Low/mid 160s to goal 175+ : how long should I expect to study?

Comments

• equallyyoked Alum Member

  March 2021 474 karma

  I have heard that you should aim for -0 on Logic games. That will increase it a bit if you do that regularly.
  When did you start studying?
• elliaddagan Member

  March 2021 144 karma

  How many practice tests have you taken? I think June or August are realistic. June even. The most difficult part will be getting from low 170s to high/mid 170s.
• havinagrattim Member

  March 2021 edited March 2021 94 karma

  If you just started studying and this is your diagnostic, I think June is definitely realistic depending on how much time you have to study, and I'd aim to take at least one PT/week and 2 if you have time. How much time is enough time? This really depends on the person. Some people can get away with 8 hours/week, while other do 4-6 hours/day. To determine this, I think you'll need to reflect on how much you've done so far, how far you've come, etc.

  However, if you've been studying for awhile, and you're still around a 160 then I think August is more realistic.

  I'll say that the people who have scored a 175+ that I've spoken to have spent at last 3 months studying around 4 hours most if not every day of the week. Obviously this is anecdotal, but it's the plan that I intend on following based on what I've heard/read. Ultimately, what's most important is that you're studying effectively. How long you study won't really matter unless you're doing it correctly. Again, this also depends on the individual. For example, if you spend a week drilling a certain question type and you're not improving then you might need to change your approach.

  Personally, I was struggling with LG because I was specifically told not to spend time erasing, so I kept redrawing boards. However, after about 2 weeks of struggling with time, I started erasing and found that this was a significantly better strategy for me, and it has allowed me to pretty consistently go -0/-1 (still working on that 1) and finish on time. Sometimes it's super small things

  If you're struggling with LR, try Loophole if you haven't. I've heard great things, but I'm only on the first few chapters, so I can't say much yet. It's super straight forward, conversational, and I think it's only about 12 chapter, which take about 45 min-1 hour to reach if you're really taking your time and taking notes, so you'd only have to read 1-2 ch/day and you'd be done in no time. My only other advice for LR is the pretty standard stuff like seeing if there's a certain question type that you're struggling with, slowing down, skipping time sinks then coming back later.
• 1 Like

  pjordanson Member

  March 2021 15 karma

  I don't have anything exact, but here is my experience so far.

  My diagnostic score was exactly 160 and I was pretty even across the board in terms of strengths/weaknesses between the sections, with a slight strength for RC. Since then, I've studied for about three months (relatively steady at about 15-20 hours per week) and my score has gone up to almost 170 (scoring 168/169 pretty consistently). My blind reviews are around 172/173, which makes me think that the questions that I'm missing are simply due to moving too fast, mental slips, etc. My goal is also around 175.

  I'll echo what "equallyyoked" said---the biggest thing that you should look to improve is getting -0 on LG. I'm getting closer to that point, and on my last PT, if I had scored -0 I would have gotten a 173, I believe. I started out averaging -6 on LG, now I'm averaging -3. I'm pretty confident that with another three months of studying I can approach a PT average of about 173/4. I'm not sure how much that provides regarding insight for your situation, but I figured I would share what ~200 hours of studying has gotten me thus far.

  Best of luck as you go. I'm confident a 175+ score can be in your future. Just remember, short term outcomes shouldn't sway you. If you stick with it you WILL see your score go up!
• 1 Like

  havinagrattim Member

  March 2021 94 karma

  This is so irrelevant, but I thought'd I clarify erasing on LG. I don't mean to erase whole board, as obviously they're incredibly helpful to look back at. I just meant if there are few inferences and you kind of have to do trial and error, instead of scratching out or having to draw a whole new board because it gets messy and confusing, I erase
• 1 Like

  tonyahardzinski Core Member

  March 2021 307 karma

  @havinagrattim said:
  This is so irrelevant, but I thought'd I clarify erasing on LG. I don't mean to erase whole board, as obviously they're incredibly helpful to look back at. I just meant if there are few inferences and you kind of have to do trial and error, instead of scratching out or having to draw a whole new board because it gets messy and confusing, I erase

  I am the same way with LG now... I write the main board with my pen, and use a pencil for sketching/erasing anything and my score is improving because I'm not wasting time rewriting even partial boards
• 7 Likes

  howdoichangemyavatar Free Trial Member

  March 2021 52 karma

  June/August 2021 is definitely realistic, especially so if you are doing prep full-time.

  I went from 150 to 177 over 7 months of prep. I did 3 months of lax prep while in school (2-3 hours a week, just learning the basics). Then 4 months of intensive prep (15 - 25 hours a week doing PTs, timed sections, and lots of untimed drilling). When it was all said and done, I'd taken 31 PTs, and dissected at least 5 (for timed sections).

  You'll definitely want a consistent -0 on LG for a 175+ though, so don't shy away from more prep there. I'd also warn you about fatigue, especially as you start seeing longer score plateaus the higher you go. Don't be afraid to take a week off. You'll come back to lower score, but that is only temporary.

  I did this when I hit 169 and saw my scoring plateaus go from 3-5 tests to 7+ tests. I came back from my break to a lower PT for my next two tests, but then broke through that plateau with a 5 point increase. The LSAT takes a lot of focus and energy and sometimes you just need a fresh set of eyes.
• 123anami Member

  March 2021 388 karma

  @howdoichangemyavatar said:
  June/August 2021 is definitely realistic, especially so if you are doing prep full-time.

  I went from 150 to 177 over 7 months of prep. I did 3 months of lax prep while in school (2-3 hours a week, just learning the basics). Then 4 months of intensive prep (15 - 25 hours a week doing PTs, timed sections, and lots of untimed drilling). When it was all said and done, I'd taken 31 PTs, and dissected at least 5 (for timed sections).

  You'll definitely want a consistent -0 on LG for a 175+ though, so don't shy away from more prep there. I'd also warn you about fatigue, especially as you start seeing longer score plateaus the higher you go. Don't be afraid to take a week off. You'll come back to lower score, but that is only temporary.

  I did this when I hit 169 and saw my scoring plateaus go from 3-5 tests to 7+ tests. I came back from my break to a lower PT for my next two tests, but then broke through that plateau with a 5 point increase. The LSAT takes a lot of focus and energy and sometimes you just need a fresh set of eyes.

  Really needed to read this, great advice, thank you!