Similar to many of you, I suffer from bad test anxiety. If I don't get in the zone within the first 5 questions, I panic for the whole test, effectively snowballing. Really bad too. It's causing 10-15 point swings lately. When I'm chill, I can score 170+ pretty consistently. Otherwise, it's the Wild West.

I freeze up, don't even go through my strategies, and I just feel like this is my first test ever. Everything I've done goes out the window. I misread rules. I forget diagrams. Hell I can't even answer a main conclusion question. I don't understand it. I feel like I can provide an in depth explanation to a vast majority of questions and games. But sometimes, I just feel like I don't know anything. It affects me most on games too. Perhaps because I'm used to finishing every game in less than 6 or 7 minutes. So when I don't, I panic and just move on. This happened during my September test and I scored 9 points below my average.

I've tried meditation, I work out 3x a week, and feel like my balance is pretty good with friends and family. But none of that seems to be helping much. All of this so weird to me. I'm not an anxious person whatsoever.

I was hoping for any guidance. I know this is different from most posts but at the same time, I feel that mental state is something that is sometimes over looked. But again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

I finished the CC last week and i am starting to foolproof, assuming that it will take me 4 weeks to foolproof that leaves me with 10 weeks to PT. What do you think about this timeline.?

P.s. my LR scores are around -2 so i am not so sure i need to drill them. And i am practicing the memory method daily.

Hi everyone, I was hoping to start a discussion where we can post ideas about possible snacks during the 15 minute break. I myself tried with raw almonds and dried prunes on my first actual LSAT try... I was feeling great, mentally and physically, no hunger, not full either, but my score was low. Of course, this is just a simple correlation (maybe there was no relationship and a third factor, not being prepared enough, which influenced my score) but nonetheless I would like to know what are some good options people have tried in the past. Thank you very much and I look forward to this discussion :)

Hello guys

At this point that June LSAT is coming, I am not clear about what I should do for the remaining one week.

My plan is to take a practice test (PT78) on Monday and for the rest of the week do individual sections.

The reason why I don't want to keep taking practice tests during the week is that I don't want to de-motivate or lose confidence in the case that my score turns out be bad. Also, doing individual sections can help me to fine tune and solidify strategies for each section and not exclude blind review.

Any feedback or thought is welcome.

I hope you guys have a victory in June LSAT

Thanks

I'm having trouble differentiating the IC from the premises and I don't like IC questions in general...if something leads to a conclusion then it makes sense that it's evidence/fact/premise. It's hard to understand what IC even does. It's like a conclusion that's not the overarching conclusion but it gives support to it.

If we have facts that are all linked to each other in a causal chain, let's say like 5 sentences/relations ,,, and these set of facts, going from one to the other, leads to an ultimate conclusion, where do we draw a line between this chain and say "okay, everything before this led up to this sentence, and this sentence directly supports the main conclusion, so this is the IC".

Is my definition or idea of it wrong? Is the IC, where it exists, a tangent conclusion or is it just the next broadest point in the argument? And I know the conclusion indicators and all but it's still tough. I feel like LSAC chooses to call some things a premise and some things an Intermediary Conclusion.

Starting in mid-2018, LSAC will increase the number of LSAT testing dates from four to six annually. The 2018-2019 transitional testing year will extend from June 2018 through June 2019. There will be an additional administration in July 2019, which will begin the 2019-2020 testing year.

The schedule is at:

http://www.lsac.org/docs/default-source/jd-docs/testdateweb.pdf

LSAT is in two weeks (little less). Having learned the hard way, please take this advice if you're grinding hard right now. Don't be sitting all day long studying from morning to night.

Before you possibly dismiss this advice because it sounds like you're being told to eat your vegetables, gather round and listen..

Get atleast like 30 minutes of some kind of exercise every day, come home and eat a clean and light meal and continue studying. Exercise and healthy eating not only has the obvious benefit of making all you sexy people look even sexier for the summer, but getting home from a workout/jog/movement, I've noticed I'm much more hyped and attentive and my brain feels like a well oiled machine.

If your practice test scores are leveling off and not going up and you're studying all day long and you just don't know why, it's because you can't study this sedentary way for the LSAT and you're not giving yourself time to reflect on the new information and give your brain a break.

On days that I bummed it and studied all day with no break no exercise and eating foods that weren't wholesome, my scores were lower than on days where I got some exercise and took breaks and ate cleaner meals. I am 100% sure that this was true in my case and by LSAT logic it obviously doesn't have to be true in all cases but give me the benefit of the doubt for a second!

You might feel okay right now and rested and your stomach is full and you're feeling warm, but I know the grind is tough. Studying for days on end and only moving from your bed to your desk, your thinking skills will get sluggish. I'm not selling you a fitness plan...I'm not a fitness guy by any means,but I think that this is how you maximize your mental capacity and agility leading up to the test and while you study. It's the second aspect of studying that MOST people completely ignore and not only ignore, but completely work against.

I was studying this wrong way leading up to my first LSAT in February. My diagnostic was in the 150s and my PT scores got to the high 160s which was my realistic goal. a few PTs went by and my scores were going down to the lower 160s where they leveled off at like 162 from the previous 167,168s I was getting. The week before the test my PT average dropped to 160 and 161 and even lower on test day to a 158. It was unimaginable. I was guessing my way (figuratively) to a 158 at my peak!!

When I started studying again, it took a week to get into the groove of things and now I'm reviewing old practice tests and realize I've made some very VERY stupid mistakes (that I didn't catch before even after reviewing)! nothing had changed except I was fresh n ready to go. The only difference now is that I took a break and study maybe 5-6 hours a day instead of 10-12 and maybe you need more or maybe you need less, but don't be afraid to take an hour or two away from studying in order to recuperate. If anything, it's actually part of studying so you're not wasting time.

we are studying what's IN the practice test book so hard that we forget to train the parts of us that are tested during the test. Just like you can play a sport like football and think you'll get better at tackling people just by repeated tackles, when in reality there are supplemental courses of action that these athletes take to assist them with it.

Or in LSAT terms, just because something (studying) contributes to an outcome (your highest possible score), it doesn't mean that it guarantees it.

Don't beat yourselves up, and please, try it for just one day and see how your studying goes the day after. We think we're grinding hard by being in our chairs all day when in reality we are being sedentary and it's messin with our potential.

I'm just starting the intro to logic section and I'm a bit confused. What is a sufficient condition? What is a necessary condition?

I'm signed up for the LSAT on June 12th and I feel about 90% of where I want to be but not quite ready to where I'd be willing to burn a test prior to the changes. Now that I don't have to worry about test limits, maybe I should just take it and hope for the best. Do you think schools will still take your highest score or maybe now with the changes they will start averaging since people may be incentivized to take as many tests as possible since there aren't yet any downsides.

Hey all,

This morning I dove into the cement pool that is Game 2 from June 2000.

I consider myself a 'solid' gamer. I average -3 on a full timed section give or a take a question. A number with which I would be perfectly fine on test day, by the way. However, this game has 7 questions (why? just why?) and could easily take that score to a -7, if not worse.

I've noticed that all of these PT's with the 'dreaded' games offer more cushion, even at the top. For instance, 87/101 on the June 2000 LSAT clicks a 170.

How prevalent are games of this level of difficulty on the more modern LSATs? I think I would drop dead in there if I were to see a game like this. Especially game #2!!!!!

Admin edit:

https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-31-section-1-game-2/

Had a quick question, the LSAT course prices that are posted online, have they already included the cost of taxes, or are they added on when you attempt to make the purchase? Was just trying to determine the total cost in Canadian, which would be about $242 on my credit card statement if there are no additional taxes. A prompt reply will be greatly appreciated, thanks

Are the old exams like the ones in the years of the 90's worded oddly? Because it's really hard for me to decipher what they are saying on many of the Lr problems and the games verbiage....don't even get me started!

When you have extra time at the end of an LR section, is it strategically wiser to first go back to questions you flat out skipped (due to their initial perceived difficulty) or to questions completed but marked for review due to some uncertainty?

By "uncertainty" I mean those questions where you have a somewhat high degree of certainty but just slightly (like 70% certainty or so). Since every question is worth 1 point, would it be best to prioritize these questions or those that you just flat out skipped?

Does the LSAT reuse questions from other tests, i.e. The GMAT? I looked up one of the LR questions (preptest 32 section 4 question 10, western moral values), and a bunch of GMAT forums came up with the exact same stimulus, question, answer choices, and correct answer!

Hi there,

I'm a mature student (33 years old, and have been out of school for 8 years). I've been studying for the LSAT through 7Sage for the last 5 months, and I'm already scoring quite high in my practice tests. I take the LSAT in September, so I feel I have a realistic chance of scoring in the 170s on the test based on how I've been doing.

That said, my GPA from my undergrad degree from 8 years ago is only 3.6. Not horrible, but not amazing. If I want to get into a top school (my dream school would be Yale, but I'm also looking into Uof Toronto here in Canada), am I just automatically out of the race because I don't have a 3.9 GPA? I mean I know there are always exceptions, but how many really?

Since leaving school I have done a lot of things, like living abroad in 5 countries teaching english, and I also published a book with New York University Press on sex and gender issues. So I feel that could all work in my favor. I'm not sure how much those top schools weigh your GPA if you've been out of school for more than 5 years. Would my book and other publications be more what they focus on?

Any thoughts appreciated!

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I am interested in Powerscore and 7Sage, but do not know which one to choose. What is the average score increase from those taking their first PrepTest with 7Sage and their last? Thank you!

just wanted to say good luck to everyone heading for that count down till the test.. and to tell a short story, I met a guy at the library who saw me studying and told me his first lsat after studying months getting 157-162 was a 168, and his second was a 173. he said that once he got over the fear of not doing as well as he wanted to, he was more focused and it helped, so I know were all quietly freaking out ( i am ) but remember, .... Paralegals get paid well too.. just kidding, remember its just a test and you can always take it again. As cliche as this sounds, you have to believe in yourself!

Hey guys! If you're taking the June LSAT and your account is inconveniently set to expire a few days before the test date, just email me (dillon@7sage.com) and I'll extend your account for free through the June test. (Make sure you include your 7Sage email!)

I can guarantee you that my inbox will fill up with these, so give me time to reply to them all. If your account expires by the time I get to your email, don't worry, I'll reactivate it for you. :)

For those of you who are expiring after, good luck on the LSAT! We here at 7Sage are rooting for you.

So, as some of you may know games are my lease intuitive section.

I am currently fool proofing PTs 1-35 and I am seeing some improvement. (Using an adapted version of @Pacifico's method)

My question is how many games do you aim to do a day?

A full LG Section worth (4-Games)? More/Less?

Lately, I've been aiming to do about an LG section a day. I follow the fool proof guide exactly as prescribed.

I'm curious to know how those of you who have successfully fool proofed the bundle spread them out? Basically, how long did it take. I know, I know, the journey is never over. But let's assume your first time through fool proofing PTs 1-35?

Also, should we wait until we have done all the fool proofing to begin PTs?

Thank you :)

Hi all,

I was just curious what people's experiences were with overtraining. Specifically:

Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I've taken the LSAT once (last September) and decided to retake the test in June (two weeks from now).

I have been studying rigorously since April and have initially been hitting around the high 150's and low 160's range. Maybe it's because I have been burning myself out. I try to study around 3-4 hours everyday and light studying on weekends. I've been attempting to finish a PT once every other day and then writing down how/what I did wrong on the BR questions I have circled and the questions I actually got wrong.

Recently, I've been dipping.. I was able to get about 5 wrong on a LR section but now I get only about 13 correct.. I'm not sure what's wrong.. I feel like I am understanding the stimulus/questions correctly but I am getting so many questions wrong so I'm obviously not. I have also tried to take at least one entire day off, re-looked at the basics of the LR questions, but none seem to have helped.

Please let me know what you think is wrong/give me some advice!

Let's say I'm taking the newer LSAT questions 2011-2014 and I've been scoring well and for the 2010 LSATS I'm not doing as hot.. does it matter that the tests are older and perhaps made a bit differently/harder?

I believe that brushing up on English grammar is necessary for RC and LR success. JY also mentions the importance of referential phrasing and grammar in general in the CC. However, I think that it is beneficial to go beyond the grammar lessons covered in the CC and independently build a strong foundation on grammar. By a "strong foundation," I mean the ability to effortlessly capture the grammatical structure of a sentence: being so skilled to the point that one no longer needs to consciously "identify" the grammatical structure, but the grammatical structure just reveals itself to one at a quick glance. It is like unconsciously seeing the skeleton first and then filling in the flesh.

https://www.englishgrammar101.com/

This free website covers grammar pretty comprehensively, if anyone wants to check it out.

I personally have benefited a lot after seriously studying the grammar using the above website: my speed, confidence and accuracy in LR and RC have improved.

Below are my speculations on why a strong grammar foundation is critical for RC and LR success.

Reading accuracy. Oftentimes, the difference between the correct and the incorrect AC lies in a single word, modifier, or even a verb tense. It is really difficult to capture these subtle shell games, because they seem so random and negligible. However, if we really understand the grammar structure of a sentence, then these differences no longer appear so random. They are no longer a hard-to-find nitty-gritty detail; rather, they become structurally pronounced. For example, if we can identify not just the verb of a sentence, but also the nature of the verb (is it an action verb? helping verb? Combination of both? etc) , then the subtle differences in the ACs stand out. If we saw a helping verb in the stimulus (for example, a qualifying "may") but don't see it in the AC, we can articulate the difference in a grammatical language. We can even anticipate the wrong ACs based on the identified grammar structure.

Confidence and speed. As we all know, the LSAT purposefully uses convoluted stimulus structure. It is testing whether we can capture the "essence" of the stimulus while getting rid of and paying less attention to unimportant details. Therefore, when we are reading a stimulus, we practice identifying the premise and the conclusion and reorganizing the stimulus in a way that the essence of the stimulus is more pronounced.

Reading a sentence is the same thing; the LSAT purposefully employs convoluted sentences to make active reading difficult. However, reading becomes easier when we understand the grammar well. The essence of each sentence is the subject and the verb; they are like the premise and the conclusion equivalent of a stimulus (in terms of the relative importance). Identifying the subject and the verb, and then reorganizing the sentence in terms of the distilled essence-- "who did what" --improves speed and retention, because we know exactly what happened in each sentence. This in turn helps with confidence in RC and LR, because no matter what kind of complicated sentence or difficult topic is thrown at us, we know that we will be able to distill it down to the core and understand what is going on. No sentence is daunting anymore.

If you are struggling with active reading and accuracy in general, you might want to brush up on grammar b/c of these reasons. I certainly struggled a lot with mindlessly reading a paragraph, not retaining anything, and going back to the beginning completely panicking.