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Related Discussions
Stuck in the low 160s
Hey! I took the August LSAT after consistently scoring around 160-164. I got a 158 on the real deal. Since then, because I'm a full time student, I have not had much time to study or improve. I've since taken two more PTs and gotten a 161 and 162. I do not struggle with a specific question type, but typically the highest level of difficulty (though even that is pretty inconsistent). I am retaking in November and would like to feel a little more secure when it comes to hitting my goal of somewhere in the 160s on the real thing. I simply do not know how to improve, as I know different approaches work for different people. As of right now, my plan is to keep drilling and just go over every single wrong answer to try and weed out any bad habits I might not realize I have. Feeling not so great to be honest lol
Comments
Question type is independent of the method of reasoning employed by the question. By extension, question type does not necessarily mean a person is tackling the gaps or flaws in the argument.
So for me, it's become gospel to take my time with every single question I encounter. It might sound simple, but it has done wonders for my progress. I stop after every sentence (or paragraph for RC) and put it into my own words if I need to. I spot the logical gap, if possible. I ask myself if I really understand the stimulus. Because if I don't, I am going to fail. Oftentimes, I would convince myself that I get the general gist of a question and then try to select an answer choice which, unsurprisingly, is the wrong one. After I go through all the ACs, select an answer, and review, I ask myself: Why did I get it right? Why did I get it wrong? Could I confidently explain my answer choice to a layperson?
I was stuck in the low 150s for quite a while, but am now scoring in the mid-high 160s. By simply slowing down, I found tremendous improvement. Four and five star questions still stump me from time to time, but I know what I need to do to keep improving. It's just a lengthy process and you have to have patience with yourself.
Best of luck to you!! Keep at it and I know you'll keep improving!
I suggest taking a break from full practice tests and focusing more on drilling. That strategy helped me boost my score by 15 points. It’s also important to take breaks to avoid burnout.
Make sure to review your wrong answers and consider keeping a "wrong answer journal" if you don’t already have one. Talk through your thought process for each question: explain in simple terms why you chose the wrong answer, why the right one is correct, and what you can do to improve next time. I know this might sound a bit silly, but changing my approach to the LSAT really made a huge difference for me. I started viewing it as an exciting challenge. Try to make your study process enjoyable—like I love drilling in cafes and I always get a sweet treat after a PT lol.
You're very smart and already doing well, and a score of 158 is impressive (in the 68th percentile). Good luck! Remember, things always work out in the end, and everything will fall into place
This really helps a lot!!! I do find myself getting a bit careless when it comes to giving each question my full attention, and this mindset will definitely help me out. Mid-high 160s is awesome, and good luck to you too!!
Okay first of all- the sweet treat part is so real, truly the best motivation. I do need to work on reminding myself that (even though it's hell a lot of the time) this whole experience is a great learning opportunity! Thank you so so much for your support and encouragement, the same goes for you
You are going to do amazing on the exam don't be too stressed. My tip if you want to see a jump in scores is to 1) get used to working when you are tired and 2) being slow and methodical when analyzing your mistakes.
When I first took my diagnostic over a year ago I scored about a 155 (i dont remember exactly). I studied for about 3 months full time. I was fortunate to not have school or work. I ended up scoring a 169 on the exam. I then didnt touch anything to do with the lsat for an entire year. I decided a few weeks ago that i would try to bump my score since I knew I could do better, and i have only given myself one month before i have to take the exam (not advisable, but oh well). The other day I scored a 177 (with no blind review) which is the highest i have ever scored. And that is after only having re-studied 2.5 weeks (very very intensely). In two weeks i managed to do every single logical reasoning lesson and foundational lesson, on top of having a full time job. This was about 100 hours worth of studying on top of my 8-5 job. I was studying pretty much all day saturday and sunday. And from 6 PM - 11 PM every day of the week, even on fridays. My phone screentime went from a daily average of 6 hours a day, to 1 hour and 22 minutes. To be honest, it sucks lol. However, the reason I point this out is that I used to notice that i would get tired during the second half of the exam. However, since I have been training my brain for the past two weeks to focus on the material even when i am dead tired from work, getting through the exam fully rested on a saturday or sunday seems easy in comparison.
Additionally, one thing that I do, and this may be too much, is I hand write every single question that i get wrong. The entire question stimulus and stem for logical reasoning and the only the question stem for reading comprehension. Underneath the question I put what the right answer is. I then put a one to two sentence explanation for why that is the right answer. Then underneath that I write about one full paragraph about why i got it wrong. I hyper-analyze it. I truly try to get to the root of my issue. The trick i learned is to ask myself why five times. For example, "Why did you get [Question B] wrong? Oh i missed the word "not" in the answer choice. Why did you miss the word "not"? I was rushing. Why were you rushing on this question? Oh I had felt i spent too much time on the last question. Why did you spend so much time on the last question (Question A)? I struggle with RRE questions....". This is just an example of how this style led me to realize that my problem was not with question B but rather a completely separate question that i did get right. It wasn't that i was incapable of answering question B, it is that my lack of confidence on Question A types were the reason that I was messing up question B types. So once i got better at RRE, then suddenly i stopped making careless mistakes. Additionally, it usually means that if i fell for the test writers' tricks, i wont make that mistake again.
With that being said, also pat yourself on the back when you get a particularly difficult question right. Be your own hype-person!!
Like i mentioned, this is perhaps too obsessive for the goals you are seeking. However, I think it illustrates a larger principle that you can apply to your studies. The answer is not simply to go over the ones you get wrong but to truly self reflect and be honest with yourself. No one person is good at everything. If such a person exists, I have not met them. The goal is not to beat yourself up over your faults but rather to analyze your mistakes slowly and methodically. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. In my opinion, drills are good for when you know that you are rough on a specific question type. For example, I know I am exceptionally bad at questions that say "all of the following are correct EXCEPT". So when i see those questions, I save them for last. Once you have a solid foundation it is all about practice tests and reviewing those practice tests. I promise you, the more you sit down and try to analyze your mistakes, you will start to find trends in your mistakes. Train your brain to sit through the exhausting exam. Also if you haven't taken them already, save PT 148 - 158 for when you are feeling fully rested and in the same conditions you plan to take the real exam.
I am not sure if any of my advice will help but I hope it does. Just know that nothing is impossible and that I am sure you will do amazing on the november LSAT.
I cannot thank you enough for such detailed and helpful advice!!! Your story is super inspiring, and I will definitely be using the tips and approaches you provided. Big respect for your commitment to improvement, that is definitely something I will try to integrate. I truly appreciate it
Thank you! I'm glad I was able to help!
Adriana- I'm literally in the exact same situation! I'm currently a full-time student and took the August LSAT after studying and scoring in the low 160s. I got a 160 on my LSAT, but like you, I feel like I am seeing no improvement and starting to really panic. Thank you for posting this, because it's been super nice to see someone that is also in my same position (although I wish we weren't). Just want to let you know that I am right there with you and also feeling frustrated and down... We are going to be okay though! And seems like a lot of people on this post have some good ideas.
It really is comforting to know you're not alone!! I'm sorry you're in the same boat as me, it's honestly really discouraging since I already feel like I've given this test my all😭. We'll get through it though, and definitely hit our goals