LSAT Finale :(

[joshringu]

Hi everyone,

So I am currently studying for the June 2013 LSAT. (I am actually studying while I am posting this). I went through the LSAT Powerscore Bibles twice last year and after have been doing 2-3 exams a week (one day test, next day review of questions). I have been using this forum as a guest to see why I got questions wrong, or why I had trouble on the questions I got right.

I was originally studying for the Feb. 2013 LSAT, but felt burnt out and felt I wasn't ready for the Feb exam, even though I have been studying for about 4 months before (including the Bibles). I started from preptest 7 and now am at preptest 42 - I did these exams twice, once last year once this year. HOWEVER, my score which started from 139 improved now to about 168-173 range. This is a good thing BUT I have been stuck on this range for a good 2-3 months now (I expected some improvement). Today I got a 165, and two days ago I got a 166.

Not sure what is happening. Could someone help me with this? Not sure if I am burning but it could be it (I am taking decent breaks). The questions I get wrong is usually because I am fatigued during the exam, stupid mistakes, or questions I would never get right even if I had unlimited time. To my knowledge, they are not a certain type of question I get wrong. My strongest is the Logical Games section, then LR, and RC is definitely my weakest.

Please give me your inputs and/or advice! This hump has got me nervous (especially cause I heard LSAT can have its limits no matter how long you practice).

Thank you!!

[ohthatpatrick]

Well, let me first praise you for your determination and congratulate you on a STUNNING score increase!

You are in very rarefied air, improving +30 points.

It's going to be impossible to 'diagnose' you with the info you provided. The way you characterize your own mistakes makes it seem like you HAVE hit a plateau, that there are a handful of questions on each test that you have to write-off as "I'm not gonna get those unless I get lucky on test day", and then the other mistakes are the product of rushing/being tired.

In terms of the super-hard questions, I'm sure you still try to understand them and use the forum to supplement your own analysis. Make sure you're keeping a running log of those problems. You want to do them a month from now and see if you can think your way through them again.

In terms of fatigue and careless mistakes, there's no magic cure for either. Part of trying to figure out the sweet spot of pacing is the trade-off between moving quickly enough that you have time to really analyze the toughest parts of each section but not so quickly that you are cutting corners on questions you "should get".

When you reflect on how a timed section went for you, try to make specific decisions about which problems you wished you had looked at more thoroughly (and why), and which problems you wished you had bailed on more quickly (and why).

In terms of fatigue, it would normally be my suggestion for you to practice more timed tests to build up your strength at sustained concentration. But since that seems to be ALL or MOST of your study routine already, that seems moot.

You might want to experiment with the alternative, though, and see if it makes a difference.

If you JUST do a 35 minute section, can you ace it (or at least remove all the mistakes you shouldn't have)?

Overall, I think you should take a break and let your mind reset. I've had students who studied arduously and incessantly for LSAT for months, took a few months off, and came back better than when they stopped.

Sometimes the brain just needs time to incubate on what it's done. You seem to be on the brink of being too tightly wound when it comes to struggling to get extra points.

I would suggest giving yourself at least a week off, recharging your batteries, and coming back with the challenge of just missing 1 or 2 fewer questions per section.

Figure out HOW that goal is most likely going to be achieved in each section and practice those sections with that plan in mind.

Is it going faster on the easy stuff so you have time for the hard stuff?

Or is it making sure you get the easy stuff right and bailing a little bit sooner on the 2 or 3 worst questions in each section?

Try to relax the pressure on yourself a little bit by deviating from your normal study routine, whatever that will mean.

Take a few weeks in which you just focus on a micro-skill or subtopic of the test.

When you resume taking full length tests, you might feel refreshed and have some new insight that gets you a few more points.

Good luck!

[joshringu]

Hi and thanks for the reply! And thanks you for the nice compliment

I took a few breaks and it seems to be working. Feeling more refreshed and able to concentrate for longer. I realized I should stop sleeping so late, so have changed my sleeping schedule also.

Thankfully, LSAT has become second nature and I am realizing which questions I will get wrong. The way I was taking the test, I did them by order, and so sometimes I would waste an unnecessary 3 minutes on a hard question. I also realized questions sometimes get easier towards the end.

I was thinking maybe I should get through the entire test by answering the questions I know I will get right, and use whatever time I have left for the questions I know I will get wrong?

My "max" score seems to be the mid-170s (untimed exam) - which was suggested to me by another person. However, I still seem to be scoring in the mid-160s all the way to a low-170s in the timed exam.

I am taking a few days rest now before taking an LSAT test, do you think that would be enough? Since I am taking the June LSAT, taking a few weeks or months may be too risky, maybe a whole week .

Also, I had one more question. My goal is to finish all preptests, however if I do take a week or two off, I will not finish it. In other words, is it necessary to take all the preptests to score my potential highest?

Thanks!

Best,
Josh

[ohthatpatrick]

Finishing all the tests is definitely not crucial. That said, I would prioritize doing the more recent tests, so you may want to switch to working backwards from the most recent test.

I agree that taking a month off is probably too long. A week or two (back when you originally posted) is about all I was saying.

At this point, you probably want to gear up for the homestretch by taking at least one test per week, and then maybe one or two timed sections on most of the other days.

I think your pacing strategy sounds very wise. The fact that you have a pretty good self-analytical filter for which problems are going to be trouble for you is great, because that way you can save them for last.

The gap between your untimed and timed tests is very respectable. Naturally, we're all probably going to do better with more time. Ultimately, there's no magic trick for the time crunch; we're all limited by our speed of reading/comprehending/anticipating/analyzing etc. I think you're in good position to get a great score.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Stay in good shape (both LSAT and other body/mind issues). Keep trying to enjoy the test and visualize having a great, successful, clear-headed day in June!

[joshringu]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply! I am using what you told me to do and it is actually working . I got sick last week so I took off testing for a week so I came back refreshed. Now I'm doing three exams a week with 2-3 sections in the in-between days. I realized recently that it wasn't fatigue but just pure laziness -_-. I would zone out because I just didn't want to do it. When I forced myself to do it I realized I would do better and stay more focused. Hopefully I will be ready within 5 weeks!

Thanks for the reply!

[samuelfbaron]

I can completely relate to this!