As a law school applicant, you’ve been studying for the LSAT for a few weeks — maybe even months — and after a gradual improvement, you notice something: Your score is stagnating, or worse, declining. Of the many mental hurdles that the LSAT poses, this is one of the most difficult ones to conquer.
You might start doubting your abilities or study methods, which in turn may lead to overthinking questions, resulting in a perpetuation of the problem. So what are the reasons for this very common phenomenon and what can be done to overcome it?
First, home in on what could be causing the problem. Having become familiar with the questions on the LSAT, many test-takers start timing themselves to master the exam’s constraints. This might lead to an understandable sudden score drop, but one that could only be solved by practice and better time management.
Instead of going directly from untimed questions to a timed exam, try a gradual approach. Give yourself two minutes per question, then gradually shorten the time allowed per question. If timing was the reason for your plateau, you will start seeing an uptick as you learn to work more efficiently.
[Learn more about time management when your LSAT score is stuck.]
Other applicants who have seen all the curveballs the exam may throw at them start overanalyzing seemingly easy questions and find that they get them wrong, including questions that they used to answer correctly.
While easier said than done, such test-takers need to use the thought process that helped them improve their score in previous weeks. That process was working, so go back to those old habits — while keeping the new material in mind, of course.
Sadly, not all causes and solutions for the plateau are as simple, nor are they as easily identifiable by introspection.
For example, because the LSAT takes a unique approach to logic — one that is counterintuitive to many, like the fact that “either A or B” could sometimes mean “both A and B” — test-takers can have a difficult time tearing down some of their pre-existing logical assumptions.
[Find out how to factor LSAT changes into your testing strategy.]
Similarly, some test-takers are good at methodically going through the simpler logical connections but find it hard to make those extra inferences that allow them to conquer the logic games.
Keep in mind that while LSAT courses are a great way to give you the initial tools to improve your score, they may not get you over the hump that separates a good score from a great one. When grouped together with other students — each with their own strengths and weaknesses — it’s hard to give each person an individualized study plan addressing the reason for his or her score plateau.
So you must dig deeper into your performance. Here are three ways to overcome the LSAT score plateau.
1. Reconstruct your performance from prior practice exams: In doing so, make sure you accurately identify not only which section you’re struggling with, but also which question subtypes, and most importantly, why you’re getting them wrong. You can then dedicate more study time to that specific weakness area.
However, even that approach could be insufficient. If you find that you can’t work your way through the specific types of questions that you struggle with, it may be time to turn to a third party.
[Use three official LSAT tools to prepare for the exam.]
2. Find a tutor: Even if you’ve been relying on self-study, investing in a good tutor to help you in specific areas of weakness will go a long way. Tutors have the experience and know-how to give you the rundown of any question type and will provide you with a few hours of personalized attention that you will not get otherwise.
3. Use apps: Another way to supplement your current studying is to download an app that would allow you to practice questions exclusively in your mistake-prone subjects.
Most apps cost less than $10, and in addition to providing you the convenience of only drilling a specific topic, many of them will offer useful statistics about your timing and accuracy rates.
The most important thing to remember when you reach your LSAT score plateau is that you’re not alone. Almost every person studying for the exam will hit the wall at some point. You’re the same person who brought a score up in the preceding weeks; trust that you’ll use the same intelligence and hard work to get you past this momentary setback and to an even better score.
Have more questions about LSAT prep strategies and law school applications? Shoot me an email.
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How to Overcome an LSAT Score Plateau originally appeared on usnews.com
