Question from 7Sager on how to study for Jan LSAT

studentservice

Hey 7Sagers,

We're posting on behalf of a 7Sager. They would like to get advice from you!

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I self studied for two months and took about 10 full practice tests under timed conditions. From these prep tests my diagnostic was a 153, my average LSAT score was a 167, and I managed to break a 171 on exactly one of the tests. It might be worth noting that my highest score was on an exam that had a relatively simple logic games section and did not feature comparative reading passages, which the test I used for my diagnostic did include.

I finally sat for the November LSAT and left feeling unsure of how I did. I missed one entire game due to my pace and had to guess for all of its corresponding questions. Therefore I assumed that my score would at least be saved by my LR and RC performance, which I was respectively averaging -2 and -3 per section during my prep tests.

I received a 156 on my real LSAT. Needless to say I was completely disheartened upon seeing the score, but have since done a full review of the questions I got wrong and am currently looking to improve and try again.

I got around 8 questions wrong per section. A noticeable pattern for the LR questions I missed was that upon Blind Review, I noticed that each of them featured question stems that I was unable to immediately identify. I had to return to my LR Bible to pinpoint their exact classifications. I was able to get most of the right after my BR.

For more context, I entered the exam with absolutely no reading comprehension prep. I just ordered the bible this weekend. I spent the two months of prep devoting around 4 fours five days a week to LR and LG. All the way leading up to the real exam, I was unable to complete most logic games under 8 minutes, but I was completing them with 100% accuracy at about a 15-10 minute average.

Considering all of this information, what do you suggest I do to maximize my potential on the next exam? How should I make the most out of the time remaining on my 7SAGE account. It expires in Feb and I have to retake in Jan of 2019 given that my heart is 100% set on attending law school in the fall of 2019.

Ohnoeshalpme

You must be acing RC and LR to get a 171 with that much trouble coming from LG. I would guess that if you are averaging around 10-15 minutes per game you would only get 3 done in time which is at best a -5 on the section. So to get a 171 you'd have to go -1/2 on each of the other sections. Those numbers are spectacular.

I am confused about how it was possible for you to drop from -3/-4 average in practice test situations to -8 on test day. Did you feel nervous? Were you distracted? Did you break a crucial part of your routine? This much variance doesn't usually happen. I'd say the average "test day tax" is around -3 points, so i'm amazed that you dropped 11. I would first look to address the test day performance and then look to work on your LSAT knowledge.

I think you also need to be honest with yourself about how you are taking practice tests. The 11 point margin is a major red flag telling me that you aren't testing yourself under true test day conditions. When you said that you had trouble with question stems, I honestly started to doubt the -2/-3 average. Usually students who score in that range can identify question stems with two eyes tied behind their back. You must have excellent natural intuitions!

For test-prep, focus exclusively on logic games from now until the test day. If you can move the needle from 3 games to 4 games, you will automatically improve your average score by 3 points. That would put your average at a 170. For the other sections, don't get rusty. A good habit to get in to is a morning warm-up. What worked for me was 14 LR questions, a logic game and an RC passage. I found that this helped me keep the skills fresh for the sections that I wasn't working on.

If you are truly a -2/-3 average on LR and RC, you can clean up in January. Just stay true to 7sage's fool proof method and you should be on your way to the 99th!

fycw2068

I feel like we are very similar in a lot of respects so hopefully this is helpful! I also self-studied for about the same amount of time and I had been averaging 156-158 occasionally hitting 160+... my November score was 161. My ultimate target is 165+ but for November I went in with no expectation because it was my first test.

I agree with everything @Ohnoeshalpme mentioned, especially the part about being honest with yourself. It would be insightful to know how you had been taking PTs, and also how you responded to various test day pressure/curve balls (or any unexpected reactions you had on test day that you didn't have during PTs). I also agree that if you're looking to score upward 160/low 170s, you should be able to nail down question types 100%. For me personally, I was able to identify 100% of the question stems and didn't think the LRs were harder or easier than previous PTs.

I have 2 kids and took PTs while they were running around, and also took PTs when no one was home in dead silence. I also used the 7sage proctor app at varying noise levels; basically, I made sure I was prepared for any variance in noise.

I also had "stuck" plans in place, which are various actions I would take in the event I found myself "stuck". I think on test day, these "stuck plans" made a huge difference in helping me move on from difficult questions/games/passages. Happy to share more about my stuck plans if interested!

I feel you on LG... I got thrown off on one of the games, and it wasn't until the final 5 mins or so when I was reviewing my work I realized it was a game type I had done before. I completely rushed through that and thankfully I finished just in the knick of time. However, in the moment, when I had to move on from it, I was incredibly discouraged because LG was my strong section and I had been able to finish it with 3-5 mins to spare during PTs.... BUT as a part of my "stuck plan" I trained myself to move on without clinging on to past questions. I think "letting go and moving on" is just a much a skill as any. I imagine if I had let that game linger, it would've affected the rest of my performance in LG (I ended up with -3 on LG).

Similarly to you, I barely put in any time for RC. I was averaging -8 on my PTs and I had resigned to accepting that I was only going to be able to complete 3 passages. Since I was already on a shorter study schedule and RC was my weakest, I basically decided to "sacrifice" RC. However, in the last couple weeks, I tried practicing the 7sage short term memory method a few times. I noticed that when I dedicated an extra minute to completely digest and essentially memorize the passage, I would do exponentially better than when I approached RC my old ways (ie bible ways). Maybe it was test day adrenaline, but test day was the only day that I successfully completed all 4 passages, and it was my best RC performance to date. Of all the RC methods I've tried, I found 7sage's ST memory method most effective, and I hope to maintain this until January. On the upside, I think there's plenty of time to ace RC using the ST memory method for the January test!

In conclusion, it seems like you have all the potential to get high 160s, low 170s so I would recommend focusing on getting comfortable with RC and nailing down LR question stems. Nailing those sections will allow a missed game in LG to be much more forgiving.

Hope this helps and if you need a study buddy for the January test I'd be interested!