Following! I've been noticing that i often have huge gaps between my regular and BR score. Recently its been as high as 13 pts, its reassuring to know that I have the potential to reach those scores, but frustrating and discouraging that i'm not /:

Hi! I would be super interested in joining this!

Personally, I found this didn’t help at all.

I always knew what section was fake. I half-assed it. Wasted a PT.

IMO if you start your BR right after your test, like start with reading comp, it wont be an issue on the day of your test. This was what i did to study.

Also, adrenaline kicks in on your test and you’d be surprised at how much energy you have.

There is a 100% chance I have seen this question before. I just cant remember where. I was going through the ACs, but the second i saw see, i just knew it was the answer. I feel like I got this question in July’s exam, or maybe from an older LSAT...

Omg ok so I was having the EXACT same problem as you

I was also BRing in the 170s and stuck in mid/high 150s

I did the exact same thing as you in the LR

I think you should go back to old sections before doing new sections (they are like “new” tests. Since I’m sure you forgot most if not all of some of your oldest tests) and practice timing

What is timing? For me it is:

Choosing and moving before question 15

POE unless I feel 1000000% confident with my AC

Going REALLY SLOW when I read cuz I’m careless AF (like the paragraph part)

Not changing my ansr - I am not allowed to change my ansr unless I am 100000% sure that the one i chose is bad and the new one is better (and i have to tell myself WHY I’m switching)

Aim for 20 questions. Trust me. Just focus on getting 20 questions out of 25/26. But do them perfectly. Do them 100%. I mean, is getting 20/20 on the ones you can do better than getting 17/25? Yes. And like this, you will feel more calm because you are ‘hitting your goal’ and I GUARANTEE you will eventually build your confidence and find yourself with the time to get them all. But start small. And never change your goal to above 22 questions - I find that once I change my goal to get them all, I rush, I skim, I get the first question or two wrong. Why? Careless. Worst part is, I invested a minute in these questions and I could have used that minute to get another question right.

Explaining EVERYTHING as I go along - if I am lost after the first sentence, i restart. If I am lost after the second sentence, I restart. If its not clicking, i leave it blank and come back to it later.

Explaining the ACs - like what is it really saying

For the harder Qs or those I am getting lost in I write a couple of words on the conclusion/my prediction. This saves me time but you think it would do the opposite.

The same thing with RC - there is no checking to see what else lies in the ansrs if i am 100% confident. Sometimes I am wrong. But at least I dont stay lingering on the same question for like 5 minutes, which at that point it doesn’t even matter if i get it right cause I probably could have used that five minutes on another 2 questions or for the last passage.

I just got a 162 on 72 and I am BRing 79 now :)

Timing is the most important thing and it cost me 10+ points

I am sorry you’re in the same boat as me — i hope what I am saying helps

The advice above is also great :))

I brought mine with me since it was my ticket back home, all 4 times I wrote. After all, I need to Uber back home since the tests are administered in the middle of nowhereland. I just asked the supervisors to hold on to it for me. They were ok with that. I turned my phone completely off. Had no other electronics. Most other students around me also brought theirs.

The other times I wrote, at the hotel, I just gave it to the concierge. They write your name on a post-it and keep it for you. Just remember to retrieve it.

If i were you, i would absolutely not keep it in your pocket, because if you are caught with it you could probably land into a lot of trouble.

Mine did not change at all. Stayed at 3.71! But I never failed a course, withdrew, or studied abroad.

Honestly, I feel like my motivation is more of a "compulsion" at this point. I find I have a hard time taking legitimate breaks. Like i HAVE to study.

I find the LSAT material very very dry and had a really hard time keeping my focus

I find taking breaks via logic games really helps (its like my reading break -- its also fun)

I also deleted all my social media apps recently cause they were distracting me (check your screen time, if you have an iphone)

If you are really having a hard time staying focused, drink a coffee, go to the library, no electronics, and only your PT -- youll literally be forced to do the PT, and do not leave until you do. I also find i better retain information when i write things down.

I hope this is helpful, goodluck :)

Go on lawstudents.ca for regular updates

I have not applied, my friend did though!

Best of luck :)

Wow. I am SO sorry that had to happen! That sounds like the absolute LSAT nightmare :(

What I think:

Assess your timing - is it really under time constraints that you are scoring 170?

Are you nervous? I feel like this was due to nerves

What was your state of mind the day of the exam? Were you focused? Were you rushing? Were you overthinking?

Was your mind blah? And by this I mean did you overwork yourself to the point where your mind just stops absorbing information? It could be a burnout. After the november exam I crashed. Like my brain would not absorb anything at all that was LSAT related. I was also really tired.

I think you should retake, and WHEN you score higher, you might have to write an adendum for the lower LSAT score (saying it was neves or whatever), depending on where you apply. If I rush or read carelessly or am super nervous my score can drop 10+ points. My score dropped 6pts on the day of my test, so theres that.

Hi!

Similar LSAT score here: 156, out of school for 1yr+ (not identical but sitll) and also Canadian :)

I am going to be honest, I dont think a strong LOR will make a difference. Unless its the dean or something.

Make sure you really beef up your resume w extra cirriculars, put everything down.

My highest PT was 163, and I am going to retake in January -- i think that if you have a compelling reason as to why you want to pursue law, you have a good shot. I believe if you have a more difficult program, you will also have a higher chance for some schools (I know for a fact U of T takes this into consideration, I believe other Ontario schools do as well).

Honestly, I think you have a good shot, since you are a mature applicant, but you will have a better chance with a higher LSAT score.

Are you active on lawstudents.ca? They have a "predictor" applucation where you can plug in your stats and see what % chance you have.

I'm sorry this was not a great deal of help, but please know that you are not alone w the LSAT score & I wish you the best of luck in your future studies!

:)

Do you think you can cover an RC section? I have been trying to get my score up for 7 months, and seem to be hitting -10 to -15 (depends on how bad the passages are). Nothing seems to really help me :(

Go where you want to practice! Why are you suddenly changing? Like what made you consider Toronto? If its the cost, don’t do it. Go study where you have always wanted! Debt is temporary, the law school experience is forever.

I also believe going from canada to the US is very difficult because the legal systems have quite large differences.

Honestly, as a Canadian I really cant see why you would want to come here. It can drop to -40, healthcare is garbage (try waiting 1yr+ for appointments etc), more opportunities and variety in the US, taxed to death here etc. So i do not see the appeal tbh haha.

In all honesty, the most important thing is your network. Which ever university you attend, make sure you build a strong network, order business cards, make a linkedin. This will give you all your career opportunities you need!

Good luck :)

I don’t think you would qualify tbh

People who get accommodations have learning disabilities, not mental disabilities in general (only if it impairs your ability to process information, like dyslexia or verbal processing disorders). Most people with ADHD do not even qualify for extra time. The reason for this is to keep the process fair for those that are at a disadvantage.

Plus, I can tell you from personal experience that mental disorders don’t impact performance nearly anything close to learning disabilities.

Not necessarily

My uncle went to an Ivy League school, and struggled immensely with the LSAT. It took him 3 years to get in.

In law school, he was at the top of his class. He was recruited by law firms in Boston & was very successful.

Some people are smart, they are not good test-takers. I’ll give myself as an example: my diagnostic was in the 130’s because I got so hung up on the hardest questions (I started with questions 25... don't ask). I kept reading and reading trying to make sense of the argument and spent all my time trying to get the hardest ones. Why? Because I like a challenge. I like to sit down and think. Think hard, think lots. Its my personality. I also get stressed when I am put under time constraints so there is a 15pt lag between my BR and PT score. But, I have no doubt I will do well in law school.

Also, the LSAT is poorly written. Bad grammar, plain, simple. It doesn’t get to the point. It is full of fluff. I have no trouble working with the income tax act (if you want to see a run-on sentence, go there) at work, but really struggled with some of the reading comp (think art, philosophy, history, peptides). Will my new knowledge on zeolites help me in law school? I really don’t see how. The LSAT is designed to be difficult.

I honestly do not think the LSAT is all its cut out to be. Maybe I’m just salty that I needed to put in a few months of studying. But, some of the schools are already abandoning it. Why is that?

I also believe that people who have to work hard for their grades are generally better prepared to work hard in law school. Those people are full of will, determination, and persistence: these are the ones that will be great lawyers, and thrive at work, and do great things because the will is there. The will triumphs all else; you would be surprised. My will has given me everything I have and enabled me to overcome many obstacles.

I truly believe the LSAT is just a money-making scheme, I wonder how many millions of assets LSAC is sitting on? I mean, think about it. It’s also there as a barrier to entry, and to weed out the ‘lazies’, give law school the “academically prestige” image. Also, some programs are much more difficult than others (think engineering vs economics or philosophy... sorry, engineering is much more difficult than either, at least for most).

I know everyone says otherwise, but I refuse to believe it. I have seen to many successful people perform poorly on the LSAT but thrive in law school.

Anyways, that is my two cents.

C: steel will displace wood

WHY: bc steel cost less and it does not warp

To weaken, we want to show that steel will not displace wood

A) Does nothing - just says that costs overall, are increasing. Does not mention steel or wood, so off topic.

B) Strengthens - Gives another reason why steel will replace wood

C) Does nothing - what material most new homes currently use is irrelevant.

D) Weakens - if training workers to install the steel is costly, it opens up the possibility that steel may not be less costly than wood in the housing industry, even though the raw material itself is lower. Its like, the cost of a product is lower, but the installation cost is very high. So will it be cheaper? Not necessarily. Could be, could not be.

E) Like C, it does nothing - saying that the # of houses increase does not address the steel vs wood debate and does not weaken that steel will replace wood.

I give AC D a 2 star yelp review, not the best weakening answer, but the rest are just terrible. Or maybe I’m just salty bc I missed this. I feel like a good alternative weakening AC would be like “Steel cannot withstand the temperatures of NA (even tho this is probably not true) and therefore cannot be used in homes”. IDK just improvising here.

Following this! I am facing a very similar challenge. Sorry I cant be of any use OP, just know you are not alone :( thank you for starting this thread.

I had the same issue with LR

I found I could get ~20 right untimed (only 10 minutes over), but then when i started timing for the first time i got like 5 right (and, mathematically i should have gotten 15). I would go over it and think “well i could have gotten this”.

Have you tried focusing your attention on 3 games? Maybe 2. I started doing this for LR, I figured 10/15 is better than 5/25. I got better with time and a lot of practice. But do it properly, read it slowly, and do not rush. Cover the time with a sticky note. I think there is something about the timing aspect that just makes people panic or rush or misread. Sometimes, you need to take a step back, catch your breath, and just think about it.

There was also a 7Sage article I read about “flooding theory” or something like that. I write down the worst case scenario. Like what is the worst that can come out of failing this test? I take it again. I get in the cycle after. This is the absolute worst.

I know this is a lot easier said than done, obviously, and its a lot harder on the actual test day (I find i personally tend to get “stuck” on hard questions because I want to get them so badly). Keep redoing the CC until you can see the game’s inferences clear as day, in your head. Do a lot of misc games.

I also have been giving myself rules like “chose and move when u know its the ansr”. I have a horrid habit of checking to make sure the others are wrong when I KNOW its right. My other rules are no changing your answer unless you are 100% sure, if you have to re-read a rule 3x skip the game.

I hope this is somewhat helpful :)

I’ve been talking to some friends, and most have experienced a drop of 5-10 points. Some score right where they last PTed. Personally, I was scoring 151 and got a 154 in July. My October test is on hold (looonggg story) so i do not know my score. I cannot offer any personal insight (besides the July one).

I’ve heard of some people dropping 15 points, but only one. I’ve also heard of some people getting insanely lucky and guessing right on the last 6 questions.

Just take your lowest test score this month, I doubt yours will be lower than that! That is the worst case scenario, since other cases are just statistically unlikely.

Please dont worry too much. I realize i am a hypocrite in saying this. I have been having LSAT nightmares for two weeks aha. But seriously, I am positive you did well. You sound like you studied hard!

I hope this helps!

Hey! I’m going to say no.

I was scoring ~151 in July, and only used 49-52 and 69 to study, I scored 154 (I cancelled tho cause it was a freebie)

When I heard about the horror story of PT 88 logic games, and all my friends telling me how they were memorizing that game, I didn’t even bother to look at it — LSAC is not stupid, they aren’t going to use a trick from the 80’s PT on the next test. I was right. I just wrote November.

I have done practically every single PT by now, except a couple from the 70s and 80s (maybe 8 total). Even PTs 1-20, which are so old everyone disregards, are good practice! Also, great games. The BEST games are in the 30s and 40s. The toughest RC i encountered was 57, another hard game in 57, the last game in 68 is great as well, as is 62.

I also find the older tests harder. The questions are a little different, but its more or less the same (less MBT/conditionals (I don't even remember a single one on the most recent test), more disagrees).

I would be happy to share my PTs with you (for free lol).

I dont think this is true

I do not recall seeing any questions from PT 67, let alone a section (I just skimmed through it now) — it is possible that they used a question or two, but changed it very slightly to make the old right answer wrong, because i was having a MAJOR déjà vu, as I did in October and even July, not just from 67 but from the 60s/50s/40s in general

Like on PT 77 there was a question from PT 39 I believe — not the same, but similar (i left a comment about it). I think LSAC is a bit too smart for this. Its more likely that the students commenting were in the wrong — i mean, I cant even remember the first reading comp passage, or the first game. How much could other students remember?

Mine was:

LR, LG, LR, LR, RC

Third LR went the best imo, so knowing me and my luck it’s the fake

LG was nice n easy as expected after the lawsuit

RC was very difficult and I had no idea what the comparatives were about. At least the science one had questions that were manageable even tho the subject matter was confusing. The whole time I was like “contain your confusion” aha

First LR was also very difficult

The real LG: visiting countries, soup, computer something

The real RC: language (I think lol) petri-something computer something and I just cannot remember the first two at all. Yikes.

Sleep in? I too, am a morning person

I ended up staying up until 2 am the night before the October LSAT, and slept until 11 (felt GREAT). I was too stressed to sleep.

Also, I bring a protein bar with me (I like grenade bars — I highly recommend) and buy a coffee. Maybe bring a red bull if you think it will be an issue? Also, do not do any studying the morning of.