I took the April LSAT this past week at an in-person testing center (my first LSAT). It was, overall, a bad experience and not what I had expected.

We were sat in cubicle-like desks, with all test takers beginning and ending their exams at different times. This meant lots of people moving around/going in and out of the room throughout the exam. There were audible alarms going off every few minutes in the proctors area next door, as well as chatting from the proctors. The building also had a doorbell that would go off that was able to be heard from the testing room. When test takers would finish next to me, a proctor would come spray and wipe down their desk, which would distract me.

I’m really just wondering if this level of distraction is common at testing centers. They did offer ear plugs at the very beginning but I did not take them, as I did not expect as much noise/distraction. I really do not feel good about my testing experience and my anticipated score, given I was not able to focus the majority of the test. Maybe I’m just being dramatic or had too high of expectations for the testing environment, but I was very disappointed.

I've been having trouble staying positive/motivated when looking at my sealed vs raw scores. My highest scoring PT was from last month and was a 161 (75/104) but my most recent was a 156 (76/103). The difference in raw scores is very minor (in fact, the 156 is better?), yet a 161 and 156 feel like very different scores to me (and I assume, law schools). There is a greater trend of this happening in my analytics, but I'll spare the additional details.

I understand that which sections are scored/experimental makes a difference as well as whether is is 3LR/1RC or 2LR/2RC (I usually do better on the tests with more/3 LR sections). Is there anything I can do in terms of my studying to increase my chances at consistency/better sealed scores? And how can I stay motivated when my numbers are consistent yet my scores are dropping?

I'm registered for the April exam, aiming for at least a 160. It's hard to feel confident I can hit that when there seems to be so much variation.

Looking for others to study with virtually (weekday nights around 7/8pm est) or in person (weekends, western Massachusetts). I've been studying for a few months now and am scoring in the high 150s on PTs. Aiming to take the LSAT for the first time in April. Would be nice to have others to hold me accountable for study time, think through missed/difficult questions with, and just talk general lsat/law school application stuff.

I've been studying consistently for around 3 to 4 months now, primarily using the paid subscription to LawHub, and am just now starting to use 7Sage. When I have unlimited time taking shorter drills of around 12-14 questions, I am able to get 80-90%, if not all, questions correct. But if I do multiple drills in a row or take a full timed practice test, I find myself running out of stamina after only two sections or so.

Any tips on how to build the mental strength/stamina needed to stay focused and keep going with such a lengthy, draining test? I'm sure just biting the bullet and taking full practice tests more often would help, but I'm wondering if there are any other ways people have found to help train their brain for taking this kind of exam.