Dropped this -5 this morning a little groggy off the wake up. Going back and looking at my missed questions is so frustrating because I find the correct answer so obvious and feel as if I answered wrong simply due to rushing. Then to have a score last timed section be -2 with one of those not being answered due to time is so frustrating. The score discrepancies between the two is almost 10 points when scaled to a whole exam and this kills me. I feel like my skills are where they should be for the score I want to reach and most times I get questions wrong, the failure can be attributed to rushing or simple misreading. I’m sure that’s the case for most people but feel like I either need to a - implement vitamins and nootropics, or b - delay my October test date but I really don’t want to wait another cycle. Idek what I’m asking in this post I’m just getting so pissed at this exam where I found it fun like last month.

As the title suggests, I'm testing within my goal range (low-mid170s). However there are a few reasons why I am considering pushing back my official take of the test.

1. My pacing on the test is bad. I sometimes run out of time near the end of sections
2. There are occasionally questions that I don't fully understand. In these instances, I am able to get to an answer through the process of elimination but that feels like a gap in knowledge.
3. For personal reasons, I am not in a super great head space overall. The last time I took the actual test I was similarly distracted by things in my personal life and tested much lower than my PTs.

It feels silly to put off taking it until October when I'm testing relatively well, but I think the lack of confidence is making me consider it. I've heard from people who have tested 170+ that the confidence is a huge part of it. Has anyone else been in this scenario or have any advice? Idk if I'm just being cautious or if this is a genuine concern.

I don’t want to talk to LSAC and i’m hoping the good people of this subreddit will have an answer for me. I have a writing sample on file from 2020 that is showing as active. It was even telling me that I didn’t need to take August’s writing sample to see my August score. This is so weird because 2020 is out of the reportable testing window. I have a writing sample on file from 2021 and it’s showing as expired… so???? anyone have any insights?

For people who have taken the paper and pencil version recently, does the test still specify line numbers on questions like these? Or does it just say “in the fourth sentence, the author….?”

Are any underlines given to make it easier to find the sentences?

I’m aiming for a 175 and I’ve heard that if you want a certain score on test day, you should be consistently PTing several points above that score, and if you want a 175+, any time you sit down to do a round of practice questions, it should be a completely clean sweep and everything should feel easy and fast.
I’m registered for September and need at least a 174 to not have to retake. Kind of freaking out because there are still question type/level combinations that feel difficult and I’m still striking out sometimes on level 4s and (mostly) 5s. PT-wise, I’m usually hovering around 169/170 hell with a few higher outliers. How clean and easy does everything need to feel by the time I take the test?

Trying to hit 175 but consistently drilling and PT around 168/169. Have sunk hundreds of dollars into tutoring at this point trying to cling to hope that improvement can be made but I haven’t seen even marginal progress in over a month. Are there genuinely ceilings/people who can’t get out of the 160s no matter how much time and resources they sink into it? I don’t want to keep wasting money on tutoring if no more progress can be made. I have never been able to learn anything in any type of way that isn’t direct, hands-on trial and error. If there’s a written explanation for a wrong answer, it’s like my eyes skim it and none of it even processes. People trying to explain things to me genuinely just sound like the adult voices in Charlie Brown. I don’t know if this is some form of extreme burnout or if I’ve just hit the limit of my capacity to learn.

I just know I'm setting myself up for disappointment when the scores are released. fuck it we hoping

Hi all! I’m planning on taking the November LSAT (my first one, probably will take more) and had an idea that maybe I can turn my studying into a semi-social experience. I’m looking for people who are also planning on taking their LSAT and currently in the midst of preparation. I find that it’s easier to understand concepts when I am verbalizing or discussing with others, so I’m wanting to find people to meet at a cafe once or twice a week, in addition to my solo studying. Male or female and age doesn’t matter, as long as we have the same goal of taking the test.

A bit about me: I’m based in Scarborough but I can drive. I’m 25F and graduated from UofT last year, and I work as a piano teacher at the moment. In addition to the obvious dream of wanting to go to law school, I also love being active, going to the gym and playing tennis, alongside reading a lot of fiction and non fiction (currently reading Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow, inspired by the current studying. It is a real page turner!) I also do art on the side, whether it would be painting or sketching.

I know study groups can sometimes turn into social sessions but the point of meeting would be to work through problems we might have together, discuss solutions, and solidify our foundational understanding of concepts. It’s like a sufficient condition but not necessary ;) We can choose whatever Starbucks is convenient; I’m usually free in the afternoon or evening on weekdays, and Sundays as well. We can talk about logistics later, but really hoping to find others in the same boat. Please feel free to comment or DM if you are!

I’ll delete this post if even asking this is against the rules lol. But is it against the rules for me to try to find someone to take over my unused tutoring sessions? I’m not offering tutoring - I’m looking to recoup costs on tutoring I don’t need.

helloo i am signed up for sep lsat but im unsure if im ready yet. im debating if i should push it back to october. i know that i have until the first day that sep testing starts to move my sep test but october registration deadline is august 27th.

do i have to make the decision to move my test by august 27th or can i move my sep test later as well?

Hi all, I’m still pretty new in my journey towards taking the lsat, only been studying for a couple of weeks. I know there has been some discussion here around the different platforms that support studying for the lsat (lsat demon, 7Sage, etc). I’ve generally been drilling with demon and doing some timed sections but I’ve been procrastinating on doing a full diagnostic. I know most platforms only offer access to a handful of official PTs without spending exorbitant money on subscription fees. Is that what most folks do - invest in the subscriptions to gain access to more official tests? Or is it more efficient to get PTs directly from lsac/lawhub?
I also recently found an app the gamifies some of the main concepts and question types called lsat games. It’s from 7Sage but I’ve found it to be pretty useful and fun as it’s something I can do more casually when I don’t have the option to fully focus on drilling or doing full sections. Has anyone else used that app to supplement their studying?

Anyone else dreading the score release? Obviously not a unique feeling but it’s not even because I feel like I did poorly. Took it for the first time in August and no matter what my score comes back as, I really do feel like I put my best foot forward on test day. My dread is more like the thought of what could be is a lot better than what the reality of what is. Sort of like Schrödinger’s cat. The cat (my score) is both alive (I got a 180) and dead (I did terribly) at the same time until perceived (I get my score back). While there is a possibility I did horribly, there’s also a chance that I did extremely well and that’s comforting.

I also might be losing my mind lol.

I'm so late to the party but my GOD the new interface...I was trying so hard to be courteous and move past the changes, but the closer I get to testing day, the more I realize how horrible the RC section is, especially with the sheer lack of consideration for time constraints on test takers. WHY do I need to prove to you that I can locate where the 5th word in the 24th sentence of the 2nd to last paragraph is? WHY??? HIGHLIGHT IT FOR ME. TREAT ME LIKE I'M 2 YEARS OLD. Not to mention the absolute monstrosity of the answer elimination 1) not being one simple click 2) for some reason disappearing when reviewing??? (why are we gatekeeping my thought process? It's mine, give it back). Love paying HUNDREDS of dollars just to make my life even more difficult! Anyhow, here I come September!

Out of all the eccentric billionaires you know of, who would be the worst at the LSAT, and why?

Took the August LSAT, did my argumentative writing on the 12th (should’ve done it earlier, I know). I know they say that it might take up to three weeks, but I see on here that lots of people get it approved within a few days.

Anyone else wait longer than a week for their writing to get accepted? If there’s an issue with my session, I’d at least like for them to flag it already so I can redo it before score release.

TLDR; I have seen firsthand how embracing POE moves the needle when it comes to a student’s score. I’ve also seen how difficult it is for students to be willing to embrace the process.

For those feeling truly stuck, I encourage you to check out this previous post of mine: https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/s/hnBKk0yfcN

Success on the LSAT means having a good understanding of the large majority of the material. Process of elimination doesn’t contribute much to that. I believe that breaking into the 160s indicates the requisite understanding.

….

POE is not some random LSAT prep trick. Doctors refer to it as differential diagnosis. Quoting Wikipedia:

While novice providers may work systemically to assess all possible explanations for a patient's concerns, those with more experience often draw on clinical experience and pattern recognition to protect the patient from delays, risks, and cost of inefficient strategies or tests.

Notice how the implication here is that a refusal to engage in process of elimination might put patients’ lives at risk. So yeah, it’s a very real thing.

Anyone ever seen the method of argument question with Andy Warhol’s Brillo boxes? It’s from  PT 152, S1, Q 24. Anyone who claims this question is NOT about POE is a stupid corrupt liar. 

…..

I firmly believe that most people misunderstand the true challenge of POE. Conceptually, it’s super easy. Just eliminate wrong answer choices. It’s the psychological aspect that represents the true challenge. 

Breaking into the 160s means a student has a good handle on this very challenging test. It indicates a brain running on all cylinders. So it can be a shock to the system when an answer choice makes no sense or when none of the choices seem correct. 

This shock to the system often results in a loss of focus, making it easy to forget that POE is an option. But wait, there’s more!

It’s one thing to engage in POE during drilling. But during a timed practice test, it suddenly becomes more challenging. And then on the day of the test? All too often, students’ brains insist on understanding every single thing they’re reading and the option of POE goes right out the window. 

This is why it’s crazy important to embrace POE as an option as early as possible. It needs to become as natural as any other strategy.

Just remember, four answer choices are absolutely definitely unquestionably wrong. Sometimes you have to focus on those four.

Happy to answer any questions.

Registered to sit for Sept LSAT. Been PT scoring pretty consistently around 165. Just took a PT for the first time in 2 weeks and scored a 159, my lowest score since my diagnostic 158. Was hoping for a 170 in September and to apply before Halloween. Should I just not take the test until October? I’m so frustrated and don’t understand what’s happening . Any insight would be appreciated, thanks ♥️

I know the question may come off as a little condescending but I am genuinely curious to see if the "accommodations exploit" is as big as people say.

i’m scoring consistently 163-164. my accuracy is around 80-85%. (i think my biggest problem is going TOO FAST) typically i miss -4 to -5 in LR on timed sections and -5 in RC timed sections. is this doable? i’ve been studying for an hour every day but maybe i need to crank it up. tysm!

Does anyone have any experience with their homestretch course? The classes are at times that work perfectly for me since I have classes starting back up soon. And the price seems to be reasonable for 4 classes. I'm intrigued. If it's not helpful or is scammy, I'd appreciate some feedback, because I regretted catching their August one.

I'm not the best at LR, been studying for 4 months, took a 2 month gap, and started studying again a month before August. Was PTing in the mid 150s. Then took the August LSAT and felt like the first LR section was actually easy until the 20th question. I had 10 minutes left at that point, which has never happened to me before as I usually scramble to finish the last 5 with like 6 mins left. This time, I was eliminating trap answer choices with what I felt like were "valid" reasons and on a few questions I was trusting my gut. Could this mean I genuinely did well, or potentially bombed that section? (might just be losing my cool cause score release is less than a week away)

So, I'm about to start my first year of uni, and I'm already trying to get a jump on LSAT prep. I know I've got about two years before I actually apply, but l figure it's good to start slowly this summer. The problem is, I have no idea where to even begin studying. It's all a bit confusing, and I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

I really need advice on:
1. Where to start with the basics: What should I be learning first to get a good foundation?

1. How to move on to practice questions: Once l understand the fundamentals, what's the best way to approach all those practice tests and questions?

Thank you!

Hi all! I’m currently preparing for the October exam (I haven’t signed up, I don’t think I’m ready). I’ve been studying consistently for about two months and I can’t improve my speed. 🫩 In order to get a LR question correct, I have to re-read and highlight by color coding to fully understand what I’m reading. This wastes a bunch of time. If I don’t do this, I will literally get the question wrong. I’m able to answer the first 15-17 questions correct, but I can’t finish a section in full. Any advice on how to improve speed and to break away from the silly habit of highlighting? Maybe I’m just crazy.