December 2009 Scale

[Tailgator2010]

Oh, and just for the record, UF...2010 Sugar Bowl Champions!!!

It was just too easy

[Jeffort]

It doesn't make you answer more questions right, and so it still doesn't change how you did.  

Umm, yeah, I'm not arguing that point. I'm saying that AFTER the test it helps. Do you get it?

 

 

It is a relevant and very important thing to consider during the after test cancellation time window while trying to assess your performance, which is difficult to do.  For the most part, in general, with all the students I have worked with over the years, when somebody comes out of the test and says or feels that it was easy, they typically blew chunks on it and missed a lot of questions.  

Pretty much every student I've taught/worked with/tutored/etc. that has achieved a high score came out of the test thinking it was hard and went through the self doubt ups and downs speculation period waiting for scores to be released.

The LSAT is a very difficult standardized exam, one of the hardest ones out there.  If someone comes out of taking it thinking and feeling that it was easy, that is a major red flag and typically means that the person fell for and selected many of the attractive distractor/trap/sucker choice answers.  

It is hard to achieve a high score and does feel hard during and after the test even when having performed well.  

While I waited for score release with a 177 result, during those weeks waiting my mind was all over the place.  One hour I would temporarily think/hope I nailed it.  The next hour I was   thinking that I totally bombed the thing and got  , then I thought it through more and regained my confidence that I had nailed it.  It was a roller coaster for sure that ended with me 

[Tailgator2010]

 

Good story, and a great example of what I'm talking about. Thanks!

[Amby]

It doesn't make you answer more questions right, and so it still doesn't change how you did. 

Umm, yeah, I'm not arguing that point. I'm saying that AFTER the test it helps. Do you get it?

 

Well, I'm not arguing that it makes a difference after the test. I was talking about during the test. Do you get it?

 

[Ashley O]

There's also a benefit to people studying previous exams. If you answer a lot of questions correctly on a practice test but then see that the scale is tight, it tells you that you were answering easier questions overall.

So, I don't know about the benefit during the test, but there are several benefits after the test. 

[Jeffort]

There's also a benefit to people studying previous exams. If you answer a lot of questions correctly on a practice test but then see that the scale is tight, it tells you that you were answering easier questions overall.

So, I don't know about the benefit during the test, but there are several benefits after the test. 

 


So it looks like we have a conses regarding this topic:

Thinking about and worrying about the scale while taking the test is counter productive because it makes it so you are not concentrating fully on analyzing the questions.  Therefore, don't think about it during the test.  I mean really, what are you going to do, if while you are taking it you think the scale is going to be generous you then ease up and decide not to try as hard?   That obviously would be silly to do.   

Thinking about the scale during your cancellation option time window is important to decide to cancel or not depending on how you feel about the test as compared to recent practice tests you've taken timed.  If you studied and practiced in a good way you should be able to have a feel for it and also know whether or not you had a bad day and blew it by not performing up to your full potential. 

It's better to have a cancellation and then a good score on your record than a lower score and then a higher score both reported.