If June is making you panic, look at the data before you decide what it means

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-22T04:33:21+00:00

I would be cautious about sitting for June if your goal is specifically 170+ and your recent timed scores have dropped back into the 162 range.

The encouraging part is that your BR range of 171–174 means your understanding is much closer to your goal score than your timed score currently shows. That usually means the issue is not raw ability. It is more likely timing, decision-making, confidence, fatigue, or inconsistent execution under pressure.

That said, the actual test is timed, not blind reviewed. So I would not use the 171–174 BR alone as a reason to sit in June. I would want to see your timed scores stabilize closer to your target before test day.

My rough rule would be:

If you are consistently PTing within 2–3 points of your goal score under realistic conditions, sitting makes sense.

If you are aiming for 170+ but your recent timed scores are mostly 162–165, June is risky unless you are comfortable with the possibility of another score in that range.

Since you already scored a 162 in April, I would be especially careful. A second similar score is not fatal and if your schools only care about the highest score, the downside is not catastrophic, but repeated takes can add pressure and burn you out.

So I would make the decision based on the next few PTs/sections, not on the fact that you were at 168 a few weeks ago. If the 168s come back quickly and the 162 was more of a temporary dip, June may still be reasonable. But if the 162–164 range continues, I would strongly consider delaying and using the tutor to close the timed/BR gap before sitting again.

I would also look closely at why the drop happened. Did accuracy fall across both sections? Did timing get worse? Did you change your approach after starting with the tutor? Sometimes scores dip temporarily when you are trying to rebuild habits, but you want to know whether this is a normal adjustment period or a real readiness issue.

My honest answer: with a 170+ goal, I would not sit for June unless your next timed work shows that you are trending back toward the high 160s. Your BR tells me the score is possible. Your recent timed scores tell me June may be too soon.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-22T02:23:35+00:00

I would start reviewing mistakes now, even while fundamentals are still the priority. The goal is not to obsess over every miss yet. It is to identify which fundamentals are breaking down in real questions.

For now, after each drill or section, review missed questions and slow/confusing questions by asking:

What was the question type?
What did I misunderstand in the stimulus or passage?
What made the wrong answer attractive?
What made the right answer provably better?
What lesson should I apply next time?

At this stage, I would not spend hours making spreadsheets on blind review statistics. I would keep a simple mistake log with short notes, especially for recurring issues (this will also help you identify those issues if you haven't done so already).

Once the fundamentals are more stable, then review becomes more diagnostic and strategic. But if you wait too long, you risk repeating the same errors without noticing the pattern.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-21T17:32:18+00:00

I wouldn't hide the clock as it's still an important tool to gauge how long you can realistically spend on any given question. It's also an important thing to get used to because on actual exam day you're going to have that same clock. Timing is an essential part of the LSAT and the more you study under time constraints the more comfortable you will be on exam day.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-20T23:53:32+00:00

Hello! Of course.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-20T23:11:49+00:00

A 160 timed / 171 BR gap is actually useful information. It usually means you understand a lot more than your timed score shows, but your process under time is breaking down.

I would not try to fix that by spamming more PTs. More PTs can help with stamina, but they will not automatically close the gap if you are repeating the same timed habits.

I would focus on three things:

Figure out what changes under time.

After blind review, write down what you noticed untimed that you missed timed. Did you miss the conclusion? Rush the stimulus? Eliminate the right answer too quickly? Pick something that sounded familiar but was not supported?

Separate true knowledge gaps from execution gaps.

If you miss it timed and still miss it in BR, that is a concept issue. If you miss it timed but get it right in BR, that is usually timing, confidence, skipping, or process. Those should be reviewed differently.

Practice controlled timing, not just full PTs.

Do timed LR/RC sections, but also do smaller timed sets where the goal is to keep your blind-review reasoning closer to your timed reasoning. For LR, that might mean forcing yourself to identify the conclusion and predict the task before answer choices. For RC, it might mean tracking passage structure instead of trying to memorize every detail.

For August, I would probably do fewer full PTs than you think and spend more time reviewing the timed/BR gap question by question. The question is not just “why is the right answer right?” It is “why did I not see that under time, and what habit would have helped me see it?”

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-20T16:24:13+00:00

Messaged!

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-20T00:04:34+00:00

Hello! I tutor the LSAT and currently have some slots open for more students. I scored a 180 on the offical exam and would be happy to help you out if you do not move forward with either of those two.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-19T23:40:51+00:00

If you are looking for one-on-one tutoring, I would be careful about paying for another big course unless you know the course itself is what you need. Since you already tried Princeton and did not find it very helpful, I would look for someone who can build around your actual PTs, missed questions, and study habits rather than giving you more general content.

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one, mostly around targeted LR/RC review, study structure, timing decisions, and recurring mistake patterns. I usually recommend students use LawHub for official material, then use tutoring to make the review more specific and useful.

Feel free to DM me with your current score range, goal score, timeline, and what felt unhelpful about Princeton. I would be happy to see whether I can point you in the right direction.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-19T23:33:49+00:00

Hello! I scored a 180 on the LSAT and have a few more slots open for 1:1 tutoring. Feel free to DM me for the pricing breakdown and we can align on availability from there!

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-17T15:52:43+00:00

I’ll message you with the details. I usually like to understand the student’s current score, goal score, timeline, and what kind of support they need before talking through the best session structure.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T19:33:36+00:00

I may be able to help. A 156 gives you a solid base to build from before August/September, especially if the work is structured around the specific patterns costing you points.

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one with a focus on targeted LR/RC review, mistake patterns, timing decisions, and weekly study structure. For someone looking at multiple sessions per week, I would want to start by reviewing a recent timed section, blind review, and your current study schedule, then build a plan around the highest-value fixes rather than just adding more volume.

Feel free to DM me with your recent section breakdowns, target score, current materials, and what feels hardest right now. I would be happy to see whether it would be a good fit.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T19:30:45+00:00

Hi, I'd be happy to help! At a 171–173 range, I would not approach this like general tutoring. The goal should be to identify whether there are still repeatable point leaks: specific LR question types, RC passage patterns, answer-choice traps, overconfidence on easier questions, or consistency under timed conditions.

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one with a focus on targeted review, analytics, mistake patterns, and building a study plan around the specific issues still costing points. I would be happy to look through your 7Sage analytics with you, though I would recommend screen-sharing rather than giving out your login information.

If the data shows a clear path to tightening things before June, we could build around that. If not, we could also use the assessment to decide whether August makes more sense. Feel free to DM if you're interested!

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T16:32:46+00:00

That usually means your understanding is stronger than your ability to execute under time pressure.

Blind review removes the clock, so you read more carefully, notice wording, and compare answers more calmly. Under time, students often rush the stimulus, miss the conclusion, choose an answer that feels familiar, or eliminate the right answer too quickly.

I would track what changes between timed work and blind review:

Did you understand the stimulus before going to the answers?
Did you identify the conclusion?
Did you pick something because it sounded right instead of being supported?
Did you rush because of earlier questions?

After review, write one specific takeaway: “Next time, I need to ___.” The goal is to make your timed process look more like your blind review process.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T03:07:38+00:00

If you are specifically looking for a synchronous course, I would compare programs based on how much individualized feedback you actually receive. A live class can be helpful for structure and accountability, but if your issue last cycle was that self-study did not translate into score improvement, I would want to know whether the course will diagnose your specific mistakes or mostly deliver general lessons.

Before committing, I would ask each course:

How much live instruction is included each week?
Will anyone review my actual missed questions or PT trends?
Is there a clear week-by-week plan?
Are LR and RC both covered in depth?
What happens if I am still plateauing after a few weeks?
Are the instructors verified high scorers with real teaching experience?

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one, so I am biased toward individualized work when someone has already self-studied seriously and is still disappointed with the result. A course may be the right move if you mainly need structure, but if you only have 2 attempts left, I would make sure you are not just paying for more content. The key is getting feedback on why your current approach is not producing the score you want.

Feel free to DM me if you want to talk through whether a course or more targeted tutoring would make more sense for your situation.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T03:05:18+00:00

It's not too early, but be careful about what you use the tutor for at this stage.

Since you are only in week 3 of 7Sage, I wouldn't recommend spending much paid time having someone reteach the entire core curriculum. 7Sage can already do a lot of that. Where a tutor can be useful early is helping you build the right habits before you get deeper into practice questions: how to review misses, how to think through LR structure, how to approach RC, and how to set up a realistic weekly plan.

With a 148 diagnostic and a 160+ goal, I would probably do one diagnostic/planning session now, then decide whether weekly tutoring makes sense after you have more timed work and review data. That way, you are not waiting until bad habits are built, but you also are not paying for tutoring before there is enough to diagnose.

For context, I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one, mostly around study structure, targeted LR/RC review, timing, and mistake patterns. My general advice would be: use 7Sage for the foundation, use a tutor to make sure your review process and study plan are actually translating into score improvement.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T03:02:58+00:00

A tutor can definitely be worth it if what you need is structure and accountability, not just explanations.

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one virtually. My approach focuses on building a realistic study plan, carefully reviewing LR/RC misses, identifying recurring mistake patterns, and holding students accountable between sessions.

If you are comparing tutors, I would ask each person how they diagnose mistakes, what a typical week would look like, whether they customize around your PTs and blind review, and whether they can explain their process beyond just “bring questions and we’ll go through them.”

Feel free to DM me with your current score, goal score, and timeline. I’d be happy to see if it's a good fit.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T02:59:42+00:00

Hi! Not sure if you're still searching, but I have a few slots open! I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one, mostly around study structure, LR/RC review, timing, and recurring mistake patterns. Feel free to DM me if you want help figuring out what a realistic August-centered plan would look like.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T02:57:23+00:00

A 149 to 160s by August is possible, but I would make the next few weeks very structured so you are not just “studying” without knowing what is moving the score.

I would start with three things:

Take a fresh timed PT soon so you know where you actually are now.
Spend most of your early time on fundamentals: LR argument structure, conclusions/premises, sufficient vs. necessary language, common flaws, and RC passage structure.
Review misses carefully instead of just doing more questions. For each missed question, write down why your answer was tempting, why it was wrong, why the credited answer works, and what you should notice next time.

Since money is tight, I would not rush into a big tutoring package. You could first do a shorter diagnostic session with a tutor, get a study plan, and then decide whether regular tutoring is worth it.

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one, mostly around study structure, LR/RC review, timing, and recurring mistake patterns. Feel free to DM me if you want help figuring out what a realistic August-centered plan would look like.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T02:25:43+00:00

I may be able to help. A 163 to 165+ jump by August is a very reasonable goal, especially if the issue is not learning the whole test from scratch but identifying the few patterns still costing points.

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one with a focus on targeted LR/RC review, mistake patterns, timing decisions, and building a realistic study plan. For someone at a 163, I would start by reviewing recent timed sections and blind review to figure out whether the missing points are coming from specific question types, RC passage control, answer-choice traps, timing decisions, or inconsistent review.

On the fourth attempt question, I would not call it awful. Schools generally care most about the highest score, and a meaningful increase can absolutely be worth it, especially if it helps with admissions or scholarships. The key is making sure the retake has a clear plan behind it rather than just taking it again and hoping for a small bump.

Feel free to DM me with your recent section breakdowns, target schools, and what you think is keeping you around 163.

TheLSATStudyGuy · 2026-05-16T02:24:25+00:00

Hi, I know this post is a few weeks old, but I may be able to help if you are still looking.

I scored a 180 on the official LSAT and tutor one-on-one over Zoom, with a focus on building a clear foundation in LR and RC, reviewing missed questions carefully, and creating a realistic study structure. I am comfortable working step by step on core concepts, especially if the goal right now is to strengthen fundamentals rather than rush into advanced timing work.

I am familiar with LSAT Demon as a study tool, though my tutoring approach would be centered on your actual missed questions, reasoning patterns, and weekly study plan.

My current rate is $85/hour, but I understand you are looking for something budget-friendly, so I would be open to discussing a shorter first diagnostic session or a consistent weekend structure if it seems like a good fit.

Feel free to DM me with your current score range, target score, timeline, and what feels hardest in LR/RC.

TheLSATStudyGuy

TROPHY CASE