I don't seem to improve despite thinking that I understand the test better. Should I be worried?

[Rakmo101]

I started studying for the LSAT in January through Khan Academy, but realized that I needed to learn the concepts better in order to tackle many of the questions--especially the logic games. I bought the three bibles and worked through about 40% of them but i never really seemed to see my score improve. I scored 155 on the first test I took (I had unlimited time so it isn't a very good measure) and 150 on the second one (this one is probably a more accurate starting point.) I seem to have plateaued in the mid 150s and I can't seem to score any higher. I realized that it was probably better for me to be in a course since I would have an easier time staying on track and learning with an instructor who I could ask questions too. I joined one of the live online PowerScore courses that started in early June. I scored 156 on the pre-test. We just finished lesson 4 and I scored 154. I think I will be able to improve in the LG section because I haven't learned the setups for many of the game types yet, but I am worried that I consistently get 7 or 8 wrong in every LR and RC section in each test. My speed has also not improved much in linear and sequencing games, despite knowing the setups well. I have registered for the August LSAT, and I was wondering should I be worried, especially given the fact that my score hasn't improved much from when I first started studying in January?

[Poonam Agrawal]

Hi Rakmo,

I know from personal experience how easy it is to let nerves get the better of you on this test. The fact that you've taken the initiative to enroll in the PowerScore course shows that you're someone who is taking steps in the direction of improvement.

As for your question whether you should be worried about the August test, I would say that being worried isn't going to help you on test day - you should go in to the test with confidence! Keep in mind that you still have six more lessons to go in the course, and these six lessons cover many of the tougher concepts that are commonly missed on the LSAT (assumption questions, flaw questions, comparative reading, etc.). Also, it is totally fine to not see an immediate improvement in speed on pure sequencing and basic linear games right now. For a lot of people, speed increases after they understand the harder game types (advanced linear and grouping) because it makes things click for the easier game types.

In the meantime, something that can help you increase speed on logic games is making sure that you are able to get your main inferences down almost immediately - things like being able to draw not laws from sequence and block rules. You can also check out Dave and Jon's LSAT podcast episode about how to get faster at logic games, linked here: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/lsat-p ... gic-games/

If you continue practicing consistently and making sure to review every single question afterward (really understand why answer choices are correct/incorrect), then concepts will start to fall in place. Be patient with yourself and keep working through the course - you've got this!