156 Diagnostic--Aiming for 160

[josemnz83]

I took a diagnostic test last night (Test #68). I was really disappointed with my reading comprehension score. Not sure what happened. Here is breakdown:

RC: 15/27
LR: 18/26
LR: 19/25
G: 14/23

I was surprised that I earned a 156 considering how poor my RC was. My target score is 160. About how long should I study for this and which area should I target? I am not in a rush to go to law school but do have a family and cannot dedicate all my free time to studying. I would appreciate any advice.

[Paul Marsh]

Hi Jose - Reading Comprehension can be very tricky! It still gives me fits sometimes.

Since you're already scoring a 156 with no preparation and your target score is a 160, you're in great shape! If you consistently put in some time, there's no reason to think you can't improve those 4 points within a few months. If you don't have time to take a full LSAT Prep Course, I'd recommend getting some good practice books that you can work through on your own time. I highly recommend our own PowerScore Bibles:

https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/publications/

They walk through Logical Reasoning, Logic Games, and Reading Comprehension by outlining helpful tips and walking through practice problems. Even if you don't have a ton of free time, even with putting in something like 5 hours a week towards working through those Bibles I think you'll see your understanding of the different question types on the test really start to improve. As you work through the Bibles (and especially after you finish working through them), take practice LSATs as a way to apply all the methods the Bibles are discussing. If you ever have any specific questions, feel free to post here on the Forum. If you can put in some time to follow that study schedule, you'll be in great shape to hit your target score.

Good luck!