*Advice* fluctuating prep test score

Comments

• jpgreenstein Member

  August 2020 136 karma

  Spend a day reviewing the PT, go through every single question without the explanation and see if you can come up with the answer on your own. Reread all the passages and just do it till you understand. Then take a couple days off of the LSAT and relax. You need time to process your mistakes and to learn.
• ahnendc-1 Member

  August 2020 642 karma

  Couldn’t be more normal. When you first start out, you are going to have certain weak spots and because the test fluctuates somewhat in terms of what it focuses on you are going to perform better on the tests that play to your strengths and vice-versa; not to mention that luck is a real factor.
• 3 Likes

  Logician Alum Member Sage ⭐

  August 2020 edited August 2020 2464 karma

  Couple of things to note:

  1) consistency takes time and a lot of practice. I know high scorers who could score anywhere from 180 on their best day to 168 on their worst. So being able to hit a certain score does not mean you should expect to hit that score or a comparable score every time you take a PT. Your goal is to diminish that variance as much as possible, which takes time.

  2) A better metric would be to look at the average of x number of PT’s (be sure to have an adequate sample size). Then you’ll see that variance is normal; that low score was just at the bottom end of your range. So you’re essentially just trying to raise your bottom end once you get to your desired score.

  3) don’t let your score determine your worth- I know this is easier said than done. But try to think about it rationally, our goal (as people taking the LSAT) is to get a certain score, should we really attach emotions to the scores we got in practice en route to that goal? a PT score should be used for analytical purposes, think of it as a job, if you get a low score you have to analyze why/what went wrong. Getting upset/sad about it isn’t going to fix it in the future (I know, easier said that done, we are human after all), nor will that mindset benefit you. I found that when I started being more objective about my process my attachment/emotional response to scores changed dramatically, which definitely helped me overall.

  Lastly, on those inevitable days when you just feel crushed, take a step away from the LSAT and look at the bigger picture of life, go do something you enjoy and let yourself forget about the test.