<p>Ok, so when I was a senior in college, 05-06 academic year, I was going to take the LSAT in the fall of 05, I prepared somewhat for it, then postponed it to Feb 06 to give me more prep time, but then I decided not to take it as I thought I wasn't as prepared as I should be. So fast forward to this past spring, almost a year out of college, I decide to take it in June 07, so I started preparing in March of 07. When it came closer to the test date, I decided not to take it, because I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to law school in the fall of 08. Well now, I think I do, and I am thinking about taking the Sept. LSAT because I am afraid the one in December is too late for apps. </p>
<p>I got a month and 22 days to prepare, with study periods here and there over the past two years. I started taking the June 07 LSAT today and I was getting a lot of the answers right so I feel confident I could be ready in time for the Sept. 07 LSAT. How long did most people on here take to prepare for the test? I'd like to see how the amount of prep time influenced scores. I am sure some got great scores with little prep time, while others needed to prep for a considerable amount of time.</p>
<p>No, I didn't take the full test yet. I did the first section timed and got them all right. I know that doesn't really mean squat but It gave me a boost of confidence. I am more interested in finding out how long people prepared before taking the test and what their score was.</p>
<p>You mentioned that you prepared for the LSAT off and on for much of the past few years. I think the more relevant questions, then, are how much preparation did you actually do? How far did it take you? What are your goals, and where are you now? </p>
<p>I'm not expert, and I myself am in the midst of studying. But at the risk of sounding hackneyed, I would say that it varies according to abilities and goals. In general, though, you should be able to prepare well enough for the September test given enough dedication and wherewithal. Just get all the necessary materials, develop a good study plan, and stick to it. Good luck.</p>
<p>Well, my goal isnt to get in the 170s or a perfect score. I would be happy with mid to high 150s or low 160s. My target schools median LSAT scores are in those ranges. I guess I should first take a practice test all the way through and timed and see what my score is without maximum preparation, then see how much I need to improve. In terms of the actual amount of preparation over the past two years, I'd say a total of about 3 or 4 months worth. Another question I have is, are prep books necessary. Has anyone done well on the LSAT by just practicing the actual tests without prep books?</p>
<p>I have a feeling that if you managed to get all of the questions on one section right, that you'll have no problem being able to score in the high 150s, low 160s by the end of September.</p>
<p>Obviously that depends on which section. If that was the reading comprehension section or the games section, that still leaves 3/4 of the LSAT that he has no basis for projecting.</p>
<p>I think that taking a timed practice test is a good idea to start off with, but only because it'll give you an idea of what your baseline is. After that, though, try to recognize your weak points and work on them. Do sections untimed at first to familiarize yourself with patterns and question types. Start doing them within an inflated time frame (ex. 50 minutes per section) and then gradually shave off time. Taking all of the tests timed is probably not a good idea, as if you are not really that comfortable with some sections, you may rush, skip questions, or just guess on a bunch of them without actually reading them and understanding them. Take them timed when you feel comfortable doing so.</p>
<p>Also, though I'm sure many people have successfully prepped by just taking practice tests, I would still recommend getting at least a couple of prep books. The most popular (and IMHO, the most effective) tomes are PowerScore's Logic Reasoning Bible and Logic Games Bible. They're pricey, but worthwhile. They're not magic bullets though; you'll need to learn their techniques and internalize them by practicing.</p>
<p>chris4984, Get ready for some cold water in the face. Here it comes. "Well now, I think I do, and I am thinking about taking the Sept. LSAT because I am afraid the one in December is too late for apps." Perception - "I think I'll dawdle a bit more and then maybe I'll get around to some half-a...ed studying here and there for the LSAT." Get a move on now and do some serious preparation for the LSAT! There are several helpful threads on lawschooldiscussion and top-law-schools forurms saying exactly what books to purchase (starting with the Powerscore Bibles) and the old LSAT tests you can purchase to study and prepare. Get going now or kiss your target law schools good-bye.</p>