Enough Time to Improve for April Test

Iron-Han

I've been studying for about a year now but joined 7Sage only about 6 months ago, which is also when I really started to take studying more seriously. I work full time so it took me a while to finish CC but I've now moved on to practice tests. Besides my diagnostic, I've only taken 3 PTs scoring an average of 152 timed, and a 162 BR. I'm aiming for a 165 on the April LSAT but starting to question whether that's enough time to improve my score for a 165. I've already pushed the test date twice because I did not feel ready and knew I would just be rushing to finish the CC. In doing this I decided to delay a cycle so I could focus on getting my best score possible (I'd ultimately like to score 170+).

My worst section is definitely LR (Yes, I have been BRing). For LG I sometimes panic under time pressure/scramble and so I don't get to every game but I plan on fool proofing games until I'm blue in the face. I'm wondering if I should just delay again (really giving LSAC all my money doing this) and give myself the time to get to 170+ on the first try, or if I should still aim for 165 on the April test and at least have one under my belt to get a feel for actually test day.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Cant Get Right

Each take is precious: the once and future orthodoxy.

Having one under your belt is not really as great a benefit as it’s made out to be. Before they opened the test up to unlimited takes, the overwhelming consensus from those that had been around was that you never spent a take before you‘re ready. There’s not many of us around from before unlimited takes, but I remember the regret of the people who carelessly fired their first bullet before they were ready. The “one under the belt” argument came up frequently. There is some value to it, and during the unlimited retakes era, I could even be persuaded by it. No longer. Whatever value there may be to “having one under your belt” is minuscule compared to the value of having another take.

Assume you will score your PT average. If you’d be happy with that as the score you apply to law school with, take the test. If not, reserve the take. Period.

Iron-Han

Thanks, I appreciate the honest advice! I get a lot of comments from friends/family/co-workers about how I should just take it already and stop pushing it. I'm really trying to keep my takes to 2 maximum which is why I've already pushed it twice. I guess I just thought I'd be further along by now, but working full time has set me back more than I expected.

Logician

Like @"Cant Get Right" said above, your takes are precious, especially given the new regulations. I completely understand the pressure you may feel from friends and family, but with that being said, IGNORE THEM. You’re the one studying for the exam, not them. Keep working hard and it will pay off. Good luck!

TheresaAnn

If you do not feel like you are studying as hard as you should, you should re-evaluate your approach. In the 152 range you can make huge improvements by being hyperaware of where you are lacking. Focus on one issue at a time with LR whether its timing or a question type. Start at the highest priority and whittle it down to the finer mistakes. Increasing to a 160 in a month is possible, if you need a study group or tutor to help find where exactly you need improvement do it. Really look into how you are studying, I believe in quality over quantity. I know the deadline for the April test is coming up. If you are not comfortable taking it don't sign up, if you already have study your butt off, you can improve to a 160+ with the right approach. BR intently, get that BR score up to 170. If you are still missing questions after BR review add them to a list and review them weekly. I purposely limited the amount of time I am studying before taking a test, obviously if I just am not there when the time comes I wont take it, but it formed a sense of urgency for me. It reminded me that I cant slack off and I need to go at this test in the way that are most efficient for me. Everyone's approach is different, so I suggest you take a long hard look at what youre doing, whats improving and whats not.

Iron-Han

I completed the CC less than a month ago and have taken two practice tests since. I’m already signed up for April because I pushed it from my orignal November test date after I decided to delay a cycle. It’s not a matter of not feeling like I’m not studying hard enough, it was more about the time constraint. But I think I’ve decided to delay to the end of summer and focus on foolproofing LG and going back to LR fundamentals. After that I’ll likely try another PT and evaluate where I stand. I feel like it makes sense to hold off on a tutor while I attempt to make some initial improvements into the 160s on my own. Thanks for the advice everyone!