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Major setback :(
I’m so disappointed/lost/confused/sad/discouraged. I studied for the LSAT full time for six months. I was averaging around 158-160 for a solid four months. I took the September LSAT and fell 9 points below my average PT score. I figured I was just experiencing test anxiety (I’m a terrible test taker), and would try again in December. Now that I know the process, I won’t be anxious in December, right? Wrong. I completely and utterly bombed my December exam. To the point that Iaughed when I saw my score, then cried, then laughed again. I felt like a crazy person. I fell 16 POINTS BELOW my average. I printed out the test and retook it at home yesterday without looking at my previous answers, so that I could really give it an honest shot and see where I messed up. I scored my average PT score again. I’m so upset and disappointed in myself because I KNOW I can do this. I know I understand the material and that I can hit my average. I’m just so confused and scared now to retake in February. I registered for February but I’m really hesitant now. I’m afraid I’m going to fall even lower than my Dec test (if that’s even humanly possible- my score was so hideous), and to be honest, I don’t even know if I have the mental stamina to take this damn devil of a test again 
any advice, thoughts, comments or words of encouragement would be so great. I’m so clouded. Thanks in advance, everyone!
Comments
My strategy for overcoming nerves was just figuring, eh, I can always retake, not a big deal. and then just went in 100% with the attitude that this was just another practice test. I also went a few days before the test to the test center and basically molested it to get comfortable in the space.
I'd also look at your PT's and compare the mistakes you usually make to what you fucked up on the test. If there are certain types of questions that you got wrong that you don't usually or areas on the test that your mistakes were clustered in, that is telling. If you got more questions in the first part of the first section than would be normal, it suggests that you should do some warm up next time or that your sleep schedule should be adjusted. If you had a certain type of question that you missed in spades, that you normally nail, your understanding of that type of question isn't solid enough to stand up to your nerves and you should focus on it.
Overall, be VERY STRICT about ensuring your PT's are actually done under test day conditions and remember that the LSAT you'll be taking next time is just a variation of all the other tests that you've taken. There's nothing different about it and no reason you should really be underperforming beyond the nerves themselves. Acknowledge them. Take a Breath. Let them pass.
Hugs
I know what you mean.Some people can score 167/168 on average in PT and score around that on the test. Like you, I do not. It sucks to be different and honestly I feel jealous of people who do not have to worry about this but that's not helpful to what we need to do. You and I have to work with what we have got and we happen to take the real test badly.
To give a bit of background, for the September take, I had an average of 170 and scored a 164. For December take, I had an average of 173 and scored a 169. The funny thing is I don't think my knowledge changed that much in a month a half. Yeah, my scores got more consistent towards mid 170's but I had already started scoring there consistently before September take. So although I am not completely there and I am still working towards being able to have my real score reflect my practice test average, I made a few changes that I think helped me score get closer to my average for December take.
1) My form, the way I take a section, had to change and had to become strictly standardized.
Stress can have an effect in making us nervous and throw strategies in air. This doesn't reflect in practice test because we are calmer but in real time a little bit of nervousness could mean moving on too fast from a question, circling too much to compensate for nervousness, keeping an answer choice around that we wouldn't normally and not reading things completely. I had to standardize what i do for each type of problem, what I underline, how many questions I allowed myself to circle etc so my test day nervousness was not the one making the decision on the test. Between September and December test, most of my drills targeted and were focused on how I take a section and not so much on blind review.
2) Figure out your personal weaknesses.
This is personal and could make a big difference in your practice vs real test. For example, on a practice test sometime I would miss referential phrasing but I could get by not actively fixing that because when my mind is relaxed I intuitively know what it meant most of the time and was scoring in 170's. I didn't see a need to fix that little thing because I was scoring well. But on the real test, because I never practiced and made it standardized I missed it almost every time and it had big consequences on test. So I have to do drills that train my mind to actively do that and get in the habit of doing that.
These little things that we tend to overlook on a PT can make a big difference for some of us if we get very nervous or are under stress. So I highly suggest figuring these personal weaknesses out.
3) I had to make myself actively take a deep breath to counter fight and flight mode.
When we are under stress our bodies get into fight and flight mode. Taking a big exhale (it takes 7 seconds -I counted, lol) can counter this mode and tell our mind that we are not in a fight and flight mode. Between each page turn for LR and RC I would put my pencil down and take a deep breath. For LG, before I would start doing a game I would put my pencil down and just read and get my mind adjusted to what I was about to do.
These are just some examples of what I did. I also worked with a tutor which is really helpful because they can tell you where you are exactly going wrong and set the type of drills you might need to fix those issues.
I hope my experience is helpful to you. Keep your chin up. Let me know if you have any more questions.
@username Thank you so much for those helpful tips. I'll definitely try your recommendations and try to hone in on my overall understanding of certain questions. I'll try out your suggestions and hopefully gain a more solid and confident understanding of certain questions, I believe that will lead me in the right direction! In regard to becoming familiar and comfortable with the test center, I registered for Feb at my undergrad university for that reason, so I'm so happy to hear that a familiar environment helped you out. Crossing my fingers that it will give me the vibes that I'm just taking a test at the same campus that I've taken hundreds of tests at. Thanks again for your time and help!
@Sami Thank you so much for those tip, sharing your experience and being able to relate on some level, it means so much coming from you
you're going to think I'm insane, but I never took PT's under strict test conditions. I rarely used the answer sheet and I would often take more breaks than we are permitted on test day. For some reason, I just could not break out of that habit. I don't know if it was because I was afraid of the outcome and realizing that maybe my understanding isn't as solid as I thought, or because I just became complacent at some point. But I realize now that it's much more beneficial in the long run to fall now and correct my mistakes before February. I also really appreciate your tips in regard to test anxiety and mental prep/relaxation. I began taking yoga classes over the last three months and its helped me tremendously with balancing my emotions and anxiety post studying, but not so much coping with test anxiety. I will definitely use your suggestions during the test. I especially like your putting down the pencil tip. I can see how that could help slow down a racing mind thats in fight or flight mode. You really hit the nail on the head with that and identifying natural responses to stress/anxiety. All the signs were there during both of my experiences. Thank you again for your help and support!
p.s. congrats on your stellar score by the way! Such a huge accomplishment.
@Sami
I strongly agree with your point on practicing test taking skills. But would you mind sharing more how you specifically worked on those little test taking habits when drilling sections? Drilling is still a practice and I am not sure how I can address my test taking weaknesses because I can't really "fake" my anxiety when taking sections/PTs. How did you simulate the pressure and anxiety on the test day? Thank you so much and happy holidays!
Same. I scored 8 points lower than my practice exams. Took it at long beach convention center, about 800 people all together, very loud, some kind of concert outside, very noisy, multiple proctors constantly walking in the aisles. I tried to shed a couple of tears after I saw my score but it didn't work.
For people who get extreme performance anxiety I always recommend asking your doctor about beta blockers. Some people just have a fight or flight mode that shuts down their minds way more than the average person and beta blockers can keep your body from getting all those negative fight or flight effects. I have used propanolol myself when I have had to give speeches or do presentations and it is a life saver. It doesn't stop you from being nervous still but it blocks the racing heart, the panicked mind stuck in neutral, etc. Best of luck and I hope next test day will be your winner.
@shagha7 ugh I’m sorry to hear your experience at your test center was so shitty
try to find comfort in knowing that the decrease is unrelated to your actual understanding of the material and capability. You got the next one!
@"work all week" Thank you for the kind words and the suggestion. I’ll def look into it and talk to my doctor. The heart racing is what gets me the most. I start freaking out literally for no reason. Definitely focusing on mind control until Feb and talking to my doctor about beta blockers. Thanks again!
@"work all week" Thank you for your advice! I'm curious about negative effects of propanolol. Have you tried it before taking the real test? Would it give you a headache, nausea, or something like that?
@helenharris Hey Helen, no problem. As with any drug you can take the side effects will usually be different for each person which is why I recommend trying it for practice tests before the real thing. As for me, propanolol had no negative effects at the dosage I took(20 mg). I have used it on the real test and I was able to stay relatively calm and keep it together. I also took many timed PT's with the same dosage to simulate what test day would be like so I would be more comfortable taking it on test day. Here are some reviews of propanolol from people who use it for performance anxiety https://www.drugs.com/comments/propranolol/for-performance-anxiety.html. Always ask your doctor's recommendation before taking any new drug of course. I hope this information helps out. Good luck!
@"work all week" Thank you again! Such a life saver!
Can I ever relate to you!! I had the exact same thing happen to me. Now I am so worried that I have lost my chance of getting accepted for September. I am going to write in February (Ontario, Canada), but I'm so worried that decisions will already be made! I knoooooooow I'm more than capable to do this as well. So I totally understand all of your frustrations!
I am sending you the best of luck!
How was your sleep in the days before the test? There's a great ThinkingLSAT episode about a student who had a serious test anxiety issue but then he went to the next exam administration and it was a home run. I'm confident next time is going to go better.
@lsatplaylist I managed to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night and was in bed by 10pm for pretty much the entire month leading up to the LSAT. Sleeping well helped with feeling refreshed but it’s the damn test anxiety that gets me every time. I need to focus on that in addition to keeping a healthy sleep schedule. thanks for the positive thoughts. I should check that episode out!
@sbzanelli yep, I can relate to everything you said haha. Thank you for wishing me luck, I wish you all the luck as well! You’ve got the next one
ditto ....ive had a very similar experience with both my june and dec takes as well and retaking feb....hv been suggested to try beta blockers as well...subliminal stress seems to make the test anxiety super bad....trying to completely detox body and mind next 41 days till the next take....thanks for sharing.....it feels crazy and odd coz as lawyers one is expected to cope with stressful situations....any difficult situation is ok if u ask me just dont give me a goddamn timed test...
I’ve seen a lot of people who scored in the 170s recommend meditation techniques before during and after the test. It might help to research that as well. Good luck!
I can relate to your situation. I have social anxiety but become generally nervous in situations like the LSAT or even some random ones like answering the phone. I found meditating can really help. I don't mean the crossing your legs and chanting "oum", but just breathing. Try this, close your eyes, put your hands on your chest and breathe through your nose and out through your mouth. Don't even think about breathing, just let it happen. Clear your mind. Also, when you inhale, your belly should be expanding not your chest, hence why you have your hand on your chest. This is called belly breathing and its worked wonders for my anxiety. My diagnostic was a 133 and my Sept. 2016 result was a 152; Sept. 2017 was a 154 and my Dec. 2017 mark was a 159. I was averaging between 161-163 on my PTs for the most recent test. You can improve and not let your anxiety take over. During the Dec. test, I went in with the mentality that I didn't give a rats ass about what my score was. My problem was that I would focus to heavily on getting a high mark and it led me to second guess myself on numerous questions. Had I not second guessed my self on the Sept. 2017 exam, I would have gotten a 162. Trust me on this, you can and will improve with practice. It took me a year but I eventually did overcome it. Best of luck!
I'm one of those people! I cannot recommend meditation enough. I now aim for 5 min every morning and at least a min or two before practice tests. I meditated as we took our seats at the LSAT, which left me so calm and focused for the first section…from there, I was good to go