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Related Discussions
Wild Fluctuations in Score
So I've been at this LSAT thing for a while. One aspect of test-taking I am really struggling with is consistency. On my last round of testing leading up to June 2015 my PTs regularly fluctuated between 162 and 171. This round of prep honestly hasn't been much better, with scores ranging between 165 and 178. I've controlled for repeated content as well as testing conditions like location, noise level, etc.
What I am coming down to is that most of my issues are around focus and consistency. I'm trying a few new things to address this, and I was wondering if anyone with similar problems with test taking can weigh in here - what have you done to "get in the zone" and perform consistently on your PTs?
What I'm doing:
-Big Picture: Trying to be aware of how my week is going at work and in life in general, and proactively preventing any issues or concerns from creeping into my prep by getting really proactive about keeping work and life separate from test prep
-Routine: For my weekly practice tests, making sure I get a good night's rest on Friday night, wake up on saturday and go biking, then eating and get ready in my workspace for test. Usually start testing around 11am each time I test.
-Mindset: try to do a mini-meditation where I completely clear my mind before I actually start the test - this is usually only a 2-3 "quick meditation" exercise where I try to get absolutely clear in my head, then snap into test-taking mode
-Logic Games: Creating a template for how I will lay out every game, its game pieces, rules, etc. and stick to that setup for every game
-Logical Reasoning: Forcing myself to focus and spend adequate time on every question by instituting a mandatory "1 free skip" rule
-Critical Reading: Focusing more on text and less on marking my passages, although working on how to make this a consistency thing I can bring to my test taking
-Also crushing my flashcards to make sure I don't slack on fundamentals
7sagers - what are you doing to get in the zone and ready for your tests? How do you deal with, uh, absurd fluctuations in your score that you are pretty sure are not due to repeated content or bad test taking conditions?
What I am coming down to is that most of my issues are around focus and consistency. I'm trying a few new things to address this, and I was wondering if anyone with similar problems with test taking can weigh in here - what have you done to "get in the zone" and perform consistently on your PTs?
What I'm doing:
-Big Picture: Trying to be aware of how my week is going at work and in life in general, and proactively preventing any issues or concerns from creeping into my prep by getting really proactive about keeping work and life separate from test prep
-Routine: For my weekly practice tests, making sure I get a good night's rest on Friday night, wake up on saturday and go biking, then eating and get ready in my workspace for test. Usually start testing around 11am each time I test.
-Mindset: try to do a mini-meditation where I completely clear my mind before I actually start the test - this is usually only a 2-3 "quick meditation" exercise where I try to get absolutely clear in my head, then snap into test-taking mode
-Logic Games: Creating a template for how I will lay out every game, its game pieces, rules, etc. and stick to that setup for every game
-Logical Reasoning: Forcing myself to focus and spend adequate time on every question by instituting a mandatory "1 free skip" rule
-Critical Reading: Focusing more on text and less on marking my passages, although working on how to make this a consistency thing I can bring to my test taking
-Also crushing my flashcards to make sure I don't slack on fundamentals
7sagers - what are you doing to get in the zone and ready for your tests? How do you deal with, uh, absurd fluctuations in your score that you are pretty sure are not due to repeated content or bad test taking conditions?
Comments
I tend to do better if I do a passage, a game, and ~5 random LR questions prior to taking a PT. But I don't always do it, because I don't know if I'll need to or even get to come test day. I have taken PTs at almost every hour of the day. My best one was from 2-4:30 in the morning and I was actually falling asleep during RC because I was so exhausted and bored. I have no idea what test day will be like or what could be going on in my life or what could go wrong at the test center, so I don't attempt to make my environment very consistent.
When my wife took the LSAT at NU almost 10 years ago, she ended up in an auditorium with well over 100 people and she ended up being there for 8 hours because the administration took so long. The site I'm going to hasn't administered an LSAT before as far as I can tell. Anything is possible. You've hit the high 170s timed so that's a really good sign. How is your BR? If your BR is in the high 170s then I wouldn't really sweat anything and in fact I would chill out a bit if I were you. And while I'm a big believer in meditation, I don't know that immediately before the test is necessarily the best time for that, maybe at home or in the hotel before heading to the testing center?