Still getting the same score after 3 testmaster's diagnostics. What gives?

[luboman411]

I was wondering if anyone out there is having the same problem I am having.  I started the Testmasters course about a month and a half ago.  Since I had taken the first testmasters diagnostic test before--in fact as my first cold-turkey test--I got a score much higher than the previous sample tests I had taken up til then.  Saw that as a fluke and discounted it, thinking that the second diagnostic would be much more indicative of what my raw score would be since it would be a test I had never seen before.  Took the second and found that the score was identical to the score of the first test, which was surprising since that score was 10 points higher than what I had first scored way back on my cold-turkey practice in June.  I was satisfied since it indicated I was making some progress, the test having been one I had never seen before.  Now after three solid weeks of studying, I took the third testmasters diagnostic this past weekend and found the exact same test score (even the exact same number of questions right) than my previous two tests.  If there are people out there who are finding or have found themselves in a similar situation--regardless of the prep-test course they took--what did you do or not do to get over this hump?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated it.

[ohhhyeah]

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of scores did you / are you getting? I mean if you are way up in the 170s, it may be a different scenario than if you are in the 140s.

Cheers

[blairchuckalways]

Yup happened to me, so I stopped going to class and started self-studying. Ended up making much more significant increases on my own. My teacher was also poo, though, so...

Basically, it takes more than three tests to get used to taking a timed test, and it took me more than the duration of class to fully grasp the concepts well-enough to see improvements. Maybe you intake knowledge at a similar rate?

Don't worry, if your teacher is good, talk to him/her about your test performance outside of class. Don't accept the "oh you'll get better" appeasement as a response, push them for concrete advice on how you can improve.

Also, consider the PS Bibles -- they're pretty similar to TM strategies, and they helped me with fully understanding concepts that my teacher didn't explain too well in class.

[luboman411]

I've been getting 157 consistently on those three testmasters tests.  The cold-turkey score I got in June was 147.  So there's been improvement, and a 10 point jump stoked my all-important LSAT confidence, making me think that getting over a 165 was a realistic goal.  At this rate, I can only hope for something over 160 by the time the October test rolls around, unless I do something drastic...

[nevdash]

Yup happened to me, so I stopped going to class and started self-studying. Ended up making much more significant increases on my own. My teacher was also poo, though, so...

Same thing happened to me. Took Kaplan (it was free through a scholarship, or else I would've taken TM) and saw my score hover around my diag for the first 4 in-class tests. Decided to stop going for the past few weeks and study on my own. It somehow caused a ~10 point increase in my last 3 PTs.

Just goes to show how important self-study is, even with a course.

[Shant]

I know i'm committing an ad hominem falacy in my argument... but maybe it's because testmasters and kaplan suck?? Just a thought.

[flip side]

i also had the hovering thing, pretty much for the full duration of my kaplan class.  i took the advanced version right when it came out, so i risked going with kaplan on a hope that the advanced part would pay off.  it did not.

my score from my actual lsat actually went DOWN with kaplan (from a 163 to like 159...) for the duration of the course.  then i quit going, like the others, and started concentrating on the bibles & pt's.  i had been testing in the 172-174 range, although i hit another slump last week.  regardless, the slump was still higher than my original lsat, and certainly higher than those kaplan scores.

i would say to shift your concentration from your class (if you aren't improving) to self-teaching.  you never know, a 160 or even a bith higher could be really doable if you are just missing some basic concepts in your class, which you could easily conquer on your own.

[blueskies6]

my scores are hovering too...I kind of blame the loud underliner in my class, but we all might just be at burnout point

[blueskies6]

well my voodoo doll didn't work...time to move on to more drastic measures

[Lindbergh]

You're up 10 points over six weeks, so you shouldn't complain too much.  That's a nice increase.

If you want to increase further, you should be willing to self-prep for a couple months after the course.  (Prepping for only 2 months isn't usually enough to max out.)  You can always take December.