A “Cold” LSAT diagnostic exam is just a simulated LSAT test that you take to see where you are before starting your LSAT prep. To do this, you use a real, official LSAT test published by LSAC, the makers of the LSAT test. Check here for a list of every actual, official LSAT preptest.
In this post, we explain everything you need to know about taking an LSAT diagnostic exam.
Keep in mind that your LSAT diagnostic is not intended to gauge how high you can score on your real LSAT test day. People often come to me worried and demoralized because of a low score on their diagnostic preptest. In this post, we discuss why this isn’t a concern.
How To Take A Cold Diagnostic LSAT Test
You should take your cold LSAT diagnostic under test-day conditions, including the 4th LSAT “experimental section” that you will have to take on your real exam.
The new LSAT format only includes 3 scored sections. Therefore, to simulate a full 4-section LSAT preptest, simply take any preptest 89 or below.
Simulating LSAT test-day conditions requires 35 minutes sections. You MUST stop working on that section immediately when your timer goes off. That means no bubbling after the timer goes off. No finishing “just one more” question. No stopping to take a break during the section.
LSAC provides the following instructions in a section entitled Taking the June 2007 Test Under Simulated LSAT Conditions on page 1 of the Free PDF version of the June 2007 LSAT:
Tips from LSAC on Simulating LSAT Conditions
One important way to prepare for the LSAT is to simulate the day of the test by taking a practice test under actual time constraints.
During the test, you may work only on the [current] section… You cannot devote extra time to a difficult section and make up that time on a section you find easier.
Be sure that you answer every question on the test… Do not be afraid to guess as there is no penalty for incorrect answers.
Abide by all the requirements specified in the directions and keep strictly within the specified time limits.
Work without a rest period. When you take an actual test, you will have only a short break—usually 10–15 minutes—after SECTION III.
Official directions for the four multiple-choice sections… are included in this practice test so that you can approximate actual testing conditions as you practice. To take the test:
■ Set a timer for 35 minutes. Answer all the questions in SECTION I. Stop working on that section when the 35 minutes have elapsed.
■ Repeat, allowing yourself 35 minutes each for sections II, III, and IV.
What LSAT Practice Test Should I Use for my Diagnostic Exam?
You can use any real LSAT preptest can for your diagnostic test. I recommend using this free LSAT from June 2007 or the free diagnostic test available at Kahn Academy, which has accompanying explanations that you might find helpful when reviewing the test afterward.
Having these explanations on hand is particularly useful when you are getting started with your LSAT prep. Explanations for newer LSAT preptests are also available, and the LSAT Superprep is an excellent all-in-one option.
If you’re eager to get started, you can download and print this free sample LSAT from the LSAC website: http://www.lsac.org/docs/default-source/jd-docs/sampleptjune.pdf.
After the test, check your answers with the key and see how you did.
Prepare to be a *little* underwhelmed with your performance on the test. Here’s why you shouldn’t be concerned:
Why You Shouldn’t Worry About a Poor Performance on the LSAT Cold Diagnostic
Listen to Viggo Mortensen. I guarantee that no one in the whole history of the world ever got a 180 on their cold diagnostic. Please prove me wrong if you know someone who claims to, but I won’t believe it.
The LSAT tests mental skills that you don’t often use (or ever really) in everyday life. Without prep, these skills will be very weak.
How Much Can I Improve my Diagnostic LSAT Score?
The answer is really up to you. How bad do you want it? Are you willing to dedicate a few long months to develop the skills necessary to excel at the most important exam you will take in your life? If not, you’re probably on the wrong website. If so, we’re here to help.
It is not uncommon for students to earn actual LSAT scores that are 20+ points higher than their initial diagnostic score. Case in point: I got a 152 on my diagnostic LSAT test and, after about three months of studying, I ended up scoring a 177 on the actual exam.
The LSAT is a LEARNABLE exam. As long as you are committed to adequately preparing for the test, a low cold diagnostic LSAT score does not limit your potential in any way.
Why? Because the LSAT is designed to trip you up in just about every way it can. For more on this, check out our discussion of the difficulty of the LSAT. The timing of the test is designed so that most people need more time to finish the test than allotted. Until you get used to the timing element of the exam, the LSAT is about five times worse than the most terrible mad-minute nightmares that you had in grade school.
Also, the LSAT employs logic and reasoning in a way that is utterly different from what you are used to doing in your everyday life. Have you figured out lately what order eight clowns could juggle in, factoring in that they have all sorts of issues about the order in which they will perform?
Probably not. But don’t worry, you can learn it.
Why Take A Cold Diagnostic LSAT?
So if the cold diagnostic is so useless as a barometer of future performance, why take one?
Your cold diagnostic is just a yardstick. It’s something you do so that you can see how much you have improved later on.
Your diagnostic exam puts the fear of God in you, so to speak. It gives you an idea of how difficult the exam is under strictly timed conditions. As soon as you tally your score at the end of the exam, you realize how far you have to go to get into the law school of your dreams. Use this as a significant boost in motivation as you WILL see massive improvements in your score as you prep more.
As we said recently in our post on the biggest LSAT myths, the LSAT is a highly learnable exam.
Believe me, if you take the LSAT seriously, prepare appropriately with the best LSAT prep material, and follow a rigorous study schedule, then someday in the not-too-distant future, you will look back at laugh at how poorly you performed on your first try.
Resources & Next Steps
So, now it’s your turn to get started. Go ahead and take your diagnostic exam.
CLICK HERE to email yourself a link to this page so that you don’t lose it, then come back and review the following resources, which will help you begin your LSAT prep journey…
- LSAT Prep Books & Self-Study – How I got a 177 on the LSAT
- Getting Started On The LSAT: A Complete Guide
- 5 Harsh Truths That Will Make You Better At The LSAT
Best of luck beginning your studies, and always remember to ask us anything you need to in the comments. We are here to help!
13 Comments
I am wondering what I should do before taking a LSAT diagnostic exam. Should I study for a few weeks first or go in blindly?
I recommend taking one prior to any prep in order to get a true baseline. Going in truly “cold”, without any studying, is ideal. However, if you’ve already started studying, that is fine too. The point is to:
1) give yourself exposure to the test under realistic conditions in order to get a feel for the test
2) establish a baseline score, which you can refer back to after subsequent studying, in order to see how far you’ve come
3) gain an understanding of how much you need to improve in order to get into the law schools that you are interested in (see: LSAT/GPA medians)
4) find out which sections you need to work on the most
One of the reasons that I like taking the cold diagnostic prior to any prep is simply because it is very difficult to go into the test without prior prep & still do well. However, since the test is very learnable, with a few solid weeks of prep you’re likely to see a nice jump in your score & you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come.
I am 55 years old and haven’t attended a university course in 30 years. My main concern is being out of the loop, to speak. Not that I have stopped learning, I am an avid linguist and speak 7 languages fluently while working on learning 5 others. But the LSAT is a different beast altogether. Any tips for older learners? I do plan to take a cold test. I took the LSAT back in 1995 and did poorly. I can’t remember for sure but I think it was around 140. That’s a terrible score, but I do remember only using a paper LSAT prep book (can’t recall the name), as there were no online courses at the time and I couldn’t afford live tutoring. I’m hopeful that the additional resources available now will help me do much better. Thanks.
that’s Sean Bean..
I agree, anyone who claims to have gotten a 180 or even 165+ on their cold is clearly lying. This is not like GRE or the SAT where you apply what you learned your whole life, LSAT is about thinking a new way and no one who has ever been exposed to LSAT is going to get that high score.
Gotta disagree.
Philosophy majors, man. Philosophy majors.
I’m not an average test taker, as I already have a PhD in Philosophy… but I got a 171 cold. I do think a 180 would be nearly impossible, just for the unusual nature of the logic games. Thankfully that is the section that can be most easily improved. One could conceivably ace the other three sections with zero LSAT prep.
I’m a senior in HS, and I just took a cold diagnostic for fun, and I got a 168, with -0 on Logic Games. Doing lots of Competitive Math is very helpful for LG, and the other sections I felt were quite applicable to SAT prep and general schooling…
The actor in the meme is Sean Bean, not Viggo Mortensen.
I took my diagnostic just now. I don’t feel bad about my score of 152. I have a ton of work to do to score at or above 171 though. Timing wasn’t really an issue, probably went too fast sometimes forcing me to make mistakes, and only missed a question at the end of section 3 by a second. Couldn’t turn the page fast enough.
Are the powerscore books with just the questions recommended at all for practice?
Hi guys, I’ve been studying for the LSAT for about two solid weeks now. I took a cold diagnostic my first week and scored a 145. I thought I would try another one and I scored a 140. I’m having trouble managing my time. I’m doing really well when I practice un- timed, I know that my cold diagnostic doesn’t mean much but I’ve been studying everyday after work and on the weekends. My original plan was to take the February exam and I was suppose to begin tutoring in November. My tutor had personal issues and kept postponing…so now I’m studying on my own for the June exam. I’m trying not to get discouraged but I feel a little lost. I think I’m a very smart girl and its frustrating that I’m not getting the results after putting in the effort. Maybe I’m just being impatient?
Thanks,
OA
It looks like I missed this comment, but for anyone in a similar situation, DO NOT KEEP TAKING TIMED TESTS AFTER THE DIAGNOSTIC. That should be your only timed test for at least the first month of study. After the diagnostic, you need to learn how to do the questions properly untimed. To avoid mistakes like this, get on our 14-week or 12-Week study schedules: https://lawschooli.com/shop/lsat-study-schedules/12-week/
Evan –
Thanks for the great material. I purchased a 14 week study plan on 1-16-2016, but it seems to be lost in the abyss that is my PC. How do I go about getting another copy?