PT Score Keeps Going Down.. #help!

L. Woods-2

Before I started any courses, I took a diagnostic and got a 154. I got powerscore, studied for two weeks, and got a 166. I was thrilled! If I went up 12 points in two weeks, surely I’d be scoring mid-170s and have my pick of schools - next stop Yale!

Months later reality has set in. I’ve finished powerscore, moved on to 7sage, but keep scoring low to mid 160s on PTs. Has anyone dealt with something like this? And if so, how did you break through to the next level?

Thank you so much.

help #HALP

Chris2022A

For sure. I want you to remember that progress isn't linear. There are going to be up days and down days- I've been at this two years, so I have had my fair share of both. Also recognize that the way this test is structured - to improve your score you have to miss fewer questions (obvious), but the margin for error becomes smaller and well... its harder to operate within narrow margins. It just is.

One thing that helped me is narrowing my focus. You're at a 160-163 (Great work) your next focus shouldn't be how can I get to 170, it should be how can i get to 164-167. Eventually you'll work your way to 170 land. Baby Steps

So that touches on why your scores plateau and stay the same, Your post heading says your scores are going down, and while I don't know what your habits are like (full time job/full-time student/night owl/early riser). I'd like to charge it to BURNOUT (yes, yes everyone says it) which is a thing, and its hard to navigate. There's a whole lot riding on this score, and how could you not think about it all the time? (I probably am projecting here) but if you're thinking about the test outside of a study session YOU ARE NOT taking a break. So how does one manage: I personally like to dive into a world thats not my own by reading, or playing APEX legends or just exercising and pretending that my lungs aren't on fire. A healthy separation from this test is crucial.

Okay so thats the mental piece which isn't directly LSAT related, how about actions you can do on your PT/Study Session? One thing that helped me is that I remember that Volume isn't always best. Quality is KEY, it does no good to do two timed test a week, if you haven't blind reviewed well/ at all. Another thing I've noticed is that the way you do blind review is just important as doing it in the first. If your blind review consists of you just picking another answer and not explaining why that may not be helpful.

Really good blind review (for me) consists of explaining why the wrong answers are wrong, the right answer, and the elements of the question that could trip me up (Was there verbose language, was "unless" or a pesky "only" in there) really break down why you got something wrong and what contributed to that error. Then really expand on that to large themes to review: it could conditional logic, finding an another, reviewing Bi conditionals, anything really.

A final thing that helped me even now was to really love and appreciate untimed sections and getting into the thick of question types. It removes the most stressful constraint (time) and can serve as a really good indicator of your progress/strengths/weaknesses. I don't like absolutes but if you're going 20/25 on an untimed section that may suggest that there is a gap somewhere or at the very minimum you need to review something.

Kudos if you've read all this, I apologize for the length, but this really resonated with me.

Now for some disclaimers: I am not a genius/master of the LSAT and do not hold the keys to kingdom (still here after two years, so that says something) everything here is based off bumping my own head and going around the block. Yes, there are several necessary assumptions (LOL) I've made in writing this but C'est La Vie

Best of luck on your journey - see you on the other side
Chris

Scott Milam

I tell my clients that a stagnant score indicates that you need to learn new tricks to progress!

What is your BR score? If it is substantially higher than your actual, then there is something about your timing that keeps you from closing the gap. If your BR is within 3 points of your actual, then chances are that you need to improve your understanding of the fundamentals (lawgic, lowres or understanding question types) to improve your score.

If you’d like, add me as a study buddy and I’ll take a look at your analytics!

L. Woods-2

@Chris2022A thank you so much for the thoughtful response. I really appreciate you taking the time.

I do work full time so burnout and stress is definitely a factor. The blind review seems like a great tool. I’ve just done one Blind review since turning to 7sage and got a 169, so it seems like I’ll need to refocus on the fundamentals if I want to improve on the test.

Your idea about focuses on nailing down every detail of untamed sections seems like a great way forward- trying to push through and up my speed seems to be hurting my accuracy.

@"Scott Milam" I’ve been taking the tests in Powerscore so my analytics may not show up but for PTs I’ve gotten 154,166,161, 160, 164,164,162.

Really appreciate the feedback here and thank you both for your replies.

shrek takes the lsat

Your attitude is hindering you here. The jump from the 150s to 160s is easily attainable. The jump from 160 to 170 takes an incredibly higher amount of time and energy. You need to recalibrate that expectation or else your failure to fulfill it will drive up your frustration and thus down your scores.

L. Woods-2

@"shrek takes the lsat" thanks for your comment! Seems like getting rid of my expectations will help me approach it with a clear head.

Lizardking-1

Drink 2 GoGirls before your next PT, and you'll achieve the score you're seeking. A 154 to a 170 shouldn't take more than 2-3 days.