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Third-Time LSAT Taker

cloopdedoopcloopdedoop Member
in General 14 karma

Hi! Wondering how to study differently for my third time (technically fourth time but I took July and cancelled it because I ended up getting the same exact score as my second LSAT). I have already taken essentially every relevant practice test in the year + that I studied, and I don't necessarily need to review the basics (I have a thorough understanding of the test concepts).

I am starting studying again in January and taking the April 2020 test. I think I need to put less pressure on myself and focus on self care more this time around, because I consistently practiced 5 points higher than what I score on test day. But I am just not sure how to study this time around besides just taking practice tests like every weekend and doing a really good job on blind review.

Any and all advice is appreciated!

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  • masimasi Alum Member
    170 karma

    Same boat as you. Taking the test third time around on April 2020. First test taken was December 2015. Studied for it but it was mediocre type of studying. Took Princeton Review ultimate course to prepare for it. Took time off finsished my degree and started studying July 2019 again. After studying on and off between 2015 and 2019 there was no consistency in my studies. The most consistent studying I have done is from July 2019 to Nov/2019. Took the Nov test. I don't feel like I did well (trying to get 175+) now studying again with 7sage for the April 2020. Aside from doing blind review taking full PT's and doing timed sections. I am not sure there is anything else to do. Basically my regime is do a full PT review it work on my weak parts and repeat. Not sure what else to do. The test is consuming my life and I don't want to give up. If you get any advise on how to do anything different do share PLEASE!!

  • Achen165Achen165 Member
    656 karma

    As a veteran LSAT student, preparing for what I hope to be my final take has been fueled by mere frustration....studying differently than I have in the past, giving it time, and effort is at the core of it. Your review process may need to be more detailed so you have insight into your errors and how to avoid them to be able to hit your target. You need to get to the point where you don’t simply nod your head at the right answer, or even simply think that sort of makes sense, from every error you make in LR/RC you should have a detailed reason of right/wrong and a takeaway to apply to similar questions of that type. Track your thinking as you move through questions, and passages and have a clear understanding of the errors you make, log them and make a plan to fix them. Create a system that works for you, and if you don’t feel that you can do that find a tutor to guide you. I use a system of charts to track my errors. There’s a lot of information and knowing how to allocate time strategically is potentially valuable. I have found value in consulting many foundational resources. Some were hits, some were missed yet they were all used with the intention of trying to “think like the test maker” to have a discerning eye so that I could assess my errors and strengthen my abilities to spot errors I was making, logging them and correcting them.

    Studying for a long time has meant the emergence of a new format that has required me to transition to more digital practice. I am doing digital problem sets like crazy and logging my errors. The digital tester is great because it shows you how you spend time. Beyond that, I am doing problem sets of games repeatedly FPM, writing out my own explanations for LR and RC. Having insight as to what exactly goes wrong during timed practice, I feel, is the best way to know how you perform under time constraints, and to establish a natural rhythm so that you can hit your target on test day.

  • taschasptaschasp Alum Member Sage ⭐
    796 karma

    Well, it depends. What's holding you back? Are you running out of time on the sections, or getting questions wrong despite having enough time? A little more context might help, especially to understand where your weak points are.

    And how are you studying when doing your PTs? One thing I did that I recommend is, in addition to the Blind Review method, when you are tallying up your answers, just glance quickly between the answer sheet and your answers and write down on a separate paper the numbers of the questions that you got wrong (like "S4Q13")--without writing the correct answer or the answer that you put. Then, go back through the questions you marked as incorrect and give yourself more time to look at them. It's sort of like blind review, but instead of giving yourself extra time on questions that seem subjectively difficult while you're doing the test, you're going back and re-doing questions you objectively got wrong, but without knowing what the right answer is.

    As for the test day discrepancy, I practiced a lot in coffee shops, mall food courts, etc--wherever felt really distracting. I even practiced while holding my pee, or while starving myself. Basically, I figured if I could do well under those conditions, I could do well on test day.

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