The LSAT is not a test to be trifled with. It is often thought of as significantly more difficult than many other standardized tests offered in the U.S. and therefore requires a much higher level of rigor and commitment in preparation. As a rule of thumb, we advise that students prepare 10-15 hours per week for four months.
But simply putting in the hours is not enough. Prospective law students should also be sure they are preparing thoughtfully so that they maximize time and continue to improve both their understanding of the test and their scaled score on practice tests.
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We recommend taking around 30 full, timed practice tests while preparing. But during that process, the sustained focus on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis can take its toll, often in the form of a stagnant or decreasing scaled score. Thoughtful preparation, though, can help you overcome a stagnant score in the practice test phase of your preparation.
Don’t assume you reached your ceiling, though, if your score doesn’t change. It is very common for students to go through periods even as long as a few weeks where their score doesn’t meaningfully improve. Try these three techniques to get yourself back on track.
1. Take a break: This advice may seem counterintuitive based on our emphasis on steady, consistent preparation over several months, but preparing for the LSAT is often a grind and can take its toll both on your mental ability to learn and on your stamina and resolve. Taking a break is often the best course of action and more than makes up for any lost preparation time.
Even three days off from studying can help you refresh and clear your head by forgetting about the LSAT for a bit. This kind of break not only promotes mental recovery, but it also combats feelings of discouragement that often accompany a stagnant score.
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2. Focus on untimed work: Another major contributor to a stagnant score is burnout. Grinding through three to four full, timed practice tests per week, especially for those who are in school or working a full-time job while preparing for the LSAT, can take its toll over time.
Much of the mental strain associated with taking timed tests is the timing aspect: The pressure to work quickly can often lead to mental fatigue.
If your score has stagnated, set aside several days to a week where you don’t tak a full, timed practice test. Instead, during this time, focus on untimed work, such as problem sets and individual sections of tests.
Untimed work is much less stressful than timed tests and can often lead to insights about how to more effectively approach questions rather than just spinning your wheels doing the same thing over and over in a timed environment.
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3. Experiment with different time management strategies: We have discussed time management strategies in previous posts, so we won’t go into specifics on different strategies here. But it is important to keep in mind the role that time management can play in your score improvement.
Students often settle on a single strategy early in the process of taking full, timed practice tests, but the strategy you settle on may not be the optimal one. Students frequently experience bumps in as many as three or four points by implementing a new time-management strategy as they take full, timed practice tests.
An important thing to keep in mind as you prepare for the LSAT is that it is a mentally and psychologically demanding process. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a break to refresh yourself, change up your study habits temporarily and experiment with alternative techniques as you learn what works for you in your preparation.
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3 Things to Do When Your LSAT Score is Stuck originally appeared on usnews.com
