Hi everyone! I took the October test last week and gave myself until today to relax and not think about the LSAT. Now, I'm trying to pick my best course of action. I am currently PTing in the low 160s with a 167 two weeks before October. I felt pretty good about my October test (better than any of my PTs so far), but for all I know I could've been in the 150s. Anyways, I'm operating as though I will be taking November. My goal score is a 165+. I've been studying 2 hours a day 6 days a week. I do timed sections with thorough review as well as targeted drills on my weak points. I do one PT a week with a full review the following day. Would it be worth it to try something new? Maybe try The Loophole as I haven't read it (if it can even be read in this short time). Or just keep doing what I'm doing? I feel pretty stressed in this last month as November is my last chance at my goal score. I also feel like I'm in a weird limbo as I don't know my October score. Any thoughts/tips are appreciated!
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Just wanted to say I hear you it’s a weird place to be (edit: I’m in the same one)
In your review, be sure to ask yourself a few key questions about every question that you missed:
Why was I attracted to the wrong answer? This is how you improve your understanding of the ways the test makers are actively trying to distract and confuse you.
Why did I reject the right answer? Again, this is a way to learn a lot about the way the test is made. What did the test makers do to make this correct answer look bad? And what are you doing that you shouldn't be doing? For example, are you rejecting answers not because you see that they are wrong, but because they are confusing, or "too obvious"?
Don't just settle for understanding why the right answer is right. You need to understand your own mistakes, and also how the authors of the test are laying traps.
One more tip: in your untimed practice, try predicting a couple wrong answers. What kinds of answers are they likely to put in there that will trip up someone who is less prepared? If you know the traps and can predict them, you'll be less likely to fall for them.
@atysonlsat Thank you for your response! I think my prediction skills need work. I find myself too often jumping right into the ACs. I'll try predicting the wrong answers too, that's a great tip that I've never thought of! I think I passively recognize patterns, but think I'll gain a couple extra points if I work on being more active.
I don't think there's any harm in getting the loophole and reading through it. Given where you are with your journey, you'd probably get through it in a week or less since a lot of it would be a refresher with maybe a different perspective that could help you adjust.
Why do you think you have such a big gap between your pt and blind reviews? I know I rush my blind review a but that doesn't change that yours are much more impressive than what I'm doing but my average pt is higher.
Are you bleeding points to easy questions? Are they occupying too much of your time on the test, eating up time you want to put towards the harder questions?
Doing drills of 1-3 star questions to help you get better and locking so you can destroy them to save time for when you need it can help.
Are certain question types bogging you down which forces you to rush elsewhere?
Are you getting fatigued by the end of the test or a section leading you slowing down?
Easier said than done but you do have a lot of information in front of you that should help guide you to what you can work on to improve and unless someone can peer into your analytics, it's hard to say what you could be working on to best set you up for November if you need to take it again.
That being said, I really get the frustration and the anxiety. I took it for the forth time last week and am registered for November in case I'm not satisfied. The wait sucks but we got this!
@Adam I really appreciate your thorough response! I think the gap comes down to a timing issue in some LR sections and an overall timing weakness in RC. Usually, in my recent PTs, I'll have one scored LR section with -3 to -0, but the other scored section at -7 to -5. I don't think it's fatigue related because sometimes my best performance comes in the final section. I think it's an early time sink that causes me to panic and affects the rest of the section. During BR, I'm able to slow down and can pick out traps in ACs. For RC, how I do can depend greatly on my understanding of the passage. Sometimes I'm at a -3 and sometimes I'm at a -10. I was thinking of joining a few live classes this week on my weak points (art, humanities, and I do not get along under timed conditions).
I took a PT yesterday (have yet to BR) and got a 166. Hoping I did that last week too🤞
I hope your October test went well and good luck for November!! We're in the end game now!