Huge score drop.. What's wrong with me :(

jennyleejh

So I've been studying for LSAT for almost a year now.. and I thought after all the studying, I would naturally be seeing at least a few point increase in my scored full PTs.

But today I took my last ever fresh PT and saw a whopping 10 point decrease from my average scores around 6 months ago (173~174). Given that I took this test in the actual testing site on the day of exam, it is probably an accurate reflection of how I can score under timed/high-pressure conditions.

The really frustrating thing is that.. when I BR questions from past papers (I've taken all the published PTS ranging from 1~82 at least once, most of them twice), I understand fully how to read and approach the questions. Although obviously inflated, I'm able to score almost -0, -1 on LR sections that I have seen before (after having months of rest in between the original and retake). So I thought that I really had a firm grasp of basic logic, as long as I had sufficient time and clear mind when solving the problems. But when I encounter new sections, as shown by today's test scores, my average incorrect answer ranges from 4~5 per section.. I felt confident before this test that I had mastered pretty much all the fundamentals of LR, but now I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong..

Looking at the questions I got wrong.. most frequently I miss key words in the stimulus, or just simply have no idea what the stimulus is saying, or become flustered by complex conditionals/inference questions. Some questions.. I was pretty sure that it was the answer, but it turns out it was completely wrong.. So the reasons vary a lot

I also bombed the RC section, getting about 4 more wrong than what I usually score.. Bombed one passage (the last one in the section), got 4 wrong out of 8 on it..D: This kind of performance has actually never happened to me on an RC before.. so I'm a bit shocked about my RC too. Perhaps it's due to the fact that I haven't reviewed any RCs for almost 3 weeks now (I hyper-focused on LR - though that doesn't seem to have been that fruitful..) .. so maybe I've lost my LSAT reading habits.. :S Just lost for words.

Anyway, long story short.. I'm really frustrated, the exam coming up in about 2 weeks will be 4th and FINAL LSAT ever and I honestly don't know what I should do during the next few remaining days. I really need a score higher than 170 (currently 167 highest) so I'm reaching out for help/any words of wisdom to overcome this hurdle that stands in front of me..

teamteamvicster

Hey! My heart feels for you. Throughout your post, you seem to be beating yourself up. You have added so much pressure for yourself that it's not too far fetched to see a dip in scores. Breathe. Remember that you are capable. Your past tests have shown that.

I don't have much in ways of what you should do in the last few weeks, but I think you should maybe approach the exam with a positive framework. Maybe dropping off some of the pressure will help. Show yourself some compassion.

Tom_Tango

Score fluctuations happen just gotta get through it

skiatook89-1-1

I have to agree with @teamteamvicster on this one. You have clearly demonstrated that you have the knowledge required to score in the 170s. I think you might by psyching yourself out a little to much by allowing unnecessary stress to become a big part of the equation. If I had to offer a strategy for the final two weeks to you I would suggest focusing on your strengths when studying to help you with regaining confidence. You got this!

Seeking Perfection

I think its probably the pressure your putting on yourself or just bad luck. If it's luck there is nothing you can do other than hope for better luck on the real thing. If the pressure from it being your last PT and in the real setting is dropping your score then you need to be aware you can always retake while you take the real test. You need to lower the stakes and the pressure.

Getting your goal on this next test isn't about getting into the law schools you want or get the scholarship you want. It is just about whether you pay some money and spend a couple more months studying before September. That's worth trying your hardest, but not freaking out about.

jennyleejh

Thank you guys for the advice!! I really could use some positive thinking @skiatook89 you mentioned focusing on my strengths before my exam but wouldn't it also be helpful to really dissect this PT 83 and work out specifically what mistakes/bad habits emerge under high pressure situations? And to make sure that during my real test.. I will avoid them? I feel like a 10 point reduction is not merely a matter of luck, but demonstrates my rather low comfort level with the LSAT way of thinking (Or is it too late now..)

jennyleejh

I do realize that the eliminating the root cause of my problems, becoming too anxious and influenced by pressure is the best approach. (it's horrible.. I SKIP, as opposed to skim, sentences, misidentify conclusions, PARTIALLY read answer choices) @"Seeking Perfection" I've tried repeating to myself that there are no longer limits on the number of retakes but honestly having spent almost 2 years on LSAT, I can't get rid of the thought that I want (need) to make this (it's my fourth..) my last!! I really don't know how to mentally train myself

_oshun1_

My last PT was a 7 point decrease. I had a bad week at work and was barely studying, mostly going thru RC passages. In that PT LG and LR was way lower but my RC was good. Now I’m just drilling LR and FPing more LG. I’ve noticed that, if I take PTs every week, my PT score will decrease one take and then increase the take after that. I think there just needs to be more time in between PTs.
You’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself for this to be your last take. If you’re capable of a 170+ then it can happen. Just try to destress and have a self care day and go back to drilling questions/sections. You can always take July or one in the fall.

skiatook89-1-1

Under different circumstances I might agree with focusing on the areas where you struggled, however, your other PTs scores indicate to me that you are comfortable with the material. If that is the case, I am not sure that two weeks of focusing on something you missed primarily due to anxiety/stress will get you where you want to be. I think the key is understanding that you can take it again if you need to and reminding yourself that you have put in the hard work and that you have demonstrated you understand how the test works. Be confident on test day and do all that you can to remove that sense of the "last opportunity" to test - especially when that is not the case. You were averaging 173-174 six months ago - you got this!

NovLSAT2019

@teamteamvicster said:
Hey! My heart feels for you. Throughout your post, you seem to be beating yourself up. You have added so much pressure for yourself that it's not too far fetched to see a dip in scores. Breathe. Remember that you are capable. Your past tests have shown that.

I don't have much in ways of what you should do in the last few weeks, but I think you should maybe approach the exam with a positive framework. Maybe dropping off some of the pressure will help. Show yourself some compassion.

I agree one hundred percent. Too much pressure on top of already increased level of stress! I realized that when I'm frustrated, my focus and thought process are more easily influenced by emotion. When that happens, I just take a few deep breathes (or meditate) to calm the nerves and re-focus. I've been noticing lots of similarities between LSAT preparation and music performance preparation and I hope you won't mind me sharing.

I had the enormous honor of playing as a soloist with the orchestra a few times and the very first time I played with them, I was a nervous wreck. Anxiety, stress, and negative self-talk hit me all at once resulting in a memory slip near the end of the performance. When I revisited the recording three years later, it wasn't as bad as I had remembered (but at that time I thought the whole world was ending)... With the subsequent performances, and after many trial and error, I realized that EVERY performance (timed PTs, drills, fool-proofing, memory method, etc.) counts and you can learn from EVERY performance.

I'm purely hypothesizing from the parallels I see from my experience with music and LSAT preparation; but, I think, "the real thing" should be seen as time to really enjoy the work you put in. It's easier said than done, of course. I see the preparation as slow, intense, and incredibly disciplined process while performance as the time to "let loose and hold nothing back"---at this point, relying mostly on my instincts.

When I think I'm nearing the time to perform, I try to discipline myself by slowing down (because I know that my base line of stress will naturally increase). Obviously, I'm not neglecting the possibility that all of this might not work and I'm just fooling myself, but hey, worth a shot.

Cant Get Right

@jennyleejh said:
I do realize that the eliminating the root cause of my problems, becoming too anxious and influenced by pressure is the best approach. (it's horrible.. I SKIP, as opposed to skim, sentences, misidentify conclusions, PARTIALLY read answer choices)

Given that you didn't read whole sentences, should the outcome of this test really be a shock?
It shouldn't be.

As discouraging as it is, this outcome really is a gift. You've seen your worst case scenario play out, all your worst fears realized. But. It was only in practice, and you know exactly why it went so wrong. So to avoid this outcome on the real thing, what do you need to do? I think we all have our own mechanisms; you need to reflect on what will work for you. This happened to me on test day after I bombed my very first section: LG. When I turned to section two, LR, I was in full panic as I'd already missed more questions in one section than I normally did for the entire test. This was my third take back when you only got three. I was paralyzed. But, I found a way to deal with it, recovered, only missed five more questions for the entire rest of the test, and came away with a great score.

Here's my process to make sure I'm testing right when I feel anxious:

First and foremost is self awareness. If and when you freak out, you've got to have the mental presence to be aware that it's happening.

If and when you recognize it happening, start by putting your pencil down. This is scary because the clock is ticking, but it's important to come to a full stop. The 15-20 seconds that this takes is well worth the composure if you can recover it.

Now, just take a few deep breaths. Controlling your breathing is a great way to slow yourself down and find a little calm.

Then, acknowledge to yourself what is happening. Just saying it in your head to yourself is actually really powerful: "You're freaking out and you're going to blow it if you don't pull yourself together." This establishes a voice of reason within your mind, a voice that is separate from the anxiety. I let that voice continue speaking: "You know how to take this test. You're well prepared, you have much more expectation than most to perform at a high level, you've successfully taken countless tests in practice, and this test is no different than those except that you are panicking. So just do what you've trained to do just like you always do in practice, and you should have every expectation to score at your normal level."

Now you can pick your pencil back up. Work the next question, and only the next question. Focus on doing that one question right. Whatever else may happen, you will work that one question correctly and in full accordance with your strategy and abilities. Let your calmer, more reasonable voice dictate your actions; listen to and obey that voice's instructions.

Then, work the next question in the same manner. And then the next, and so on.

KevinA14

@jennyleejh

Don't overthink it. It happened to me too, I dropped 8 points from a previous PT one time. I ended up getting 172. Take another PT. One PT doesn't always accurately reflect your ability.

jennyleejh

@"surfy surf" I wasn't cramming full timed PTs because I simply didn't have any left but yeah I think I was experiencing burn out for different reasons I studied an average about 6~8 hours per day for straight 2 weeks and perhaps my body is telling me to take a break..! I really do hope the drop in score was an anomaly.. I just keep having doubts that it may be my lack of understanding . For RC especially, even though I felt quite OK (though not fully confident) with the passages, questions, I ended up bombing one of them. That was a real blow. When I'm rushed, I think I have this really bad habit of justifying my way OUT of correct answer choices, somehow having this bias (supplementing it with my outside knowledge/biases) that the answer choice is wrong..? Writing this I realize that that may be one area I could work on before the exam!!

@skiatook89 Thank you so much! It does help to hear from someone else that I can do it! Next step, I've really got to convince myself!!

@BrianSeo Thank you for sharing your experience Brian! Yes I'll definitely focus in the next few weeks on calming myself! While taking PT 83 I was even aware that I was starting to lose pace, thinking "oh my god I'm panicking" but didn't take the next step to breathe and re-focus.

jennyleejh

@"Cant Get Right" Thanks for sharing great tips! I woke up this morning with a more positive mindset, telling myself that this opportunity really is a gift. I quickly went over the LR questions I got wrong, and with the exception of 1 or 2 per section, the rest were ones I could have easily gotten right with few more seconds of clear thinking and applying strategies I've learned in the past 2 years.. GAH!
Your tips on pausing and resuming after moments of panic seem really helpful - how do you recommend I practice such mechanism before the real thing? I ask because one side of me always kind of knew that I can't afford to panic, but on the real thing I just seem to go back to my instinctively panicky self.

Cant Get Right

@jennyleejh said:
@"Cant Get Right" Thanks for sharing great tips! I woke up this morning with a more positive mindset, telling myself that this opportunity really is a gift. I quickly went over the LR questions I got wrong, and with the exception of 1 or 2 per section, the rest were ones I could have easily gotten right with few more seconds of clear thinking and applying strategies I've learned in the past 2 years.. GAH!
Your tips on pausing and resuming after moments of panic seem really helpful - how do you recommend I practice such mechanism before the real thing? I ask because one side of me always kind of knew that I can't afford to panic, but on the real thing I just seem to go back to my instinctively panicky self.

Yeah, it's something that's hard to practice. I think that the main thing is to create the opportunity for that inner voice to speak. Given the chance, it will come to you and it will know exactly what to say. Maybe make it a habit to go through this at some point on each section. The message may be different in a more confident simulation--"Okay, you're doing great, you're in rhythm, keep pushing the pace"--but you're at least giving voice to it and listening.

So even if you can only approximate this so far, I think you can still take it far beyond "one side of me always kind of knew." Knowing is vague and abstract. Don't know. Knowing what to do, however, is concrete and actionable. So articulate a plan of action. Ask yourself, "What steps am I going to take, specifically, if I feel I might be about to panic?" Your answer may look very different from mine, but the main thing is it should be as specific.

_oshun1_

Omg 6-8hrs for 2 weeks straight?? No days off?? You need a break!! I don’t think there is anything in life that you will get good at by doing it for that long every single day with no breaks. Take a day off!!

jennyleejh

@"Cant Get Right" Thank you so much - super helpful! I'm going to sit down and really think about my action plan!

@"surfy surf" yeah.. I don't know what I was thinking. I just felt like I had to go through every single PT. BAD idea! hahah. Gonna take a day off today!

ebalde1234

The feels .. you read my mind - just finished a LR section and compared to my older PT's . Yes I do think some tests are harder then others and there are going to be score fluctuations ...also stress and other factors can also impact the PT score.

Sometimes you just have to ride out the dip .. sigh
I agree with everyone prob psyching yourself out like I just did !

Try the calm app / breathing techniques JY covers it I just forget what section .
The way I see it is score is not always indicative of what you know - hence the "lsat score plateau" .
I wish you the best of luck