I began studying for the LSAT in late May in anticipation for the August test. I read through a short book on term logic, which turned out to be a very helpful primer for understanding logical rules and conditionals. After reading the book, I began the Core Curriculum in mid June and completed it in early to mid July. I then began practice tests. I have just a few practice tests under my belt, but I am not scoring higher than my diagnostic score, and I'm finding that I'm not consistently within time for sections.

I'm rather concerned on a few things: 1) Is it even worth taking the August test if I'm still no where near I want to be as of today in terms of my score? 2) The lack of significant improvement despite performing well during the Core Curriculum is bothersome. Would a tutor be a good option for this sort of situation?

Thanks.

Hello,

I've been studying what I thought was hard for three months for the LSAT and I realized I need to try a tutor. I live on the East Coast of the U.S, and need help most of the help with LR and LG. Please dm if you are a tutor that could work with me online or even in person.

Best wishes and good luck to everyone

** thank you so much! Just found a great tutor :)

I took the June test and scored in the bottom of my target range but still relatively satisfied. I am scheduled to take the August test in a couple weeks. I took some time off post-June test, but I've now been studying consistently for a month (with a week break mixed in).

I've since started working full time, and my study time has been reduced significantly. My PT scores are much lower than my June score and have been stagnant over the last 2 weeks. I'm sure it's some form of burnout, but I've found that the more time I take off the more my score suffers. With my test in 2 weeks I don't think I can afford anymore breaks.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Should I just power through or cancel my August test? Any advice at all would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I know this has been asked time after time... but I want to know what people are thinking right now -- how do you get your timed score to match your blind review score?

I've watched the webinar on this from 7sage, and I know I'm in "stage 3" (I think) where my blind review is my target score. But my gap is not decreasing!

I got a 155 on my diagnostic in Khan Academy and was going to start out with a PT at 7sage so I could study according to the analytics. The resources I have right now are Khan Academy and 7sage (Ultimate subscription + LSAC Prep Plus).

However I read a few past posts and everyone was saying to go through the curriculum first then start with the PTs, because the PTs are precious. I agree with them and also think it'd be a good idea to go through the comprehensive curriculum because basing off my studies on the errors I had in 1 PT sounds a bit myopic.

Would it be a good plan to go through the entire curriculum, make/do problem sets of parts I found difficult, foolproof certain parts then start with the PTs? For other tests I usually learn the most by full PTing but I understand that resources for the LSAT are limited.

Just curious how everyone else reached their dream scores using 7sage. Thank you.

I have been listening to the podcasts and some of them suggest recording the PTs and re-watching them later. How do people do this (if they do). Like logistically, how do you record yourself taking a practice PT in the most effective manner?

It's not exactly expensive ($40), but I'm just wondering if the info is even worth absorbing.

Hi all, I was wondering where and how we schedule our time for the August test? Do we just receive an email from LSAC this afternoon and we’ll be guided from there? Thanks.

Full disclosure, this isn't a post to vent. I'm genuinely looking for advice and hoping that people scoring better than I will be able to provide me with some tips, encouragement, advice, etc.

I graduated in 2020 with a bachelors and a 4.00 GPA (4.07 CAS). I then grabbed a master's degree because the job market was shit in my area and I was fortunate to go to a MUCH better known institution. I graduated in May of this year with a 3.59 GPA in the Master's program and received numerous scholarly awards. My softs are T-3 (Eagle Scout, Masters, President of school organizations, etc). I hope this isn't coming across as bragging. I just want to provide a little info about myself for assessment.

My problem, like many others, is the LSAT. I used a tutor for the beginning of my studies but we never PT'd. Expensive mistake. I registered for 7sage in December, took a diagnostic, and got a 149. For reference, the tutor was summer of last year, and the Diagnostic (2007 June) was in December. I stopped studying bc of the Master's and started again in June.

Now, after starting in June, my scores have been all over the place. I initially PT'd on Feb. 97' with a 161. Followed by a 160 on PT 36. "Amazing!" I thought. I was studying about a 2-3hrs a day. This was roughly a month ago.

Fast forward to the past two weeks. I went to a 153 (PT 60) to a 154 (PT70) to a 156 today (PT M2020). This is a drop in about 8-9 questions. I've been told that the tests have gotten harder overtime - I get it. I can't help but feel flabbergasted, frustrated, stupid, probably burned out, but most of all, disappointed. I have no one to blame but myself and I own that.

I originally was planning to take the test for August. My goal score is a 165-166. I haven't canceled but I probably will. Don't know what to do. I absolutely refuse to quit on this because being a lawyer and going to law school is what I want to do. Some might say, "okay, so just keep studying and take in October?" My problem is I'm starting a BITCH of a job in Early October that'll probably drive me into the ground (easy 80-90 hour weeks for 6 months out of the year / 50 for the rest). This is a job that I need because I'm trying to financially help my parents who are ill.

As the title says, any assessment/help/encouragement/thoughts are appreciated. I think I'll probably cancel and take a week off. I'm hoping I'm not too stupid for a 165.

Hey all. I'm writing to ask for some advice about the upcoming August test for which I'm registered. I've been studying for about 9 months and for most of that time, I saw a significant increase in my score. I was testing consistently twice per week with PT60s and PT70s and getting a few points above my target score. Now that I'm testing in the 80s, I'm scoring well below where I was in the PT70s. Logic Games have stayed consistent (-3/-4) but my LR and RC went from around (-3/-4) each to (-9/-10). How is that even possible?

I've read lots of posts about how the tests don't change much and they're scaled accordingly, but I am honestly convinced that the PT80s LR and RC sections are significantly harder than the PT60s and PT70s. The questions are more challenging, and the wrong answers seem way more tempting and way more difficult to parse out. Is anyone else finding this to be the case?

I'm seriously considering cancelling my registration, because if I'm testing this poorly 2.5 weeks out, I know it'll only be worse come actual test day. sigh

Where are PTs past May 2020? Are they not released by the LSAC? or Is there something to do with FLEX?

Hello all,

I work in the General Counsel's office of a large area hospital and I had planned to take my LSAT in one of our conference rooms or offices. The issue is, while it does not bother me, will the emergency helicopter landing right outside my window (or close enough), set-off any sort of trigger to the proctor or possibly disqualify my exam? As I said, I work through this sound every single day and it doesn't affect me, but I just realized that might pose a problem with the Proctor. Any advice or experiences with very loud external noises during the exam that are out of your control? TIA

Last week I took two practice tests and scored a 157 and a 156. A couple weeks prior to those, I scored a 161.

Fast forward to today, I just scored a 163. Are these types of fluctuations normal?? Im taking the August test and obviously would like to score in the 160's but I don't understand why my scores aren't consistent.

I love taking PT's on 7Sage. It's easy and intuitive. I especially love the multi-colored highlighting features for singling out context, premises and conclusion. What I want to know is if I will be thrown for a loop when I take the official LSAT in October? How much different, if at all, will it be? Will features like highlighting still be available?

I've been studying pretty regularly and do only a few hours a day to try and avoid burnout. But starting this past weekend, I feel... tired? Like not physically tired but just tired of the exam overall. I've been on the grind for so long that I've grown tired of studying for it as well as dealing with all the highs and lows that come with the exam.

Took a LR section today and shockingly got -9 when I usually get -3/-4. I definitely felt that my attention was scattered and my desire to study and review after was pretty low.

Is this LSAT fatigue? Anybody else feel this or know how to counter it? I thought limiting my studying and sleeping well was helping so I'm not sure what is going on..

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Hello all,

Going to spill a lot of feelings here so please refrain from any judgmental comments. I last took my LSAT in Feb and got a 145, I took about two months off after that, and started studying 3-4 nights a week, 1-2 hours at a time until mid June, it is the end of July now and I just took about 1 week off because I was honestly getting burnt tf out. I decided to study by section, so I’m just finishing up my Logical Reasoning but my most recent and best so far is -10 which is still bad. I have yet to fully study games and RC since I plan to take my exam again in October and want it to be my last. I need a 150 to get into my school so it can’t be too hard right?

Well it’s tough, I am drained by the time I come home at 5 PM, I go train in the gym for an hour or two, still have to cook, study, and I want to be in bed by 10 every night. I’m using 7Sage alone and have tried bibles, LSAT trainer and not really fond of them. I’ve been on here before seeing how I can improve my comprehension and understanding but I’m still getting -10 on LR by itself, and it is super, super discouraging. I’ve also contemplated on if this career is right for me, as I am scared to get into something that will put me into a lot of debt, possibly a lot of stress, and something that I could regret. I have a reason to get into law, as I have a personal connection with knowing how hard it can be for those who cannot advocate for themselves, and that is where I want to help, plus the idea of law just really fascinates me. So I’m curious, what do you all do when you’re in this state of mind of “Can I do this?” “Is this career going to be the one for me?” I am 22 years old and done with my undergrad already so I’m just trying to get on with the next step of my life. I know it is truly possible to get an increase in score but I’m not sure if it’s something to do with me since I have tried multiple study programs and still not making that much improvement, like I’m un-teachable or something. To end this rant, I was wondering if any of you had any true, raw advice for someone like me who is questioning everything and feeing doubtful about improving my score. I’m prepared to hear some honest truth here.

Thanks!

Hi! does anyone have any idea about how 7sage scores 3 sections and if that's reliable?

For example I took PT85 now and have -1(RC), 0 (LG), -6 (LR 1st section), -6 (LR 2nd section), missed questions is 4 sections which gets me a score of 168 (4 sections calculated), but if I get rid of one of the LR sections from being scored (switching to flex mode/only 3 sections for scoring) it shows up as 172.

Does anyone have any recommendations for scoring 3 sections while practicing with 4 sections?

Hi everyone!

So i’m sure everyone knows that the August LSAT is now 4 sections, one of which is experimental, therefore it’s not being scored. Since 7Sage doesn’t have the option to take a 4 section exam with one un-scored section, do you guys think taking a PT test will provide an accurate measure of what score we will get? Also, if we get a high score on the PT does that mean there’s a good chance we won’t score as high on the actual test? All thoughts/responses are appreciated ! :)

I'm looking at the Flaw-Descriptive Weaking questions and Necessary Assumption questions on the CC. Each of them has about 20 example questions and 20 PSETs. Is it recommended to do all of them? If not, how many are recommended?

The guys at Powerscore put on sessions predicting what's going to be on upcoming LSATs, and the session for the August 2021 sitting happened yesterday.

I missed the session and don't think I can access a recording at this point but was wondering:

Thanks!

I am getting ready for the August LSAT, which brings back the fourth experimental section. Whenever I have taken practice tests on 7Sage, I notice I usually get two LR sections. Was it just more common with past tests that there would be two LR sections?

The LSAC said in their recent communications that there could be a double of LG, RC, or LR. As I prepare for August, I want to take practice tests with TWO RC sections because that is my most dreaded section and that way I won't feel so disheartened if I end up getting two RC sections come test day. Are there any practice tests that have two RC sections? If so, please let me know!

Took a one weak break from testing and my score dropped 6 points. What happened ? How do i maintain my score until test day ?

Hi everyone

I am trying to study for the upcoming August test and have been doing problem sets throughout the week. Last week I would complete a LR problem set and average 2-3 wrong out of 25-26 questions. This past week, it's dropped to 5-7 wrong seemingly out of nowhere. Habits and eating schedule have stayed the same, and I just took a practice test and got the most amount of questions wrong since 4-5 months ago. Upon review I understand my mistake and will answer the question right, but in the moment I don't know where that line of thinking goes. Feeling super defeated. Any advice?

These types of posts were really helpful for me while studying, so I felt like I owed this post to the forum. I’ve tried to boil it down to 8 things that I wish I could tell an earlier version of myself that was studying for the LSAT.

Timelines are Man-Made

At one point, I was so convinced that I needed to be a KJD. After an unsuccessful first LSAT take, a few awesome people challenged my thinking and I’m glad they did. It afforded me more time to study for this test and get some great work experience before school. This has been said 1,000x, but don’t take the LSAT before you’re really ready. Like PTing-above-your-target-range ready - based on my experience, the test day penalty is real. Please learn from my mistakes :)

If you want to hit your full potential, take JY’s post about how studying can take over a year seriously. Unless you’re an LSAT unicorn, that’s just how it is. This isn’t another college exam where you’re being tested on knowledge, instead the LSAT tests skills. Skills take time to develop and finetune. Accept that the timeline will likely be long, exhausting, and even slightly annoying. It’ll make your life easier.

And btw, when people say things like “you’ve been studying for HOW long?” or other snide bs, just don’t listen to them. If you want to perform at your best, it may take a while. I started studying in the spring of ‘19 and received my 170 in June ‘21. I didn’t study that entire time, but collectively it took over a year.

“The difference between a 165 and 170 is strategy”

I received a 166 on the January exam. Based on my last 5 PTs, this was a fat underperformance. I knew why my score dipped: I panicked during LR and RC. The harder question to answer -- why did I panic?

Then I heard this quote about strategy. I think @Sami or @canihazJD said it (thanks!) on the podcast. Unlike LG, I didn’t have any real strategy for LR and RC. Once I started implementing skipping rules in LR and started standardizing my approach to RC, I became far less likely to panic and saw less volatility in my scores.

Strategy builds confidence and you’ll need confidence when shit hits the fan on test day.

Logic games can be slain

I was NOT good at LGs ( -10 or so a section) and it took me a long time to get to -0/-1. I would get frustrated when I’d read about how “learnable” they are -- really, just a bruised ego on my end. Here’s a quick overview of what worked for me.

I did games over and over and over again. I foolproofed games 1-35 and would foolproof games after each full PT I took. Eventually, I’d dedicate full study days just to foolproofing a gametype. Sequencing. Grouping. In/Out. Etc. By the end of these days, my brain was mush. That being said, I started to see inferences far more quickly. It also helped me anticipate splits/SGBs and the right ACs.

Also I adopted a section strategy - here’s a high level overview: during timed sections I would read the first two games before deciding which game I’d tackle first. I’d do the same for the third and fourth games. This approach helped me build confidence under timed conditions. Having a strategy can really help you feel under control and forget about nerves.

I’d also put my finger on the screen to make sure I didn’t misread a rule - weird, I know. But I found that at a certain point, if I was struggling with a game it was because I misread a rule. Back when the LSAT was made of paper, JY recommended touching every word with your pencil. This is kinda my adaptation to the times. Everyone functions differently, but I had a tendency to jump the gun while reading rules. Touching each word forced me to slow down and understand the game.

If possible, use your most productive hours on study

Try to study for the LSAT before other activities burn you out. Work and classes, for example, can eat up a lot of mental energy. Personally, this meant studying before work. I didn’t enjoy waking up at 5 but it was well worth it. ALSO - don’t compensate for a lack of sleep by drinking a ton of caffeine. Coffee is great...but in moderation.

Meditate

Do it. I would usually do a mix of guided and unguided. I used the Waking Up app for guided meditation. In general, mindfulness is the best - not only for your studies but in your personal life as well. If the LSAT is a real source of anxiety for you, I’d recommend trying out worry scripting. A Google search will point you in the right direction!

Your PT Scores Don’t Matter! Focus on Improvement

Sorry if that comes off as blunt, but it’s true. I used to care a LOT about my PT scores, but they’re just practice. If you hit 100 free throws in practice, it doesn’t really matter, does it? But if you actually work on your mechanics, that can really pay off come game 6. (sorry for the metaphor, I love Giannis)

PTs are a tool for learning, so don’t focus on scores. Leave that for the Reddit users. All that matters: you learn from your mistakes, you maintain your strengths, and you execute on the real thing.

Unplugging is essential

For a while, I tried studying 7 days a week. This was a terrible, terrible idea. It led to constant burn out and, frankly, poor mental health. You can’t replace rest. You can’t replace socialization. You should view these elements of your life as necessary conditions for getting your best score. (they’re also important in their own right, obviously)

A few things that worked for me:

Finally, be kind to yourself

Seriously. If you’re reading this post, you’re likely highly motivated - I know this because you’re reading some dude with a weird username’s LSAT ramblings. I’m willing to bet you put plenty of pressure on yourself. Remember that this is a learning process. Like I’ve said, the LSAT is a skills test. So work your ass off but remember that patience is a virtue. Trust that good things take time.

Best of luck on the test and beyond!