lilkrnq

Hey everyone. I'm wondering how much someone's score can go up with some good focused studying over a summer's worth of time? I'm hoping to take the September LSAT but took a bit shortened LSAT exam this morning only to get a score I didn't like too much. Any input would be appreciated.

fashionlaw

I've heard a lot of good news.. if you just take the time to study you can increase your score from 130-170. This one girl who took a test prep course TWICE scored in the low 130s and increased it to 170s because she started figuring out why every answer was wrong. She said the key was to be CAREFUL about eliminating all the wrong answer choices.. I mean this is a strategy you should be trying out maybe a month or 2 before the LSAT, and gain speed later once you can do that.

Also my friends have all scored in the 140s and are consistently scoring in the 160s after about 4 months of studying on their own.

A whole summer is a lot of time to study for the LSAT as long as you put time and dedication into it. Do practice tests, learn why you made your mistakes, find the best strategies that work for YOU.. don't time yourself too soon.. practice everything and make sure you feel comfortable with everything first. I got a 144 on my first diagnostic and I am still struggling to improve my score but it's only been a month since I've taken it. I'm taking another diagnostic tomorrow to see what I get after studying for a month.

Good luck! We're in the same boat!

bluedevilmike

A forty-point improvement is possible, of course, but it's absolutely an outlier. The more normal improvement is something like ten to fifteen points.

soccerchick818

Hey all-
I was wondering if someone can tell me where I can get a diagnostic LSAT? Is it simply taking an old LSAT under timed conditions and scoring yourself? Or an actual diagnostic LSAT?

bluedevilmike

An old (preferably recent) LSAT under timed conditions is what most people do. Sometimes Kaplan administers very difficult ones to try to scare kids into buying a prep class.

shengk

Does anyone know how if they really enforce the 35 minute rule each section? In other words can you go back or forward if you finish one section quickly? I can finish the reading and logic part in about 25 minutes but I have never been able to finish the analytical part in 35.

luvtoolearn

shengk...the timing is strictly enforced & you will not be able to go back & work on other sections. In fact, the guy sitting next to me did that & was removed from the room by the proctor.

Poseur

Diagnostic means next to nothing. My third practice was 12 points higher than my diag, and I took the three within the span of five days, with no studying or anything in between.

LSU8888

"Sometimes Kaplan administers very difficult ones to try to scare kids into buying a prep class."

If this is true, I'm feeling good about my diagnostic.

Nogueira

"Sometimes Kaplan administers very difficult ones to try to scare kids into buying a prep class."
I am not sure where you got that source, because I took a diagnostic Kaplan exam and they gave me exam #21 (I think one in 1997). They gave out an actual exam and gave us a score based on how the students really would have received if they took the exam in 1997.
there is no hard LSAT exam, because it's all curved in the end. i guess you can say the exam is "hard" if you are not good at RC for example, but that's irrelevant, because that's personal strength and weakness.