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Serious Help with Retaking Lsat

jbanafjbanaf Alum Member
in General 9 karma

Hi all. First time posting, so if i do/say something obnoxious, please spare me.
I self studied for the lsat for about 8 months (from february till the past september) and took the september lsat. I was also stupid during this time and decided to take the june test when I wasnt prepared at all and was way overconfident in my abilities (When i took the test, my average was probably a 170, but that was a 170 average by taking only 4 section tests instead of 5 section ones, and practicing without bubbling (which can cost over a minute a section)). In the end, I also wasn't feeling so well on the test day and I got a 163. Obviously that sucks, but I totally understand the 7 point drop from my average, simply because that was a very inflated average score and i wasnt able to perform at 100%.
During my time studying, i had a bunch of ups and downs, but by the end (as in, between july and september), i was consistently scoring in the 175+ range. I had used almost all the powerscore materials, had been using 7sage stuff, and had used up basically almost all the preptests. When it came to the test though, my score ended up being a 167.
Now, i know that your score drops a few points from your average, but my average for my last 10 tests was at least a 176.
I don't know where I went wrong on the test because it was a sabbath observer test and can't see my mistakes.
If I had to guess i'd say I got a pretty good score on LR (I finished both of those sections with a couple of minutes remaining), missed a couple of points on games (the last problem was seriously hard), and I know that RC felt super super difficult and I barely understood a word of some of the passages, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that that was the section that got me.

My question is this:
I want to retake to actually hit my potential (or at least get close to it) - how should i study for it again?
To be honest, It's hard to locate specific weaknesses I have, because on practice tests I've gotten even 180s before. I just want to get to the point where even on test day, that 180 practice can turn into a 180 (or even 173) on the test.
It's not that I have anxiety when i take the real test, or anything like that - which makes it harder to solve the problem**. I just want to be able to get to the point where absolutely no matter what is thrown at me, I can make sure to hit very close to my average score.**
That all being said - how should i study? Should I get a tutor? Would a tutor be able to help me (seeing that I already know the concepts really well). I need more of a study technique and study plan thatll get me to the point to translate my practice scores into real scores.

ANY and ALL help is really really appreciated.

[also, side note: I was satisfied with my score and even applied to a bunch of law schools this past october, but over time i realized i'd come to regret not reaching my potential (after all, it could save a bunch of money down the line), and i wanted to work anyway].

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Comments

  • LindsMitchLindsMitch Alum Member
    589 karma

    Bummer not being able to see where you went wrong, I took the LSAT abroad this past September, which means my score breakdown is also not available to me. Quite frustrating !

    Have you been tracking your PTs using 7sage's analytics feature? This may provide some insight into problem areas, if there is indeed a pattern. Though it is for sure strange to consistently be a high 170s scorer and then to end up with a 167 on test day. Like you said, a few points above or below may be normal, but that is quite a drop, even accounting for a particularly difficult RC section.

    Do you struggle with test-taking anxiety or anything else that could have significantly affected your performance on test day? Because it sounds to me like you know your way around the test quite well and probably just need to be doing maintenance to keep the material fresh while waiting for the next test date. Of course if you do find you are underperforming on any particular section or question type, drill those, but otherwise I'm not quite sure.

    Haha I'm unhelpful.

  • Tom_TangoTom_Tango Alum Member
    902 karma

    Way too much rationalizing. Just study and take it again.

  • studyingandrestudyingstudyingandrestudying Core Member
    5254 karma

    If you sat for a June exam on a Monday, then you'd get the breakdowns, right?

  • Seeking PerfectionSeeking Perfection Alum Member
    edited January 2018 4423 karma

    I took the normal September test as a retake and ended up with a 180 with a PT average going in that was similar to yours.

    Did you end up with the same test as normal September takers?

    If so the games shouldn't have been hard. They are my weakest section and I remember being relieved at how easy they were. If it is the same test and you struggled with the games, I would recommend foolproofing logic games of a similar type to the one you missed. The Reading Comp section on Judicial Candor did throw a lot of people off though.

    Additionally, have you had any PTs which dropped that low before? If so, drill whatever sections and problem types you struggled with. If not, it seems difficult to say it is not related to test day anxiety. Afterall, you have dramatically under performed on test day twice.

    Regardless, it might be a good idea to practice some sort of relaxation techniques(maybe meditation or deep breathing) either to help you conquer general test day anxiety or to help you calm down if you get rattled struggling with a single game or passage because you don't want that to carry over to the other sections and hopefully not even out of the individual passage or game.

    Edit: I sympathize on not getting the breakdowns. I was retaking from last Febraury and the February test is undisclosed.

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