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How to Improve Your LSAT Score

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
Ever hear that cliché? Well, it’s pretty good advice, especially if you scored below 150 on your LSAT. Fact is, the LSAT matters. It creates a level playing field that allows schools to place candidates side-by-side. GPAs can be influenced by the difficulty of undergraduate majors and schools, and essays and references are measured with subjective judgments.
Like it or not, one test has undue impact on your chances.
Luckily, you can re-take the LSAT. According to the Law School Admission Council, test-takers generally notched their highest LSAT scores on their second tries. So what can you do to increase your odds of a higher score the second go-round? A recent U.S. News and World Report article listed four proven strategies for doing just that:
1) Create a Study Plan: Too often, student treat the first test as a “dry run,” according to Kaplan Test Prep’s Jack Chase. Instead of reading an LSAT prep book, taking a class, or hiring a tutor, they simply walk in cold and hope for the best. As a result, they end up investing more time repeating the process. For the second time, students should force themselves to study. Tutors or classes, which require paying money and committing to specific times and places, often yield the best results.
2) Practice Using Previous LSATs: Why buy the book? The Law School Admission Council actually makes previous LSATs available. As a result, according to U.S. News, “Students can see how the test is structured, how many questions are asked in each​ section and how questions are grouped together.” What’s more, students can identify their weaknesses early on, giving them time for remediation.
3) Use a Timer: The LSAT doesn’t just measure what you know, but how well you know it. If test-takers want to truly simulate the LSAT experience, they should time themselves. Otherwise, they risk getting hung up on questions or sections that could ultimately undercut their scores. By using a timer, students can develop an internal clock that keeps them rolling along at the right pace.
4) Don’t Rush Through: Sure, students are evaluated by how many answers they get right, but that doesn’t mean a machine gun approach is best. According to Nathan Fox, founder of the test preparation firm FOX LSAT, this strategy actually increases the likelihood of getting answers wrong. “You’re blasting through the earlier, easier questions and making a bunch of silly mistakes,” he warns. Instead, he advises students to put extra time into the first ten questions of each section to increase their scores.
Source: U.S. News and World Report