Did anybody do better on the actual LSAT than on your PTs?

[Futurelaw]

Has anyone scored higher than they did on any practice tests and by how much? 

 

[Lawllapalooza]

Overall - no. Within individual sections - I think so. My LSAT was an undisclosed one, so I received the overall score (obviously) but not the breakdown. One of the sections went so horrifically that I probably guessed 2/3 in the last 5 minutes. I couldn't focus at all. Must've crushed the other sections to get the score I got. There's a handful of reasons one might do better on test day, including thriving under pressure, trusting your gut sooner (or hey, the opposite. Some people do better if they slow down and read carefully), sheer luck (including lucky guesses, getting the types of games that you're better at, having the experimental be your last section, etc.). Anomalies can happen during PTs, they can also happen during the actual test. Wouldn't plan for it, though.

[law11111111111111111111111]

3 hours ago, Futurelaw said:

Has anyone scored higher than they did on any practice tests and by how much? 

 

I went up 3 points on the actual test compared to my highest PTs. 

[Eathwens]

I was pting 160, I got 164. So 4 points up. That's because I got the easiest logic games and I was practicing that the most, so I think I aced that and averaged out the rest. DO NOT PLAN FOR THIS. It's a severe level of cope to plan to get above average on test days. In-fact, I'd plan to go below average by a point or so. Plan to get your pts up to what you want, don't leave it to hope. 

[lawandordermaker]

I believe the general rule of thumb is to expect a -3 test day drop from the average of your last 5 PT's. You could end up doing better or worse than that based on luck, nervousness etc..

Edited June 6, 2022 by lawandordermaker

[PlatoandSocrates]

Anecdotal, but yes. Highest PT was 163, real test 166. Not that common as I understand it, but I suppose it happens.

[Eatable Bran]

Yes, I got 5-6 points higher than I was PTing at the time

Edited June 14, 2022 by Eatable Bran

[Renerik]

No, was consistantly hitting mid 170s and came out with a 169 both times.

[itsx99]

On the June 2022 test I scored 10 higher than my Pt average and 4 higher than my untimed best ever PT. I am definitely an exception to the rule but it is possible. 

[Patient0L]

Definitely took a 6pt hit 😢 

[Mal]

I was PTing around 178 and ended with a 173. Good friend was PTing around 168 and also ended with a 173. Some people perform better under test conditions, most people don't. 

[goosie]

I think I had one PT above what my actual score ended up being, otherwise I was PTing lower. It happens that people get a higher score on test day, but like others have said, don't bet on it. Think about what you're like as a test taker generally. If you tend to get nervous or choke on tests, then it's a safer bet to say your actual LSAT score will be lower than your highest PTs, which people generally take in more ideal conditions and with less pressure.

[aurora borealis]

I was consistently PTing around 157-159 and scored a 168.

[hiccups]

I took it twice, first time I got the highest score I've ever got although it was only a 1 point bump. It was good enough to get into law school but I already paid for a second test so I took it again, but this time there was a huge storm in my city and as a result of some traffic congestion I had to wake up at 6 am to commute by train, and walk a long distance. I was exhausted when I arrived at the test center. 

Overall the first day the weather was good and my morning was uneventful, and as a result I was well rested and focused well during the test. The second time (after I even studied for another 3-4 months) was the exact opposite notwithstanding the fact that I studied more and I was expecting a higher score.  

Edited July 19, 2022 by hiccups

[GoatDuck]

Took the test once, got one point above my highest PT score is about 4-5 points above my average score.