I was scoring in the high 160s just a few months ago! Keep studying and you will get where you want to be

I'm a non-trad applicant with a strong reading background (2 English degrees, including a Master's), so RC has always been my strongest LSAT area. Now that I've been studying for several months, I've gotten to the point where on nearly every RC section, I will miss maybe 3-4 questions total on the whole section, which is pretty good.

However, I would like to get even better and decrease my wrong answers to 1-2 questions on the entire section. The problem is, I can't seem to see a link between the types of questions I'm missing. The mistake I make seems to be different for each wrong answer (sometimes just not reading the ACs carefully enough, sometimes overthinking/assuming about an AC, etc.).

Anyone else gotten over this type of hump in RC? Any suggestions for how I can improve further?

Choosing What to Memorize

How do you make Anki cards out of a 7Sage core curriculum page, a textbook, or whatever other text (spoiler, this can apply to things outside of the LSAT)? First, determine what content you actually need to memorize. This is highly individualized; if a concept is incredibly intuitive or obvious to you, skip it. If you know a rule like the back of your hand and can apply it flawlessly without hesitation, do not waste time making a flashcard.

Breaking Down the Content

Break each concept down into its smallest, most manageable parts—often called "atomic flashcards." The longer the front or back of a card is, the more likely you are to get a tiny piece wrong, which forces you to hit the "Again" button in Anki.

• Example: For indicator words, the front of the card might say "Consequently (indicates)". The back should simply say "Conclusion". Do not add unnecessary filler.

• Handling Ambiguity: Avoid using a single stimulus for multiple concepts. For instance, the word "must" is both a necessary condition indicator and a certainty indicator (meaning it 100% will happen). "Might" is a possibility indicator. Since "must" can serve different roles depending on the question context, use parentheses on the front of the card to specify. You might create two separate cards:

  • Front: Must (conditional) | Back: Necessary condition

  • Front: Must (probability) | Back: 100% will happen if sufficient condition triggered

Setting Up the Anki Ecosystem

The Applications

• Desktop App (free): Download the Anki desktop application. You can use plugins like Onigiri (an add-on that modernizes and customizes the Anki dashboard) to make the interface much prettier. Note: Plugins can sometimes make Anki glitch out, so take that with a grain of salt.

• Syncing Across Devices: Log into AnkiWeb on the desktop app so your decks sync to the cloud. I also use the Anki mobile app and sync it to my ankiweb account. The iOS app is $25, so if you don't want to buy it, that's fine, but it allows you to go back and forth and study whenever you have downtime, like when you're bored on a train or a bus. There is a free android app.

Organizing Your Decks Create a main deck titled "LSAT Prep." You can break this down into sub-decks based on the curriculum, such as LSAT Logical Reasoning or LSAT Reading Comprehension. (My personal RC deck is basically empty because I figured out a strategy that worked for me and just stuck to doing that instead of memorizing).

Using Tags As you extract information from your curriculum, tag your cards by category. Helpful tags might include:

• Conditional indicators

• Argument part indicators

• Causal indicators

• Common flaws

• Question type stems

Best Practices for Card Creation & Studying

Keep Card Types Simple You are not trying to build a Ferrari of an Anki deck; you just need a usable tool for you and only you. Stick to the Basic card type. You do not need Cloze deletion or automatic reverse cards, as reversed concepts in the LSAT usually require slightly different wording on the stimulus side anyway.

Configure FSRS Settings In your deck settings, ensure that FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) is turned on. This is an algorithm that adjusts review intervals based on your personal memory history.

• Set your retention target high for the LSAT (95% or higher).

• While a higher retention rate will cause cards to appear slightly more often initially, it significantly reduces your long-term review load. Once you are in maintenance mode, the workload is really light.

• Aside from enabling FSRS and setting the retention target, you do not need to change anything else in the default Anki settings.

For Optimal Memorization: Do not study new cards on the exact same day you create them. You just typed the information, so it is artificially fresh in your short-term memory. Let the cards sit for a day. Complete your scheduled daily reviews, but save the brand-new cards for the following day to truly test your recall.

Please note: while I do have a M.Ed., this is just what I do to study and is mostly based on my experience as an educator and learner. I can't guarantee Anki will work for everyone.

I'd love to see a feature where I can add notes which apply to the test/section as a whole so I can record time of day taken, if I took any breaks, that sort of thing.

I am at the mid 150s currently and want to be in the 160s. Is a September or October test day better?

Is it possible to get a feature where, utilizing available drilling questions only, we can choose to create a section-like drill? This would be where the drill progresses through a section with an equivalent number of level 1/2/3 questions in the beginning and level 3/4/5 towards the end.

As someone who is out of sections and with a limited amount of PTs available, this could help me utilize the drill questions that are fresh in a different manner.

Hey all! I'm registered to take the LSAT in September. I scored a 157 on my diagnostic and am aiming for 165-170 range. I'm not the best at studying and would love to find other people who can act as an accountability study group. I'm local to the TN area but open to online groups as well!

While this is a lower score than my previous PT (164), a 170 blind review has me super excited that obtaining that is even a possibility, especially because a few of the ones I got wrong in LR were evidently very silly. I'm taking the LSAT in August, Sept, Oct, and Nov, and I'm optimistic I can achieve a 165-170 during one of those!!! Fingers crossed.

I'm struggling with drills and timed sections because, when I review questions I got wrong, the explanations usually make perfect sense afterward. The problem is that I still end up making similar mistakes later that day or over the next few days. It feels like I'm understanding the explanation in the moment but at times not actually retaining or applying the lesson as well as I could be.

Does anyone have advice on how to make the takeaways from review stick so they translate into better performance on future questions? I'm taking the August test and would appreciate any insight!

Thank you!! #help

I’ve been studying for about two months now (~15 mins a day during the week on top of a 60+ hour/week job), and my practice tests are for the most part consistently in the high 160s with blind review in the high 170s, but today I just scored an all time low 163 despite having a perfect score on one section (the third). I’ve gotten perfect scores on both LR and RC sections several times both as part of the test and as one-off. But I can’t break the 170 barrier on a timed test, usually with one very strong LR section and two ~-5ish LR/RC sections. I would like to take the test in September and October then be done but having a 170+ and ideally in the 172-174 range is non negotiable for me to submit an application next cycle. Any advice on the best strategy to reach my goals? I am open to tutoring but have limited time and flexibility in my schedule due to my job.

Does anyone have any advice for consolidating what you've learned across different question types when doing PTs and timed sections? I feel like I've learned so much in the Core Curriculum and in drills that I can't consciously remember every lesson or strategy while working through questions. Is that normal, and what's the best way to make those concepts stick?

How do I work on retaining and applying the lessons from my mistakes and tips/advice over time? I think a big issue I'm having is timing and what methods and steps to rely on under pressure!

Would appreciate any advice!! #help

Hey y'all, I've been struggling to find the motivation to study even though I'm registered for August. Might end up cancelling, but I just feel very lonely in struggling with this test. There's no one else around me who's going through this process. So if there's anyone else who is also struggling and needs someone to vent to lmk. Maybe we can support each other and make sure we're both studying and not crumbling under the pressure.

(context: took it in April, got in the low 150s. Need a 160)

FINALLY! I have been scoring 173-174 for the past month and a half. everything works out eventually y'all :D

The question wasn't even that hard it just made me chuckle that I had to spend so much extra time counting sentences. Thank you for the changes LSAC

I'm absolutely stuck in low 160s hell. Last year I scored 164 on the real test, which was a welcome surprise and major jump from my average of 158-161. (Diagnostic was 148)

I resumed studying in June, consistent, 2 hours a day. Drills, sections, PT, review, error log. I even get tutored sometimes by a recent 180 scorer. Untimed, my sections are typically -2 to -3 both RC and LR. Timed, -4/-5, despite finishing early with 10 minutes to review everything. (+half time extension)

Every time I think things will change, my PT remains 160-164.

Is this my cap? I'm starting to think, why bother, I put in so much effort just to be devastated by a lack of progress. I'm currently signed up for the September exam, feeling extremely discouraged right now.

Does anyone know where I can access them? If so, can anyone tell me how I can access them?

Hello everyone,

I recently completed PrepTest 101 before beginning formal LSAT study and received a 147 with a raw score of 42/78. I would appreciate guidance on how to translate the results into an effective study plan.

I previously had an initial 141 exposure. I did not complete formal lessons or drills between the two scores, although I became more familiar with the LSAT’s general structure. I am therefore treating this 147 as my pre-study baseline rather than as the result of an established preparation routine.

My long-term goal is the University of Washington School of Law. My undergraduate GPA is approximately 3.47, so I anticipate applying as an out-of-region splitter. Since my LSAT performance will be especially important to my admissions prospects, I am aiming for at least a 165 and ideally a 170.

Diagnostic results:

• Scored RC: 16/27

• Timed LR: 9/25

• Second LR: 17/26

• Experimental RC: 14/27

My question-type results across the two LR sections included:

• Deductions and inferences: 5/7

• Conclusions and disputes: 2/3

• Matching flaws: 2/2

• Matching structure/principles: 2/2

• Assumptions: 4/8 overall

• Strengthen/weaken: 4/9

• Techniques, roles, and principles: 4/10

• Flaws: 3/8

• Explain/resolve: 0/2

The small sample sizes limit what I can conclude, but identifying argument structure, flaws, roles, and the effect of new information appears to require substantial work.

RC also showed a strong pacing pattern. I answered 15/20 correctly on the first three scored passages, then only 1/7 on the final passage after leaving myself fewer than five minutes. The final passage happened to be humanities, but I answered 7/8 correctly on a humanities passage when it appeared first in the experimental section. This suggests that passage order and time management may be more significant than passage type.

My current priorities appear to be:

• Building a consistent method for identifying conclusions, premises, assumptions, and gaps

• Improving accuracy before attempting to force speed

• Learning when to skip and return instead of spending too long on one question

• Using blind review and a detailed wrong-answer journal

• Developing RC passage timing that leaves adequate time for all four passages

Would you recommend completing the full Core Curriculum before beginning timed sections, or combining the curriculum with targeted drilling from the beginning? I would also appreciate advice about when to introduce full practice tests and what untimed or timed accuracy benchmarks I should reach before progressing.

If anyone began around this score range and eventually reached the mid-to-high 160s or 170, I would be grateful to hear which parts of your study process produced the greatest improvement.

Not sure if this is an update but I just noticed Sage AI usage limit. Sage AI analysis were really helping me improve and now one single AI response is using 2% of my monthly limit. The subscription is expensive as is, now there's a limit on AI usage. I'm really disappointed!

I have taken prep tests and my scores have gotten worse every time i have taken one. My priorities barely are going up, most are staying the same and some are going down. To practice I do LR sections while also doing untimed priorities. I look over wrong answers and put some in my wrong answer journal, although not all. What can I do to get better besides paying extra for tutors? Which is something I cannot afford. I am very close to calling it, being a lawyer may not be for me.

I just received a letter of recommendation from my supervisor. It’s three paragraphs. 1st is about our organization, 2nd is about my specific role, 3rd is my traits that would be good for being an attorney. Is this typical? I don’t know what to expect from a letter of recommendation, I want to be sure they are all as strong as they can be. Any insights?

Hi everyone!

I'm planning on taking the Aug and Sept LSATs. Wanting to stabilize/increase my score (and really just polish up my skills). I've been self-studying up until this point.

Budget is ideally under $100/hr. If possible, a quick/free consultation would be appreciated just so I know it's a right fit.

If anyone's local to the metro-Detroit (MI) or Madison (WI) areas, that'd be preferable. Online tutoring is ok too!

I'd like to start after 8/8. Please message me if you have availability!

On this week's 7Sage LSAT podcast, we check in on some excellent scorers who got rejected from Harvard last year, talk about how AI is reshaping law school admissions, and dive deep on Jo's file, a high scorer in search of RC consistency. Check it out!

If you'd like us to feature your LSAT and admissions questions on the pod, you can submit your case here:

https://docs.superhuman.com/form/Podcast-Submission-Form_dxNh_ZuZcNP

If we select you, you'll get three free months of Live, an Essay Workshop, and expert advice from two LSAT masters, 7Sage's admissions coordinator, and a Yale JD.

Hi everyone! I recently completed my first ever full test since my diagnostic around 4 weeks ago (150) and scored a 171! Not to shabby especially considering strong performance in both LRs. Weirdly enough, 3 of the 4 questions I missed in the LR sections were level 1-3 questions. On my blind review I was floored to how or why I missed these questions.

This has proven to be a recurring issue throughout my practice, and I was wondering if anyone else experienced this? Were there any strategies or drills that helped you solve this issue?

Hi! I am taking my second LSAT this August and am planning on applying to law schools this coming fall. I am (really really) hoping my score will increase significantly this second time around. I heard some people suggest that if a score increases by a certain percentage, we have to explain why in the addendum.

If someone has any extra information on if this is true, and if so, what we should put, I would really appreciate it!

Thought I was so cooked before this