Hi Everyone,
I took the October LSAT this past week at an in person center and wanted to provide my feedback and advice for those who are new.
Note: I have taken a few LSATS in the past both in Logic games format and all remote.
the LSAT was not very different to what you would expect from PT's. You will see a lot of BS on reddit but to be honest they are not that different. So just focus and don't psych yourself out.
Test Center: My test center experience was pretty smooth, they provided noice cancel headphones which worked great. you can hear the door open and closes which does happen a decent amount but to be honest its easy to block out. The first 10 minutes of the test my nerves were very high because of the new environment but after that I was locked in. I would highly recommend that you take one practice test at a library or have someone you live with open and close your door every 10 minutes lol.
If you have to leave the room during a break, you are required to check back in which is a quick 2 minute screen. the people in the center are very organized and nice.
My big advice for test takers in general is practice your positive affirmations. For me the biggest difference between a PT and a real test is that I get instant feedback or know what is experimental ahead of time. During the real test it is normal for your brain to be like "I am not doing well" in fact it happened to me every single section. But I just kept reminding myself that this is normal I have felt like this almost every practice test and the result turns out fine. I also remind myself that it is a marathon and to focus in on the question at hand one at a time. I promise this will help you. don't just track how you do on PT's track how your mind is reacting to things and learn how to strengthen your mind. That will make a massive difference for test day.
I hope this helps some people. please reach out if you have questions. Hoping for a positive result later this month but remember. This test does not define you!
9 comments
I have taken it online, and will say the last point truly is the biggest. It is very easy to psych yourself out before, during, and after, the test because you know you still have that waiting period before seeing how you do. You may also psych yourself out because the questions are new, but similarly, do not let that help you overthink, you still know how to recognize questions and the steps to solving them. Best of luck to everybody with their testing/admissions
100% My PT's actually rose when i focused lesson the score and more on how i was controlling nerves and how i thought during the test. i was really intentional with fixing anything that was going on mentally that could distract me or hinder me.
A tell sign that you are being affected by your brain is when you can get untimed questions right most of the time then it is like it all goes out the window test day. That is mostly anxiety but practice helps.
This is so helpful! Went down a Reddit rabbit hole seeing how everyone was saying the administrations the last few months have been nothing like PT’s, which really unmotivated my studying.
I saw the same thing before taking the test and it freaked me out a bit. Took the October LSAT this weekend and it felt like any other PT!
a lot of people only post when something negative happens or if they are like genius and get a 179. but I think there is a lot of people who just take reddit with a grain of salt. I think once people start to evaluate more than just the score and start taking note of how their well being during a test and if they thought it was hard or easy. focused or distracted. Burned out or not, you start to notice a trend in when your scores are better or worse and also that the test isn't dramatically harder than others. yes there will be tests that play to your strength and others that dont but overall the reason most people think it is harder is because they are nervous and dont know how to react mentally to test day adrenaline.
Out of curiosity, are there any options to take this exam in paper format if we are taking them in person...? The last standardized exam I had to take was not in digital format, and I honestly feel a little dizzy having to take this exam via a computer screen. Not to mention not being able to use writing utensils actively to interact with the passages. Sent an email to LSAC asking this question but wondering if I can get a response sooner through here.
I think you need an accomodation for that. Check on the LSAC website! But yeah, I wish I could have done it with pen and paper. I recommend blue light glasses to help with scrutinizing the bright screen for hours — mine definitely helped.
That honestly sucks so much, but thanks for the response!
@180UChicagoOrBust Def would be an accommodation, but who knows maybe you can find a doctor or get a note from a medical professional, it is worth a shot. I do understand the undesirable aspects of the screen, but in the case you cannot get a paper test, do not let it worry you that all other standardized tests you did were on paper. You will have taken multiple PTs by then, so unfortunately even if it is a digital test, you will have gotten somewhat used to it all. As mentioned, some blue light glasses may help, maybe you can ask LSAC if they can offer a printed passage as well for you to write. It never hurts to ask, imo their support has been helpful/friendly.