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I wish someone prepared me for the kind of stylus they provided. It worked somewhat fine (albeit not every time) for picking the right answer choice (basically tapping on the screen), but it failed me every time I tried to highlight or scroll down. I wasted too much time trying to get it to work. At the end of the test, we were told to keep it as a souvenir :wink: In addition, they only let us raise the tablets like two inches off the desk surface so I couldn't see anything because of the glare. Little that I knew, you can't change your seat after you get assigned to a specific seat number. These "minor" difficulties threw me completely off balance, and I think I am bound for the January LSAT now. Otherwise, 7sage digital tester is pretty much identical to the one LSAC has. So, I would recommend using it to practice instead of printing prep tests. There is absolutely no need to buy a watch. Digital LSAT has a timer.
I called LSAC to ask if I could bring my own stylus (had this issue in July, it's minor but one less thing to worry about). They said yes. I called again and asked if a supervisor could verify, supervisor said yes. Of course I showed up today and they made me throw it away before entering the room. It was just a stylus, no pen attached or anything...so apparently we're stuck with the LSAC ones.
I used to skip them but then felt like it was wrong to avoid a question type (that's just my own guilt). I went through all my old tests and used the Digital problem sets to drill MBT, MSS, MBF, etc. I focused on understanding the stimulus untimed. I felt like these were the hardest to predict and I often times over complicated the information by writing it out. For the logic heavy ones, I will still notate but generally not writing down things actually forced me to understand what was being said. Keep track of the ones that "get you" and use video explanations and various forums to see how other people analyzed the info. Keep drilling I promise they get easier!
You definitely need to take breaks, but figure out what works for you. I like to "reward" myself with 10 minutes of Netflix, playing fetch with my dogs, or going for a walk when I start to feel drained or foggy (even if it's almost every hour some days). I also like the 10% happier app for meditating when I get stressed. Whatever you do, make sure its something not on your computer or LSAT related and give your brain a break. When you get to doing full timed PTs breaks are especially important. I was trying to do them every other day at one point and it was not going well. So, I stopped doing timed tests for two weeks and instead drilled LR Q types, spent about 3-4 hours instead of 6-8 per day, and did occasional timed sections. My scored improved by 9 points on my next PT.
It's a HARD lesson to learn that quality is more important than studying for as long and intensely as possible. I always wanted to push myself, but you have to find your balance.
Call LSAC! Let them know where you'd prefer to take test and be polite. Ask them when you should reach out again or when they expect to know more details. I called yesterday and was able to get off the "reserved seat list" in Southern CA (I do have to drive 2 hours but I'm glad I know).
Study buddy tool hasn't worked out too well for me. I'm in the South OC area (Mission Viejo) and would like to get a group (or find a buddy) together before the October test. I worked with a tutor and it was really beneficial to talk through difficult questions. I'm open to working on LR & RC, but I can help others with games if needed. Please comment or message me if you're interested.
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Take a look at your odds for applying ED and see what it says. Would 1 more point be better two months down the road, or would the score you have now do better if submitted early? You have to weigh this.
Part of me is saying "Take it again!! Get one or two more points!" just like you are considering. But I am done. I have a good feeling about my score, and I don't know what the future holds. What if I don't improve, and now have to compete against a bunch more people who have similar or better scores? Nope. I'm just going to roll with it and see what happens. There's always November if early application is that disappointing.
Well, after doing my first PT since July and getting my first 169 I have more hope of improving...But definitely have all the ED deadlines written down too haha.
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I’d probably take that score as a blessing from the lord and apply 😂. Probably wouldn’t risk Sept unless you somehow are averaging above a 167 now.
It definitely was a blessing haha. I feel like I owe to myself to see what happens in the next month and decide closer to the test day.
Good luck! Did you have the digital test by chance? Maybe the new format is better for you.
I had digital. I didn't love practicing on it, but I felt like I had more time on LR. Not worrying about incorrect bubbles relieved some stress and time anxiety!
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I’d probably take that score as a blessing from the lord and apply 😂. Probably wouldn’t risk Sept unless you somehow are averaging above a 167 now.
It definitely was a blessing haha. I feel like I owe to myself to see what happens in the next month and decide closer to the test day.
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That depends, do you think you can improve your score? Is it worth the investment? Would it be more worth it to work and put aside money for your degree? How difficult is studying for you?
You did get lucky on this exam, which is good for you, and I am happy for you!
Honestly, I would be VERY satisfied with that score lol, but that is just me. The universities I want to apply to take 160+.
I think you should think about it, weigh the pros and the cons (make a chart -- i do this, and it helps) and see if its worth it.
Thank you for the additional considerations. I'll definitely try using a chart to get my thoughts on paper.
Yes there's hope! Just in the possibility of getting better testing conditions :)
Try the LSAT demon free trial. You can drill specific LR & LG question types and random RC passages from tests 1-60 (not sure that's the correct range) all on a tablet/computer. There's written or video explanations for most questions. The "demon" will give you harder or easier questions based on which ones you miss, which was awesome. This helped me after I ran out of newer material, so I'm not sure this applies to you with Ultimate+.
Something else that's improved my speed and understanding is not using the highlight/underline tool at all. Looking back, I realized I wasted a ton of time on the July test because highlighting on the tablet seemed to require the precision of a brain surgeon.
I think it's more important to drill questions than do full PTs. I'd honestly take a break from full PTs. I know it's tempting to see if you improved, but it's better to know you can answer more questions correctly than know you can get through a PT (which you've already proved to yourself).
Good luck!
Hello everyone,
I was burnt out and fluctuating before the July exam, averaging around 160. I've never scored higher than165. June was my first time taking the test and I scored 159.
But then I jumped 8 points on the July exam - scoring a 167. I can't tell you exactly what happened, but I got LG first (my favorite section), had better pacing on LR, stopped cramming a few days before, and felt no pressure (because I planned on retaking again in September).
My goal was to eventually reach 170. I was not dead set on this number but I felt like I was capable. My strongest section is LG, RC is a wash, and LR is my worst. Since the July exam, I've been drilling LR question types, trying out new approaches to LR, doing an RC passage a day, and warming up my studying time with old games. I also haven't taken any timed PTs, but after seeing my score yesterday, I decided to...and I got a 169 (I know this is only one data point but before I topped out at 164 so it means something to me).
With a 3.76 GPA and 167 LSAT score, I have more options than I thought. I'd like to apply to schools ranked between 14-30. I also don't want to pay full price, so a decent scholarship would nice. I'm aware of the medians at these schools and LST stats. When I was dreaming of that 170, I looked into UCLA, UT and Vanderbilt. There's still a lot more research to be done though.
I'm leaning towards studying for the September test (I already paid) and seeing if I can continue to score above a 167 on PTs. I'm someone who doesn't stop putting in effort until the task is really "done." Like I said, I really want scholarship $. But I'm also worried about any drop in my official scores. Yes, I know admissions only look at the highest, but I want to prove that this 167 wasn't complete luck. There's also that "what if" factor on test day of things you can't control.
Based on this novel...would you apply early decision with a 3.76 and 176 or keep studying, prove consistent 167+ PT score, and take a risk on September 21st?
Please help! I'm sorry this is long...but I really appreciate any honest answers. Thank you in advance
I'm right there with you. I'm planning on taking the September test, mainly because I don't want to keep studying through October (with starting to work full time) and want to focus on applications. I think most important thing is to figure out whether or not you can get the score you want within these next few weeks. You're going to have to pay for September, but if you cancel July then October will be free. I'd take the September test regardless...Just think of it as another opportunity to improve. October isn't too late and it could potentially be free.
I had a similar problem. My improvement on LR started after I stopped taking so many timed PTs. I went back and reviewed the question types and then drilled like crazy. I focused on understanding the stimulus in my own words (make the language a friendly conversation/pretend you're talking to the person), predicting, and finding the ONE right answer. I used to answer all the questions in LR sections because I was speeding through. After drilling for awhile, I slowed down and left 2-3 unanswered at the end but my accuracy improved so much, and so did my scores (I got my first 170). I'm working on timing now and still have some bad days with LR, but I feel a lot more confident with the section. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what I wasn't understanding, but I think it was important to go "backwards" and focus on accuracy across question types.
Take your time in BR and devote time to reviewing the questions that you really struggled with a few days later. Try not to rely on other people's explanations or videos to help you see why answers are right and wrong. You don't want to feel like the answer is "kinda right" and get confirmation from someone else. Force yourself to understand what's going on and feel confident.
I would try again, I just checked the LSAC available digital PTs and the highlight function along with the RC passage w/questions to the right worked for me. Might be a tech issue or the device you're using.
I had digital in July and it was exactly like the tutorials, so yes you will be able to highlight, underline, change the text size, etc. The passage was also next to the questions - you'll be able to see it as you go through the questions. 7Sage Digital PTs have the same tools, so you could practice on here too if you can't get the LSAC tester to work.
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For anyone who did take it, I had three LR's. Does anyone remember a question about stickleback fish leading other fish?????
Really hoping so because that section was easy
Yeah, I hope too
Unfortunately that will be an experimental section. I also had three LR sections (two back to back, sections 2 and 3---is that possible?) and that question was not on any of the three sections I had.
I had back to back LR 2/3 too!
I'd register for November regardless. Something could happen on test day that's not in your control & test centers are already filling up. I'd also push for a higher score for the scholarships, but you should consider how much time you'll really have to study and how much you can realistically raise your score between those tests. It also depends on the schools' 75th percentiles & 509 reports. I'd check those out to determine what your "scholarship target score" would be.
If you do get a score you're happy with in Sept. you could withdraw from/cancel the November test.
I'm pretty sure schools won't fully consider your application if you're registered for an LSAT date that's later than the date you submit the app. I believe they want to see a final score. ***I could be wrong, but this is also something to consider!
For UT: With competition from higher ranked schools, could you discuss in-state big law placement ?
I didn't take September, but I'm sure that if you're capable of a 169, then you probably did well on the RC & LR. Like others mentioned, this may balance out the LG more than you think.
If you're even considering November, there's not that many weird games out there and you could practice overall difficult sections. I definitely think it's possible to do them all before the test and at least be comfortable with the curveballs. You could still work on the other sections too and apply with a score that you're happy with. I'm sure there's a lot of other factors that you have to consider too, but at least you have the option to retake.
Here's some helpful links for LG if you do decide on November:
Difficult LG sections:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/comments/71zteo/hardest_most_difficult_lsat_sections_ever_listed/
Rare/Weird games:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/comments/90ijy0/comprehensive_list_of_rarely_tested_logic_games/
Individual hard games:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/comments/d7ww18/pls_help_me_make_a_list_of_hard_af_lg_games_for/
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If there's one section that you really want to work on and improve, I think it's more than fine to devote a bigger chunk of your time to it, but still brush up on the other sections every day. So let's say you really want to focus on RC for a bit. I would start my study day with say an hour of RC. You could take a section and BR it, or you could really dive into a couple of passages. Then, after that hour, I would do a practice set of maybe ten-fifteen LR questions, and then maybe two logic games. That would probably take about forty five minutes. At that point I would take a break for about fifteen minutes. Then you could go back to RC for an hour. At this point, you've done three hours of studying, two dedicated to RC, but you've still kept sharp on LG and LR and you've practiced switching between the sections. It also helps you improve your stamina. I have found that if I'm given one section and I know I'm only doing that one section, I'll do better (by a couple of questions) than if I'm doing a full PT.
When you BR a full PT, you should be reviewing every single section/every problem that you got wrong. Otherwise, you're wasting the fresh PTs and not getting the most out of your time. If your PT reveals that you need to spend more time on one section compared to the other, you can do so when you drill/study before your next PT. But every PT needs to be about the test as a whole.
I agree with all this! I like to start my day with one or two logic games because it's my favorite section and they're a good warm up. If I'm focusing on LR for a day, I still squeeze in at least one RC passage or review a recent one I found challenging. If I'm spending a few hours on RC, I drill a set of 5 questions of the same LR "type" to break up the reading.