Average length of prep time for LSAT

[How long did you spend preparing for the LSAT?]

How long did you spend preparing for the LSAT?

Less than one month

 2 (5.6%)

One month

 2 (5.6%)

Two months

 4 (11.1%)

Three months

 9 (25%)

Four months

 9 (25%)

Five months

 2 (5.6%)

Six months

 2 (5.6%)

Seven months

 0 (0%)

Eight months

 1 (2.8%)

Nine months

 0 (0%)

Ten months

 1 (2.8%)

Eleven months

 0 (0%)

Twelve months

 4 (11.1%)

Total Members Voted: 34

[Maclock]

From reading the posts of many in this forum, it seems that my efforts to cram all of that LSAT learning into one month may have been unusual and not recommended.  (Particularly for someone who is not an "LSAT natural".)

How long did you take to prepare for the LSAT?  If you're not shy and you wish to contribute honestly, please add to the thread:

• the length of time you spent preparing;
• your diagnostic/initial LSAT score;
• your method(s) of preparation;
• your dedication to your LSAT test preparation/discipline; and
• the score that you achieved on the big day.

This information could prove to be useful (inspirational, even) to people struggling with modest LSAT scores to date as they search for optimal preparation strategies.  Yes, I know that people learn and test in wildly different ways, but it can't hurt to help set some goalposts, guidelines, benchmarks, etc., even if the stories are anecdotal and the sample is not statistically significant.

[Maclock]

That's a helpful suggestion, Jeffort!  I have so edited.

[tcwhat]

I checked eight months - I've taken the test twice(one scored, one unscored) and will be taking it a third time in October. The first exam I studied for about 2 months and the second exam I studied for a little more than 2 months.

I scored a 167 in February after a first diagnostic of a 151 and after taking the test but canceling the score in September.  I don't have the time to go for more than 3 hours per day, but I tend to put in 12-15 hours a week.  The 8 month figure is the cumulative time I expect after the October exam - beginning in June I'll start putting in more regular time. 

I'm completely self study using the LGB and LR bibles along with every preptest available from LSAC.  This next time around I'm going to briefly review the bibles and begin sections, unless I find I don't feel comfortable with the material and have to go through the books again.  I'm going to use the retake advice from LSATdiscussion.com as a guide to my retake studying, with a large focus going into RC, which I've never felt confident about.  I initially purchased the ExamKrackers book, which isn't worth it based on what I've read so far, and I also picked up a critical reading book Jeffort recommended in a previous thread - I don't recall the book as I'm out of town and not at my desk - but I picked up a copy and it was pretty cheap at Amazon.com.

Discipline wise I found studying 2-3 hours a day isn't that big of a deal for me and is quite easy if you fit it into a routine. I would never go seven days a week, and I always have at least one off day a week, sometimes two.  If I don't study for two days in a row, I begin to feel guilty, much like I do when I don't exercise, and avoiding that feeling keeps me motivated.  So much like exercise, I set aside a block of time specifically for studying the LSAT. 

[Ninja1]

As a preface to my prep story, let me say that I wasn't feeling real ambitious in my pursuit of an LSAT score. My general goal was to get a score that would put me in the hunt at some of the better state schools in the South/Southwest. I wasn't trying to get into a T14 school, just a school that performed well in its state with the eventual goal of making my way to Florida or Texas (no state income tax + lawyers salary = the good life in my book). What I did worked for me and I landed where I really wanted to be, but that doesn't mean that anyone else should do what I did. I'm a law student, not a role model.

I spent a couple of months slowly poking at LSAT prep stuff, but only probably about a month doing anything of note. I'd honestly be surprised if I spent more than 24 hours on test prep.

For actual preparation, I read a book, took some practice LSATs, and looked at the prep materials LSAC provides on their website. The book was from some third rate test prep company (I can't remember who it was by, I gave it away a while ago) and I got it at Borders for around $20. It was kind of helpful, but not really worth the time or money. My practice LSATs were just old (but the newest available) LSATs that I ordered from LSAC. After I took them, I went back and figured out (as best I could) why I got answers right or wrong, which was very helpful. The test prep materials from LSAC's website were pretty helpful. The best one was sort of a mini-test that had maybe 10 questions in each section followed by a breakdown of why each possible answer was right or wrong.

After I read the book, I took my first practice LSAT and scored a 153. I wasn't overly happy with it, but I realized it wasn't too bad of a score either and I could get into somewhere with it (I also have a really good GPA). After that, I read LSAC's prep materials, looked over my first test, and took my second test a few weeks later. I scored a 161 on that one, which I thought was really good.

About a week later, I took the actual LSAT in June of last year and scored a 156. What do you know, right in the middle of my two prep tests (though rounded down, sadly). I guess I got what I asked for because that score made me competitive at most places, but not a sure thing anywhere that I really wanted to go. By some grace of god, I ended up at Florida State, so things worked out for me.

In retrospect, I could have been A LOT more dedicated to the cause, and I think a prep course would have probably been nice for the analytical reasoning questions if nothing else (that's where I missed about half of the questions I missed), but like I said, what I did worked for me.

[Maclock]

Bump.

[Maclock]

Bump.

[limegreen]

Last June I spent about four weeks preparing, the first two weeks I used bad prep materials (ones that use made up questions) and then did the LGB and the last two I spent taking about 10 practice tests and doing sections.  I never took a cold diagnostic but the first test (and lowest score I got) was a 169.  The last two weeks I spent taking 10 practice tests and doing random sections as needed.  I was pretty dedicated but I didn't really know what I was doing so some of it was wasted time.  I ended up with a -11 which was my average from practice, which was a 167 (my average was a 171). 

I prepped again for the December test but ended up canceling because I wasn't feeling well.  All I did for that was about 10 more prep tests and went through the LRB.  I'm taking the test AGAIN this June and now I finally feel like I know what I'm doing.  The first three weeks I went through the bibles again (much more helpful the second time around) and also took one prep test.  The last three weeks I have scheduled about 3 tests a week and some sections here and there as well.  Hopefully third time is a charm.

[Dartgate]

I am at 6 months and still going. Up until recently my studying has not been what it could / should be.

[Maclock]

Bump.