LSAT discrepancies

[jsp2]

Hey i posted this topic in the wrong thread. I really need advice.. thanks for any ideas or help!
xx

Hey, i've heard of other cases similar to my own and am wondering if anyone has any advice/explanation about this phenomenon.

I took about 8 practice tests, used real LSATs from past administrations, didn't cheat, and was scoring about the same consistently. My real LSAT score was 10 points lower.

I can't think of any explanation except nerves. Anyone have any ideas?

[wildcataz2004]

You just choked as do a lot of people

[supergirluw]

you didn't prep right. take the test again. this time, actually prepare - don't assume you know what you're doing.

[consideringcancel]

You just choked as do a lot of people

I could hardly bubble in my answers during the first section.

[BigBadBo]

I did the exact same thing.  Prepped from 171-176.  Sick/Incredibly Nervous - scored 161.  Retook far more relaxed and with lots of sleeping pills... 172. 

It's all about relaxation.

[upNdown]

If that is true - a lot of people'd scores drop when they take the test for real, it is most likely attributable to nerves, since the content should be comparable, since prep tests were real tests.  If this is the case, is there also a group of people who get 'pumped up' for the exam and do significantly better? 

[allyreese]

Somebody once posted this advice somewhere on the board, although I don't remember who or where so I'll just pretend that it was my idea -

When you practice time yourself a bit shorter than the 35 minutes.  I give myself 33 but I think even 34 would be good.  That way when you do the real thing you'll have at least a minute extra to compensate for the nerves.

The other thing I've done when I practice is I have hubby take and hide the answers to the test I'm taking.  When I know that I have the answers I spend a lot of time thinking about my score instead of focusing on the questions.

Finally, I've heard some people say that they actually went to their testing site to practice.  I'm not sure how helpful that is, but if you anticipate being intimidated by the environment, it can't hurt.

[SkullTatt]

Two majors factors I think most people don't account for when they are practice-testing (other than nerves and getting no sleep the night before):

1. The test is at 9AM. If you are groggy at this time of day normally, that is bad.

2. The actual test has 5 sections, not 4. (Ignoring the essay at the end.) That's 35 extra minutes of doing problems, and the section that is not counted is usually section 2 or 3, when you are presumably less tired, less frazzled, and more able to answer questions correctly than you would be toward the end. On the real test, you have to push yourself through an extra 35 minutes of problems and try to do as well on those last problems as you would during practice, in order to match your practice score(s).

[tier 7 hopeful]

Am I the only one that planned to score better on the real thing than my preptests and actually did?

I still can't decide if I just didn't try that hard on the preptests because I knew they didn't mean anything or if I just work better under pressure...it's worth mentioning that I didnt discover this site until after I took the test and received my score, so I wasn't subjected to the frenzied competition that everyone on here seems to be engaged in.

[tms31078]

You just choked as do a lot of people

You got into UofA with those numbers? Do you mind me asking what race you are?