My first test, I got at my PT average (not my highest score on a PT overall but within 1 or 2 points and on par with the upward trend I had going into the test). That was in July.

I'm taking it again this Feb and my PT scores are significantly higher now, so I'll have to let you know after I take it, but for now, my advice is this:

Don't hate this test. This test may not be your friend 100% of the time, but it definitely is not your enemy. It's a beast to be conquered, a puzzle to be solved, but you have to look at it as something that's interesting, engaging, and challenging (in a good way). When I started my LSAT journey I would dread practicing and taking these tests. But once I realized that there's a lot to learn here and that I'm developing skills I'll be using throughout my legal career, I decided to look at it more as this elusive thing and a code I get to crack - getting faster, eliminating tricky answers more confidently, feeling great on sections - all of these felt like rewards for my hard work.

Then, on test day, instead of feeling like I was dreading the test or just exhausted and ready to get it over with, I felt amped up. I listened to some confidence boosting jams in my car on the way over. Most importantly, I felt like I was about to show off my skills and kick the test's butt rather than running through the motions of something I had to do.

Frame it (and every practice test) as a chance to show off and do your best and I think you'll feel a lot more confident on test day.

Some days when I feel a bit out of it I do well, too. I'm not really sure why. I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that I actively force myself to be more attentive to detail and don't let my alertness trick me into thinking I'm catching everything. It's like "hey, get it together. Read the freaking question and get it right. You can be tired later." I'm not saying I'm going to go into the test on two hours of sleep, but if anything it's good to know that however I feel when I wake up on test day I'll be able to get through it.

When are you applying? I know for a lot of people a 170 is a good goal because it's uniformly viewed as a pretty good score. LSAT still matters more than GPA and this score might not get you into the T6 without fail, but it will definitely get you in the running for the lower T14s and it's at / above medians for a few at the bottom so you might even be able to get some significant money.

If your goal is HYS, shooting for a 175 is probably a good goal (this is just conjecture though, I didn't apply to those schools). It's high enough to make you really competitive but not necessarily a big red flag such that you'd get YP'ed (which, btw, some schools are known not to do).

For what it's worth, I ended up with a good cycle as a reverse splitter this year so feel free to reach out if you want to know more about that!

Oh yeah! That's about how often I studied before my first test and I studied for less than two months (oops). Anyway, I got to the mid/high 160s without much practice. Afterwards for my retake I did an additional 4 months and kicked it up a notch (about 20 hours per week) and my PTs are up closer to the mid 170s. Ultimately, since you have a longer time period, I think that your schedule makes more sense such that you don't burn out. It might be a good idea to take one practice test per week and spend some time thoroughly reviewing them once you have a solid foundation.

Yep!