I feel your pain. This was my first test and I was PT’ing in the 159-163 range and got a 155. Proud of myself for taking the test, but thought I did well enough to hit the range I was practicing in. I’ve heard from others that it was helpful to talk to an AO to see what they could do to stand out/likelihood of their chances of being accepted. Either way, congratulations on your hard work!

Hello!

First off, thank you for being vulnerable about where you are at. I know it can be hard to do so in an open forum. There are many topics you addressed in your message, so I'll do my best to share from my perspective.

As many people have noted before, at its core this test is designed to expose your weaknesses if you aren't solid in the fundamentals. This isn't like the SAT or ACT where you can get a feel of the stimuli and hopefully get lucky on your answer choices by guessing. I personally struggle with the idea of failure and not doing well after putting blood, sweat and tears into anything I do, and this test is a stark wake-up call. My boyfriend had somewhat serious conversations with me asking if this is truly what I wanted after 2 separate breakdowns where I was getting frustrated that I wasn't comprehending the material and consistently bombing LR. I felt in those moments that I wasn't smart enough, and that there was no way I was going to be able to be a successful attorney if I couldn't even comprehend NA or method of reasoning questions. FULL STOP. Sounds ridiculous, right? Because it is. Just like organic chemistry is used as a course to wean out people not ready or realistic about pursuing science degrees, this test has the same study pattern in that you really have to devote time and effort into mastering it, but you ABSOLUTELY can. I started off with the LSAT Trainer and felt similar to you in that I wasn't feeling prepared, but after going through the entire 7Sage CC and going back to the LSAT Trainer as a method of reviewing question types, I was starting to get all practice questions correct in the book. There isn't a secret key to success or gimmick to mastering this test that everyone hopes to discover. It's truly about drilling questions to the point where you can knock them out in your sleep, and blind review!

I'm 29 and work in nonprofit full-time as a fundraiser as well as volunteer on a local board of directors as a treasurer. I totally empathize with time constraints and getting burnt out. For me, I had to switch my schedule to a morning routine in that I get up at 5:45am, make my coffee and allow myself to wake up, spend 1.5 to 2 hours studying, and then go into work. Then on the weekends spend time either PT/blind review or drilling problem areas. Before I was doing a similar study schedule of coming home after work, tired, and studying for hours and not retaining any information. Be honest with yourself, if you are tired or not 100% devoted to your studying, you are not going to comprehend nor absorb any information.

Also, if you have gone through the CC and things are still a challenge for you, hire a tutor. I did the same and that made all the difference for me (136 diagnostic to a 155 on June Flex). My tutor had me PTing in the 159-161 range before the June test.

Now for the brutally honest piece of advice: if you are getting to the point of doubting yourself consistently and half-ass studying because you aren't truly invested, then really assess why you are doing this. Don't go to law school with the expectation that it's just a distinguished title or designation to add to the end of your name. Everyone has had a moment of burnout, and if they say they haven't they are either lying or not human, but only you can judge yourself! Just remember, you have time to go to law school as there is no rush to do so now, and don't force your timeline to match the LSAT. Instead, study and hit scores in the range of where you want to be and then sign up. Your overall stress and attitude will improve when you let your abilities dictate your success, not the timeline of the test!

I hope this is helpful, and remember that you can absolutely do this!

This was AMAZING. Thank you for sharing this!!

Definitely should consider Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky. It's transcribed from previous lecture series and conversations with students/general public/etc. in the 80s and 90s. I read this to help with RC and just because I love Noam :)

Congratulations! Definitely needed to see this encouragement this morning!!

Hi, I would love to be added to this as well. - Marina

I would love the link as well! Thank you for sharing your perspective on this!

Yes, I think it's simply a matter of needing more practice :smile: I went through the same exact process and would get incredibly frustrated. It's probably overkill for most, but I stopped rushing to take as many PTs thinking I could improve with more tests and would rather spend a couple of hours reviewing ONE section from my PT. As the individual stated above, you should be able to explain why the wrong answers are wrong, and why the correct one is right. I would, however, do this for every question (both for questions I got correct and incorrect) in the section. People have said this before, but create a journal to mark your wrong answers. For me, I would sit and map out each question in my review: what is the premise/supporting statements and the conclusion being made. What is the overall flow of the stimulus to make their point? What is the underlying flaw/problem and how is the author using that logic to justify their statement? When looking at the answer choices, look to see if they are supporting what the question is asking you to do. More often than not, my analytical brain would create mental gymnastics to make the wrong answer right. When I reviewed, it would come down to "wait, that was never mentioned in the stimulus" or I would add things unnecessarily.

7Sage has great resources to build your foundation, but the greatest resource you have are PTs. Slow down, understand what is being presented and asked of you, and know you will get there eventually! If you force a timeline on yourself you are only going to get more frustrated and prolong the experience from burnout. Once you review a section, make sure to go back and review your notes. You will start noticing trends with question types and how you approach the answer.

I hope this helps!

It's kinda a toss up now that the Flex tests are finished, but if you just finished the CC and sitting for August I would suggest starting with the 70s and working your way through the 80s. The recent prep tests are going to be more reflective of test day material. Most importantly, make sure you are really working through the prep tests and understanding why you got questions wrong. For me, I would take a PT and then listen to JY's explanation and think, "oh ok yeah that makes sense" and move on until a few PTs later I still wouldnt be improving. Ultimately dedicated practice and prep tests are going to be the biggest factor to your success! I share this as someone who wasted a couple of months of studying and PTs by not really engaging the answers and stimuli :smile:

Good luck!

The schools I was looking at had opened on September 1st.

Even though I had technical issues which resulted in a 45 minute delay, my proctor was amazing and wonderfully kind/patient. He immediately put himself on mute and I didn't have any issues the remainder of the test. I personally felt LR was harder than previous PTs, but I finished both RC and LR on time and had to guess at the last 3 questions of LG.

At the end of the day, we should celebrate how monumental this moment is of taking the LSAT and be proud of that progress! Take a break, enjoy the human interaction we've all missed out on due to studying for months on end, and know that we can take this test again if we don't get the scores we hoped for.

30-year-old here. I started studying when I was 28 and was officially accepted this past fall to 3 law schools, waitlisted at 2, and still waiting to hear from 3 more schools. Age has nothing to do with your success during law school nor in the profession. I actually participated in a mock law class last fall at a regional law school and the professor mentioned preferring older students to those fresh out of college as there is a greater level of professional relatability and understanding that younger students initially struggle with. Focus on your goals and doing well and enjoy the process as much as you can!

I see this comment/question asked quite a bit on this forum and for a sincere, genuine response, there is no magic number of hours to hit when studying for this test. It's the quality of time spent rather than the amount of time you practice. You want to make sure you have a solid grasp on the fundamentals and spend time applying those to PTs. Once you start hitting your target score consistently, then people usually suggest signing up for the test. Since you are signed up for June, I would spend most of your time working through the Logical Reasoning in the core curriculum as it sets yourself up nicely for Logic Games. Additionally, be mindful of burnout. It's happened to most of us, myself included, and if you try to study when you are tired/not mentally attune, it will be a waste of time since you won't be absorbing information. I originally signed up with 7Sage in September 2020 to take the January 2021 test and was not ready for it (to my annoyance) and then signed up for April and STILL wasn't happy with my score and finally pushed it back to June. My point being, if you don't have to, don't force the test to work with your timeline, rather prepare yourself and crush the LSAT so you wont ever have to worry about it again :) Good luck!

Hi! I would be interested as well! pappasm91@.com

I took the June Flex LSAT on a Saturday and immediately after the exam I went home and slept throughout the night and was tired on Sunday too. That recovery period after the exam is no joke...

@ I'm embarrassed to admit this, but based on watching an early season of Real Housewives of New Jersey, I think what needs to happen is that the law school needs to write a letter on your behalf attesting to your skills/capabilities because of this extenuating circumstance. In the Real Housewives issue, it was very similar but he had a diagnosed disability but didn't document that with the school and he failed out for that reason. The school wrote a letter that he then used to apply to other schools, but it's still up to the new schools to determine if you would be a good fit. However, based on your Masters GPA, I think you have a solid chance! I would also consider retaking the LSAT to get a higher score. Good luck!

Not sure if this helps, but I took an untimed test before the LSAT in June (May 2020) and scored a 159 (went over time by maybe 10 minutes) and on test day I scored a 155. The above comment is correct in wanting to increase your mental dexterity to questions while remaining accurate.

Ahh thank you!! Mine says 163 as well :)

Where does it show you duration of test? Just wanting to verify as I have accommodations also but it's not showing that under accommodations in the proctoru account.

Hi there! I found a tutor through Wyzant that I love and has done wonders for me. Went from 140 to 152 (untimed) in just 5 or so lessons (I’m taking the April LSAT). His approach has helped me tremendously in LG. Happy to share his information if you are interested :) and even better that it’s a pay as you go, no contracts required.

Do not feel discouraged at all! I was in a similar position - first untimed, diagnostic I took in July 2020 and got a 140. Between using 7Sage and The LSAT Trainer, I studied through the summer and all fall and decided to take a timed test this past December and scored a 136... WOOF. After allowing myself a small pity party and mental breakdown, I did some research and found a tutor online and have been working with him since mid-December. I took another untimed test 2 weeks ago and scored a 152 and now I'm sitting for the April test. My point being people learn differently and there are different approaches to understanding this stuff. This is in no way a plug for my tutor (even though he's amazing) but I went from -13 in LG to averaging -6 with the goal to be no more than -2. Heck, I even find LG fun now. I have ADHD and my brain processes information differently than most, so while JY's sarcasm is fun to listen to and there have been points made that have helped, but my tutor and The Loophole have really started making things click. Be patient with yourself, don't give up - we got this!