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Large variations on a single practice test are not uncommon. And the earlier practice tests tend to be easier. Take some more tests and see if you continue to have an upward trend.
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I found that I did really well on the older practice test compared to the more recent ones. Purchase the new LSAT Preptest 51-61 and use those as a standard of measure.
Definitely this. PT 50+ are much harder than the old ones. I made the mistake of saving the new PTs for last and I think my score suffered as a result, as I was doing about 8-10 points better on the older tests.
There is an ideal time to start the newer tests. You want to familiarize yourself with them, but not go through them way before test day. I would recomend that you save at least 5 of the newer tests to use in the 4 weeks before your test date.
I don’t put much stock in older PTs. Really I would recommend focusing on the most recent 10-20 tests.
Its all about raw score. Don’t worry about your score out of 180, especially on the old tests. Improving your raw score should be the focus at all times, even on the newer exams. You never know how your test will be scaled. Take the scale out of the equation when you are measuring your progress.
I got a 179 once on a PT, but then scored a 167 on the real thing, which was more in line with my PT average.
My friend scored a 180 on the same PT, but scored a 165 then 169 on the real thing.
The real thing is a different beast!