For individuals who scored a 160+

[aerynn]

I scored in the same range on my practice tests and the real thing, even though I did a few months of prep.  I think there is a ceiling at 170, beyond which it is tough to break through.  I was pre-scoring from 172-165 and my actual was right in that range.

My advice is to study your hardest until you hit the upper 160's and after that do one practice a week to stay sharp but don't kill yourself.  At 169 you will have diminishing returns.

Again, to some extent, I disagree. I plateaued in my practice tests at 168, I had a really hard time getting past it. At some point, I think I did 5 practice tests in a row and got the same 168 each time, but I upped my practice time, and went out and got some new study books. After a few more months (I studied for a year), I broke the barrier, the highest practice test I got was 178, I started averaging around 174, and on the real thing got a 175. Those extra 7 points were hard earned, but will likely be the difference between acceptance and rejection at quite a few schools.

If anything, I would say that your experience supports the idea that breaking 170 is tough and requires a lot more work than the boost to get to 169 from whatever your starting point is.  If you have the time and the ability to stick with it despite the dimishing returns, awesome!  But if not, I wouldn't be heartbroken.  That's all I'm sayin'.  There is a reason that 170 gets more money and more admissions.  It is a tough ceiling to break.

[jalong]

If anything, I would say that your experience supports the idea that breaking 170 is tough and requires a lot more work than the boost to get to 169 from whatever your starting point is.  If you have the time and the ability to stick with it despite the dimishing returns, awesome!  But if not, I wouldn't be heartbroken.  That's all I'm sayin'.  There is a reason that 170 gets more money and more admissions.  It is a tough ceiling to break.

I think I get your drift, aerynn, and I do agree.  It's tough (espcially for non-trads) to strike a balance with what's really a reasonable effort.  The payoff for a high score can be huge.  But then again, that's not always true at every school and it's quite likely impossible for every person.

I see what you're saying aerynn, and there definintely is the plateau that one is likely to hit, and it definitely took way more work to get from 168 to 175 than it did to get from 159 to 168. And one should be heartbroken with a 168 either, because that is still a great number to have, but if one is tempted to go the extra mile (or 7), I'm just saying that large returns are still possible. If I get any good scholarship offers this cycle I could probably even give you an idea of how many dollars per hour that extra studying was worth.

So perhaps we are both right. Don't sweat it if you can't break the plateau, but know that it is often possible, and if you want to put the extra hours into it, it could be worth it.

[thorc954]

I disagree thorc. While the testtaker definintely needs to be relaxed when they take the test, it depends on the person how they go about doing that. I was also an obsessive practicer, taking a full test everyday for a while, and I studied for a full year.

On the morning of the test, I did a practice logic game just to be warmed up. I don't know if it helped or not, but I perfected the games section, so it doesn't seem to have hurt me. I also relaxed me a bit, because it was part of my daily routine, practicing for the LSAT and it helped me stay confident, knowing that I was well-prepared.

I think the best advice is to be ready, and know that you are ready. Whatever score that means for you, however that is accomplished, just walk into the place on test day knowing that you are going to do the best you can. Relaxing is part of that, but so is rigorous preparation.

you got the logic games perfect, I missed one question, i think it may have been worth it to have that week at the beach. 

I have actually heard it recommended(by kaplan) to do some warm up that day... I mean, if you do well on it it may put you in a good mind set, if you dont, you may be freaked out before the exam.

congrats on the 175. definitely hard earned. It cant hurt to study as much as physically possible, just dont get burnt out. 

[JenJ]

I had serious problems with the logic games, so I took the Power Score full length course. I missed a couple of classes and did not do all of the work and it still helped a lot. Towards the end I did almost all of the practice tests and questions, and I was regularly getting all of the reading comp and logical reasoning questions correct. I saw some imporovement in my games too. I am glad that I took it because I really screwed up during the actualy test but still got a 160. I was doing much better on the practice tests.

[sck]

I'm not sure if I, personally, really had a barrier -- I peaked on the test, getting a 171 after practice scores in the high 160s pretty consistently. However, I always concentrate better when the pressure is on, too. I only missed 7, and 5 of those were before the break -- possibly nerves, but also probably the fact that I had a massic allergy attack before the break.

Warming up, though, is definitely a good idea. I did a couple of logic games just to wake my brain up and relax.

[thorc954]

sck, advice, i was reading your lsn... you have great shot at UT as an instate, but consider michigan. they love splitters and you could always transfer to UT after a semester or so

[DelDad]

I peaked on test day with a 178. I'd started preparing about three months before the test, but at that point its was just doing random logic games.

My daughter was in pre school three mornings a week, which was basically my only regularly scheduled kid-free time.  So each time she went to school, I did a timed test. over that time, I worked through all the 10-test compilation books, and the published single tests from 40-48. 

In the evenings, after everyone else went to bed, I worked through the PS Logic Games Bible (which I found very helpful), a formal logic textbook (which I also found very helpful), and Kaplan 180 (which I didn't).  Near the end of my preparation, my wife looked after kids some so that I could practice more, and I started spendind a lot more time going over all the answers I got wrong, which I think was vital to doing better as time went on.

I started out in the mid-160's in mid-April.  I was scoring 167-171 on most of my tests throughout May, but I still couldn't finish games sections.  After some frustration at not improving any more, I revisited the LG bible after having done a ton of preptests, and started really analyzing what I was messing up on, and something clicked.  (Also, I was doing newer tests, and I think the games on more recent tests are just a little easier than older games). Most of my preptests in the end of may through mid june were 171-174, and on test day, I left the center estimating I'd get around a 173.

[purpeng]

I took two practice tests.  Scored 165 and 168 on them.  Took the real thing and got 164.

[euphrasie]

I took 3 prep tests. I didn't have time to do more and I wish I had. 163 was my very first test score with no prep. I KNOW I could have improved had I done true prep, but there was just no more time in my day.

[EEtoJD]

I peaked on test day with a 178. I'd started preparing about three months before the test, but at that point its was just doing random logic games.

My daughter was in pre school three mornings a week, which was basically my only regularly scheduled kid-free time.  So each time she went to school, I did a timed test. over that time, I worked through all the 10-test compilation books, and the published single tests from 40-48. 

In the evenings, after everyone else went to bed, I worked through the PS Logic Games Bible (which I found very helpful), a formal logic textbook (which I also found very helpful), and Kaplan 180 (which I didn't).  Near the end of my preparation, my wife looked after kids some so that I could practice more, and I started spendind a lot more time going over all the answers I got wrong, which I think was vital to doing better as time went on.

I started out in the mid-160's in mid-April.  I was scoring 167-171 on most of my tests throughout May, but I still couldn't finish games sections.  After some frustration at not improving any more, I revisited the LG bible after having done a ton of preptests, and started really analyzing what I was messing up on, and something clicked.  (Also, I was doing newer tests, and I think the games on more recent tests are just a little easier than older games). Most of my preptests in the end of may through mid june were 171-174, and on test day, I left the center estimating I'd get around a 173.

Congratulations! That's awesome.