happened.

-Was I not feeling well that day?
-Was my focus off?
-Did something rattle me during the test?
-Were there too many distractions around me?
-Was something else on my mind?
-Did I get into a fight with someone I care about close to the test?
-Did I eat properly?
-Did I get enough sleep?

Do you see what I'm getting at?

One bad test is almost always an outlier. It happens. Just regroup and focus on what rattled you. Fix that. It's a good thing that it happened now. Better than happening on test day, right? You could fix it now.

Good luck on your test! I'm also taking it in October!

[Adam Tyson]

I'll add that, while you shouldn't worry too much about it, you should analyze that test to see where your performance varied from the norm. Was there a particularly tricky game that you had trouble diagramming? An RC passage that was harder than most for you? Did you see a pattern of LR questions of a certain type on which your performance dipped?

Understanding exactly where the problem was will help you to overcome any concerns and deal with it head on. It may just be an outlier, or it may help you to diagnose an issue on which you could use some additional practice.

I would also recommend taking another practice test soon, simulating the testing conditions as much as possible. Take it in the morning around the same time the real test will be administered, after having had a good night's sleep and a decent breakfast, using the analog timing device that you plan to use, #2 pencils, manual sharpener, and nothing around you that isn't allowed into the testing room. If you can get in some exercise that morning, do so - but don't overdo it and hurt yourself. Get back on the horse and see how the next ride goes before giving any more thought to pushing your test date back, especially since you've been doing so consistently well for so long.

Adam M. Tyson
PowerScore LSAT Instructor