How to Get a Good LSAT Score
It is well known by now that a good LSAT score is a ticket to one of the best law schools, scholarships, a beautiful family, and the life of your dreams. Less well known is how to get to that good score when your starting LSAT score leaves a lot to be desired. This post will discuss what makes a good LSAT score and provide some essential key tips for getting a good LSAT score when you might not otherwise.
What is a good LSAT score?
The LSAT is scored on a scale of 120 to 180, with 150 plus or minus a score in the 50th percentile. Most students after their first diagnosis end up on the salty side of the bell curve, scoring between 135 and 150 and of course there are always the so called “naturals” who score in the 150 to 165 range their first time is up. These people usually end up being powerful politicians and CEOs of large corporations, so befriend them if you get the chance. Anecdotally, a good LSAT score is any score in the 160s and above. These “good” LSAT scores show up on applications to top-rated schools and can win favor with financial aid offices.
How do I get a good LSAT score?
So if you’re not one of the aforementioned “naturals,” the question becomes “how do I get a good LSAT score?” Here are some key steps that I have seen in every student of mine who has gone from a mediocre LSAT score to a good LSAT score.
Take an LSAT course. – The best way to prepare for the exam is to have someone who understands it teach you. By watching how these instructors approach the exam, you’ll better learn how to handle it yourself. Taking an LSAT course has the added benefit of committing yourself to studying, since you’ve already invested money in the effort. There are many LSAT prep courses out there, so choose wisely and do your homework. Of course, the LSAT Freedom is a favorite on this blog, either on its own or as a supplement to a live course.
Don’t study too much. Spend a couple of hours a day studying, and do it for two or three months. Getting a good LSAT score is a marathon, not a sprint. Dedicate a few hours a day and do not overdo it. Many students burn out because they study too much at first and get mentally blocked. Take days off and take a week-long break in between studies. It will be difficult, but it will work.
Limit the study aids you use. There are many LSAT study aids on the market. Trying to read them all and capture every piece of advice given on the exam will just drive you crazy. Do your research, pick a select few, and keep them at all times. Conflicting advice provided on disparate study aids will only serve to confuse you, and you just want to focus.
Take several comprehensive practice tests. As the song says, “there’s nothing like the real thing, baby.” Take 5-10 completed tests under weather conditions in the weeks leading up to the test. Analyze your mistakes and try to learn from them. However, review the nearby answer choices to determine what you may have missed the first time around, so you can better recognize your tendencies. This is a laborious process, but as another song says, “nobody said it was easy.”
If you follow the steps above, you will score well on the LSAT.