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Related Discussions
15 Likes
Fear of Taking Practice Test
ddramaqueen
Alum Member
I am taking the Oct and Nov LSAT but I haven't taken a practice test in a month. I keep planning on taking them but then I get scared seeing if my score won't increase. Does anyone else go through this or know how to overcome it? I know I have to take them in order to improve my score but I am scared to see no improvement after another month of studying and doing better on my drills.
Comments
Okay I am going to tell you something I am doing which everyone thinks is crazy. I DON'T LOOK AT MY SCORES. I NEVER LOOK AT MY SCORES. I have anxiety too. And the more I feed into certain things the worse it gets. Scoring leads me to comparing myself to myself which is insane because I AM doing the best I can every day. So I advise you to do the same. Take the test...see which answers you get wrong and figure out why you got them wrong. But don't look at the score. The score is at the finish line..and this is a long marathon
I felt the same way for the longest time but I wished I started taking PTs sooner. I dreaded taking PTs until this one time where I saw my highest score yet after that PT now all I want to do is take PTs.
it's definitely a mental barrier that you just have to push through. there will times when your PTs score is not what you're hoping for but don't lose spirit; make that your inspiration to push even harder! that's what I tell myself anyway...
Hey! I also have anxiety and practice tests sometimes felt like mountains to me. However, they did help me to feel more comfortable with the test itself and build up my endurance for test day. Also, taking practice tests in public places like a nice coffee shop was super helpful and took the pressure off.
I just took the Sept and taking 2 practice tests the week before actually helped my confidence a lot - a consistent or high score can really make a difference. So do your best, but if you're panicking the whole practice test I wouldn't force it or else you might spiral.
Good luck!
hey! i am going through the same thing: i'm also taking the oct and nov lsats, and I just took my first PT after feeling anxious about it for a while. i was definitely nervous, but after doing BR, taking the test is much less intimidating. I also am starting to take timed sections when I can so the time constraint on the full test is not as big a source of stress. honestly, it makes me feel better that someone else has this fear too-- i thought it was just me-- but we got this!
i would get over it
I had a panic attack during my first ever diagnostic. I sat for the real thing this past Friday, and did not have a panic attack. Some anxiety sure, but you get over the anxiety by preparing the best you can for test day. If I can do it, I have no doubt in my mind you can too.
Take LSAT as a mindathon, your mindset won't change that quick, you will have your cookie cutter moment. I have that PT anxiety as well, even JY take all the PTs twice!
I was having awful anxiety with practice tests as well. Best way to get over that anxiety for me was repetition, for me that was 7 tests a week. I took them at the same time of day. This way, it just felt like I was just going by a schedule rather than having this HUGE event about to happen. Did this for 2 months straight and improved 15 points on PT's and 14 points between my diagnostic and my August LSAT score. I hope this helps!
Thank you everyone!!! I took one last night and my score increased (with BR) 7 points from last time!!! Just need 10-15 point increase for the NOV LSAT (praying oct but we'll see)!!!
I actually want to add a comment here. This thread is really helping me feel better. I have the same fear! I have 0 issues doing drills for days but for some reason the practice tests make me feel extremely insecure. I am going to hold myself accountable here and declare that I am going to start doing full length practice tests before the november lsat. I work full time so it’s hard for me but I am going to reach my goal of increasing my lsat score by 6+ points. It’s hard being disciplined and holding yourself accountable but I am going to take practice tests and do it. No excuses!!
You got this! Everything you are feeling most of us are feeling too. And it was felt by the people who go on to crush the test. It's natural. We just have to be patient and kind with ourselves and never ever give up!
Try to view these tests as opportunities for growth and learning. The insights you gain from them will ultimately contribute to your success on the LSAT. Keep your focus on the long-term goal, and with persistence and dedication, you'll likely see the improvements you're working towards. Keep going, and you've got this!
It's important to have big goals, but do not let immediate fear of failure determine your mentality and confidence for the long run. When I first started with my diagnostic of 151, I set a goal for myself of hitting 174. I would get anxious about PTs because I wanted to see immediate progress, but I wasn't really seeing it. This changed when I started focusing on the short term. Set small goals for yourself like "I am going to miss one less LR question today than my average," or "I am going to try to master one type of LG in the next few weeks." I promise when you view the test as a marathon and not a sprint, you will build a lot more confidence, and your test anxiety will start to go down as well!
Hello! Just wanted to say thank you for your vulnerability on here because reading through these comments was so helpful! And thanks to everyone for sharing the methods that worked best for them as well. I'm taking the October and November LSATs and didn't start taking PT's until September (I took 2 this whole month, once the first week, and once yesterday).
I have to say, I started telling myself that when it comes down to it, facing the truth of where I'm at with my score, whatever it may be, will prove to be a more productive method than anxiously tip-toeing around taking a PT. If I have a realistic perspective of where I'm at, I can then make decisions in my studying to cater to my weak points!
Also, know this: IT IS POSSIBLE to get the score you want. It's not as scary as it is in your head. Your brain is malleable, it just needs practice. There are tons of success stories with this exam, but each of them started the same way where fear was overcome through practice. We got this! Good luck
i'm glad i'm not the only crazy person who acts like PT's are the real exam this entire comment section made me feel less insane
Right in with all of you! I will say my diagnostic was 159 and after that have not earned a score even near as high. My last couple exams I had earned a 157 which was ok but then on this last one I was super sure of myself and ended up getting a 149. I went in and reviewed all my questions and realized that because I was super tired and I made very small mistakes like getting an answer wrong because I did not know one word or even choosing an answer that I meant to cross out (this happened a lot). I kind of started coming in with a mentality that I can get more answers right if I just rest and focus since most of my errors have been tiny things. For logic games I am still a struggle bus but I know I can improve.
There is hope in Blind Review. I find getting a higher blind review score helps with this. But I just love taking practice test. I love the pressure. Sometimes I have to slow down and focus on the fundamentals.
The "evidence"one obtains by taking a PT test IS scary. I am guilty of shying away from taking PT tests too.
Despite this, I believe the more data you get, the more routine taking the test becomes (same time, same conditions, same format), the more aware one becomes of where their score actually is. This is the preparation required to do well on this test.
It shocks me to hear that people take the Test having not really taken practice tests and are then shocked to hear their score. I think the opposite is the goal. One should have taken the test so many times that they know what score they will get with a high degree of certainty. They are clear! They are prepared.
I will shift to committing to take more PT tests too. Thank you all for sharing and pushing me to jump in. If I do what I say, then I will not be one of those people I mentioned before who are surprised hearing their test score! I want to know and feel good day of! good luck everyone
Thank you for commenting this! Like many others here, reading this thread has made me feel a lot better.
I am also taking the Oct and Nov and am feeling a little discouraged that my score hasn't been increasing the way I want it to...I'm going to listen to the advice here and try to take regular PTs to get more comfortable with the length and format.
I'm struggling a little bit with figuring out what the best balance is between PTs and just drilling timed sections. My LR in particular has really been really hard to improve - so frustrating! I even bought and read the Loophole book but still having trouble. My first PT post core curriculum was great and I'm afraid it was a fluke
I almost feel like maybe i'm overthinking everything now...If anyone has been feeling similar or has any tips for anything mentioned here please LMK!!!
Grateful for this community here!!