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LSAT Potential Score
Hi 7Sage Community, I took my first practice test, with no knowledge of the LSAT back in late June 2017 and got a 148. I've been studying since then, but not as much as I could, and last weekend my score was 158, and 160 BR. I'm wondering if anyone on here has started with a score under 150, and excelled past 170? Is it possible if I put the time in before the June 2018 exam?
I've always done horribly on standardized tests, and the LSAT is no exception, even though I understand the tricks of the test makers a lot more than I ever understood the SAT (which I put minor time into studying for because I lacked self-discipline and time management skills in high school, even though I got all A-s and As in my Honors and AP classes through hard work and cram studying). I also have ADHD so that really doesn't help with the challenging time constraints of the LSAT.
Thank you!!
Comments
Hi there! Yes, there are absolutely people around here who have gone from the 140s into the 170s. Our resident sage in these matters is @"Cant Get Right". There's also a webinar here detailing a few of these stories: https://7sage.com/webinar/our-89-point-increase-story/
Your goal is absolutely achievable with a lot of hard work, but I think doing that by June is going to be really tough. I think probably a more realistic timetable would be by December or next Spring, but everyone is different and has different amounts of time to devote to this.
For reference, my diagnostic was 155 and it took me from about March of last year until end of November or so to reach the upper 160s consistently, and I have yet to crack 170. There have been a few months of lower effort though, so I would say it took me about 7 months or so of really consistent studying to get to a 168-169 average. And as your scores increase, every point is a lot harder to come by. It can be a long process even to get from where I am right now at the very top of the 160s into the lower 170s.
So yes, your goal is achievable, but I think your timeline is going to be very tough.
Hi. Yes it's definitely possible. I am one example, and there are many others. So don't give up on your goal. At the end of the day, however, I feel like all you can do is try your best and be happy with the final outcome (even if you don't cross that 170). If you know you tried and put all you had into the prep, there should never be a reason to be down on yourself for any outcome. You should also keep in mind that tons of people have got into some amazing schools, and even got scholarships, with scores below 170.
Now in regards to your timeline, and the June LSAT. It's hard to say because I believe that different people have different sticking points on the 120-180 scale, as well as different numbers of hours per week they can put into the prep. For example note the post above by @"Leah M B" and her timeline. I, on the other hand, was stuck at 160 for a while, then jumped between 160 to 167 really quickly, before getting stuck again at 167/168 for months. But the general thinking is that the higher your score gets, the more difficult it is to go higher. With this in mind, I want to revert to my previous point: do your best in prepping for the June exam, and evaluate your progression along the way. If you see that you aren't scoring in your goal range, and are able to postpone till September, I would suggest doing that.
Good luck on your studies!
Hi zoer1234 ,
Absolutely, it is possible to go from the 148 to 170s even possibly 180 if you put in the work and study hard. You will get there. You can put in for accommodated testing to give you more time due the ADHD and have it documented by a license psychologist with the info that LSAT requires. This would give you a shot at the exam. The best that LSAC gives for amount of time for LSAT is 50 minutes. You won't have the experimental section. You would have a 4 section test. You take about 20 minute break between the 3rd and 4th section. Here is info on accomodated test from LSAC.
https://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/accommodated-testing
With ADHD, it takes longer to process info. There is nothing with that. LSAC will give you a letter stating your accommodations for the testing from your LSAC profile when register for the test. You would get it about 2 weeks before the test. You would keep it with your test ticket and present it at the testing site. Take your time learning the test before you are ready. Never take the test until you are ready. what may take a person without ADHD 2-4 months,you may need longer to prepare. Take your time and get right at your speed.
Hi All,
Thank you so much for your responses, they are very inspirational. The largest factor discouraging me from taking the LSAT in September is the 8:30 start time vs. the 12:30 start time in June. I know I will do exponentially better if I take the LSAT in the afternoon instead of the early morning.
I've also considered submitting my paperwork from a licensed psychiatrist with the ADHD diagnosis, but was skeptical it would be recent enough, as the testing was done in October/November of 2014. I've even considered getting a neuro-psychological test performed again to more recently have a confirmed diagnosis for ADHD but was unsure if it all could happen before the May 1st deadline for registering for the June LSAT.
@LSATSniper --it sounds like you received accommodations? If so, how recent was your ADHD diagnosis to the test date?
Thanks again!
Hi zoer1234,
I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. I had it documented. I was able to get the accommodations. I took the LSAT back in 2005 and got a 164 with accomodations. I am retaking it because my old LSAT score is past 7 years. All of my medical records are update now. I have the accommodations again. If you get the medical record before May, you should be fine and LSAC will look at it and determine if what is requested will be granted. You would get a letter with your test ticket for the accommodations. I am doing the June test because I am not a morning person. I prepping since last July. I am ready for it. I have much better grasp of the material now. I am ranging between 176-180. My diagnostic was 169 back in July 2017. It is like batting practice in a batting cage.
Have you tried seeing if waking up earlier before the time you take a practice LSAT makes a difference in your performance? I'm definitely not a morning person, but by waking up several hours before the official start of the exam I was able to be plenty awake by the start time.
You don't want to end up not having accomodations, not being able to retake, or not being able to delay until you are ready to take because you can't test in the morning unless you really can't test in the morning. If you PT worse in the morning, but are not waking up a few hours before your PT then you might not be giving the morning tests a fair shot. As far as I know the June test is the only test not in the morning so having to do that one could be the source of a lot of unnecessary stress.