Idiot seeks LSAT help

[daveo20]

Here's my story...I've been studying now for over a month...with my highest score on a self-administered (using the cell phone timer, didnt cheat i promise, probly should have though) practice test being a 147. WTF?! First off, i took a free practice test from Kaplan in February that was proctored in an environment similar to the real LSAT and got a 150. Ok great I thought, I don't know s*** and I got this, the sky's the limit after I study. Nope, I'm still stupid.

I know all of you on here are really smart, and I like to think that I am too (Economics major, 3.2)....but WTF!? I would KILL for a 160. What's your strategy? I've tried slowing down and not rushing, doesn't work...I'll go through a test UNTIMED and get a 153. My arguments are hovering around 50-60% right. I kick ass on RC, games are a female dog. I talked to a lawyer and he said just relax, have a beer and go take it. I'm starting to wonder if there's any way you can dramatically increase your score on this test, almost as if its pre-determined on how inherently smart you reallly are. I'm taking the test on June 14th, and I'm considering going in wasted, I'd probly do better without any inhibitions. Damn this test man. Does anyone else want to break something at some point during studying?

I need to chill out I know, but I just can't fathom scoring a 160 and being like, "well coulda been better". I'm obviously in a different percentile rank, but hopefully some of you will throw some advice my way. I'm not lookin to get into Harvard here, I just want to go to a decent law school. You LSAT vets know better than I do, so share the knowledge. I'm gonna go burn the Princeton Review book that I bought.   

Pissed off David

[dta]

Try taking a test completely UNTIMED. What do you get? Until you get a 176 or above taking the test untimed, it's not even worth trying them timed IMHO. But basically, you want to first test yourself untimed in order to see if your problem is A) not conceptually understanding what's going on or B) not able to go fast enough. The prescription about what to do next varies greatly depending on A or B, and you won't know for sure which you're in till you take an untimed exam.

[panashi]

see the following:
http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php/topic,2771.msg27337#msg27337

and

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php/topic,1696.msg26378#msg26378

[jacy85]

POWERSCORE LOGIC GAMES BIBLE.  That will help your games scores.  If you decide to wait for the October LSAT, I'd say do the PS Logical Reasoning Bible too, since that comes out this summer.

When you take tests, how thouroughly are you going over them?  If you're not learning from mistakes, your LR scores won't go up.  What I tend to do, is as I correct my tests, I cross off the numbers I got wrong on my scantron sheet, and then go back to those problems and REDO them, taking out the answer choice I picked and know was wrong.  And if then pick the right answer, I look really hard at the question to know EXACTLY why it was correct.  If I still get it wrong then I look really hard at the remaining answer choices and try to determine why the right answer was right.  Sometimes I still feel lost, and don't see the reasoning, but if I'm like WTF on 3 or fewer questions per section, than I'm ok with that.

Granted, this won't immediately improve your score, but after a few practice tests worth of doing this, I find myself making fewer "dumb" mistakes, and I know what kind of answers I'm generally looking for.

[pross1492]

i feel your pain david.  i started studying a few months ago; practice tests, scoring in the high 140's.  about a month ago i jumped up to a 154.  my next 7 tests have gone a little something like this: 154, 153, 154, 155, 153, 154, 153.  words cannot describe my level of frustration.  but i bought the games bible a week ago and its been helpful on my practice sections this week.  i'll see if i can raise that overall score on my full practice test tomorrow.  i'm finding that, since i cant finish the whole games section.  the most valuable strategy is to find the easiest games and blow through it, then find the second easiest game...and so on.  like you, i was shooting for a 160, now (with just two weeks to go) i'm just hoping to get into the above 155. 

[marista]

When are you taking the test? If you have a while take a course--they usually guarantee to raise your score so if that didn't work at least you'd get your money back.

[midnight oil]

Hmmm...i'm not sure if they give your money back, or just allow you to re-take their course.

[jacy85]

Yeah, I think you can only retake the course...although even if there is a policy to refund money, you have to have done every ounce of work they had.  Online problems, homework, show up for every minute of every class and every proctored "prep" exam they have.  If you miss even one little thing, they say "oh, sorry, you didn't do all the work, therefore it was your own fault for not scoring better.  Sorry, no refund.  You can, however, retake our class if you would prefer!"

Also, for classes, it seems like the general consensus is that Powerscore and Testmasters are by far the best.  While some people do manage good experiences with Kaplan and PR, it seems most people don't and end up feeling like it was a waste of money.  Personally, I took the PS weekend course, and loved it, and every test since then have been in the top 2-3 points of the range I'd been scoring in before the class.  I'm hoping to hit 170 any day now...

Good luck studying, and try not to get too frustrated.  In the end, all that frustration just hinders further progress.

[BLAKEAGGIE98]

I WENT FROM A 155 ON MY FIRST PRACTICE (3 MOS. AGO) TO A 168 (HIGHEST PRACICE YET) You need a strategy. I never had any problems with the RC either so I pretty much just do the same on that. I used the Bible for games and have increased from being lucky to get 1 game done to getting 3 done and not missing too many. On the LR I used the strategies from the Kaplan book it seems to work well. Sit down with some books and get a strategy first BEFORE you just keep taking tests. If you keep doing what you are doing you will keep getting what you get. The LSAT is definately a test you can learn to a certain point ( I don't think I will ever get a 180 b/c I cannot finish the games in enough time and 2or 3 LR and 2or 3 RC will throw me off every time.You definately can improve from the 150's though with a strategy. By the way I AM not very smart 2.01 GPA in Agriculture. But man I had a great time in college!

[bushasshole]

CONTINUE TO STUDY!

You can raise your score by at least ten points ... and one of the fellas here, I think it M2, she has been able to raise the score by 18 points ..,.