After multiple trials, your LSAT score remains constant. You have been studying and putting in a lot of effort. You have been doing everything necessary for you to get those extra points you need, but still, you do not seem to have any luck. What you are facing is called an LSAT Scoring Plateau.
LSAT Scoring Plateau explained
Plateaus exist and are in fact, extremely common among LSAT exam takers. However, the thing about plateaus is that, when you are faced with one, it is not about the score but it is rather about your skills. This means that it is thought that score plateaus are caused when you can not trespass a certain total score, that you are “stuck” on a certain LSAT score. But what LSAT score plateaus really represent are the certain skills that are needed for you to move past a certain total score.
So, in other words, an LSAT scoring plateau is in fact a skill plateau. It’s all about the skills that you have or don’t have, that are causing you to plateau at a certain level. During their LSAT prep journeys, people experience scoring plateaus at least once, and that is completely normal. However, you should know when it’s time to seek professional help.
With that being said, here are 3 general Apex tips for LSAT retakers that can help you overcome your plateaus and gain the points you deserve.
1. Understand your strengths and weakness
Mistakes are made for you to learn from them. So for that purpose, try to categorize the LSAT exam’s sections and see what you have found the most difficult in your past LSAT exams. Was it the Logical Reasoning section, the Analytical Reasoning section, or the Reading Comprehension? In other words, pinpoint your skills that need to be sharpened. Your new LSAT prep journey should be tailored to fit your skills and needs. Try to prioritize the sections you found tough. But that doesn’t mean you should not go over and practice the other sections you aced. Just keep in mind that the sections you had difficulty going over are the ones that would need more attention and time. The knowledge you have should be used to maneuver your way around the question and to understand exactly what is asked of you to do.
LSAT exam makers are not testing your knowledge when it comes to remembering equations and vocabulary, they are testing what you can do with the knowledge you have. This time around, you wouldn’t want to repeat the same mistakes you made, but rather learn from them.
2. Work on your timing
Take the same questions, but now, try to solve them for half the time they were allocated. That will help put some pressure on you to get the right answer in the shortest time possible. Another time management trick you can try is flashcards. If you haven’t tried them before, give flashcards a shot and try to get the answer in a maximum of two minutes. It’s a simple yet effective way to time yourself under a time crunch. You should also know your shortcuts and timesavers because every single minute during your LSAT exam matters. You do not want to waste 5 minutes on one question, just to find its right answer. It’s all about the best, time efficient method that will be the path to the correct answer.
3. Change your mentality
It is all about perspective.
It is all about perspective.
It is all about perspective.
View the LSAT exam differently. While preparing for it, consider it as a learning journey and that you are doing it for the knowledge. That way, you will distract yourself from the fact that you are doing it for the points and will actually grasp the LSAT’s material better. Alongside, managing to keep your sanity in check. The more you focus on the fact that you are doing this to learn and grow, the higher the chances are to get more points. The fact that this is an exam will stress you out and do you no good.
To Review
Just because you didn’t get it right the first or second time does not mean that you will never get it at all. With dedication, hard work, and smiles, you will view the tribulations as lessons and more chances to improve and improve again. With the right mindset, you are more than capable of breaking through your LSAT scoring plateaus to get the points you deserve.
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Contributor: Lilas Al-Sammak