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1 Like
Taking 1st Diagnostic Prep Test
C.M. Hethcox
Member
I have no experience at all with the LSAT except for the 1st 4 lessons on here. Should I do the diagnostic test now or should I come back after I’ve done some more of the course work? I know that the point of a diagnostic is to gauge where I stand, but I don’t even know what the test looks like or what kind of questions to expect…is it worth it to bomb the first one out of inexperience or would it be more productive to wait until I see how the test questions are formatted?
Comments
Members of this community have been split on this issue at least since I joined. My own opinion is that a diagnostic so early in one's prep is not helpful because you don't even know enough to properly BR the exam; you haven't learned strategies to approach each question or practiced lawgic yet for example. I think that the June 2007 test is put to much better use by delaying your diagnostic until after completing the cc.
The arguments for it seem to be: (1) no harm no foul and (2) get a taste of the real thing.
There's something to be said for both of those points but I've said my peace. Whatever you decide, best of luck!
That's what I was thinking. I'm going to wait a few weeks and then take it. Thanks
I'd really encourage you to go for it. There's two possible outcomes:
1. You bomb it
2. You surprise yourself
Both of these outcomes will give you productive information about how you do on certain sections naturally, that is without experience. You probably won't get the score you dream of, but that's expected. Studying for the LSAT is hard, and you're likely to meet some significant roadblocks in your studying. Embracing failure is necessary in order to improve. Also, don't worry you'll be taking many more tests. Then you'll get your dream score.
I bombed my diagnostic test, but I've climbed much higher since then. Good luck with whatever you chose!
I think taking a diagnostic without any other prep is important
You should have a basic understanding of the thing that you're preparing for. It costs you almost nothing to take it (a few hours) but helps you understand the depth and scale and difficulty of the test. It's also highly motivating to see how far you've come when you're months down the road.
I think a diagnostic does more than just simply tell you where you stand. It also helps you to study better. If you're trying to learn to swim, you can read all the books on swimming, but until you jump in and try it for yourself a lot of what you read in those books will be useless.
I'm on team take-a-cold-diagnostic. I did, before I knew that it was recommended haha. I was just toying with the idea of law school and found the free test on LSAC's site and decided to take it, just to see how I'd do without any background knowledge. I surprised myself and did decently, and it was extra motivating for me.
I like having that benchmark to see where I truly started from. Some people bomb it, some do really well, and most people are somewhere in the middle. But I think it's good background to have so you know which sections are naturally harder or easier for you, and can see how much progress you make.
I also think the true diagnostic is helpful. I think it helps inform the CC a bit better... JR talks about strategy throughout the CC and I think it will click better in your mind having already taken a real and timed PT.
Also cool to have a true idea of how far you've come.
I like the cold diagnostic if for no other reason than that you should know how far you have come over the course of your prep. If you don't take one, you miss out on knowing about some of your gains.
That said, a diagnostic after the CC will probably give you a better idea of how hard you will need to work to get the score you want. Some people experience significant gains in there first bit of exposure to the LSAT. Others do not. However, for almost everyone it is a long slow slog to progress after those first couple weeks.
I think @jkatz1488 makes some really good points here.
I took the cold diagnostic and it was SO, SO helpful. For one, it helped me to see which sections I naturally was better at and which ones were way more of a struggle. It really helped to focus my studying afterwards. And if you do decently, it can also give you some confidence moving forwards.
What I also like about my diagnostic is that it provided a great place to measure my progress from, which provided a much-needed motivation boost at times. Even when I was feeling down on myself, it was a great thing to see how much I'd improved since my cold test!
Which PT would you advise me to take as diagnostic test?
@TChalla June 2007.