It’s already well known that a good LSAT score is a ticket to top law school, scholarships, a beautiful family, and the life of your dreams. Less well known is how to get to that good score when your initial LSAT score leaves a lot to be desired. This post will discuss what makes for 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 being 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 anywhere from 135 and 150 and of course there are always the so called “naturals” who get scores 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 make friends with 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-tier 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 is “how do I get a good LSAT score?” Here are some key steps 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 it taught to you by someone who understands it well. 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 to study, 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, LSAT Freedom is a favorite on this blog, either on its own or as a companion to a live course.

Don’t study too much. Dedicate a couple of hours a day to study, 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 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 in the exam will just drive you crazy. Do your research, pick a select few, and keep them with you at all times. The conflicting advice provided on disparate study aids will only serve to confuse you, and what you want is to focus.

Take several comprehensive practice tests. As the song goes, “there’s nothing like the real thing, baby.” Take 5-10 comprehensive exams under timed conditions in the weeks leading up to the exam. Analyze your mistakes and try to learn from them. However, check the nearby answer options to determine what you may have missed the first time, 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 get a good score on the LSAT.