Episode 61 of the PodCast focuses on one of the most crucial aspects of test success: the ideal mindset. Specifically, Jon and Dave examine 16 different factors that commonly contribute to LSAT failure—from flawed expectations to self-doubt to burnout and more—and provide detailed analysis of what leads to each and what you can do to combat them, from prevention to cure. No matter where you are in your prep, this discussion is worth a listen.

• 0:00 – Intro. One of Dave and Jon’s favorites, Muse, soundtrack this episode with their track “Apocalypse Please” as we fight to keep our heads above water with the constant influx of LSAT tests/updates and grim world news.
• The July 2020 LSAT
• 5:57 – Test size. The July LSAT has already played out to be the biggest Flex test yet, with 13,000+ test-takers over the course of Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday.
• 8:22 – Flex test smoothness report. Dave and Jon give this test a B/B+ on test administration success with some disconnection issues reported again, along with a few uninformed proctors, but an overall successful few days considering how many students took it.
• 15:13 – Test construction. The test appeared to students in a variety of different forms, with many sections interchanged. The test appeared to morph over the course of the day so that students were unlikely to see the exact same combination of sections later in the day. Overall average difficulty reported across the board.
• 22:07 – The Saturday test (7/11). The day started with all test takers taking the same Feb. 2013 test (the LR section chosen from that test varied per student), and then began to change with a tricky newer RC section from the Jan ‘2020 international test showing up later in the day.
• 30:49 – The Sunday test (7/12). This test started with all students taking the Jan ’20 international LSAT, and then a new RC section was introduced later in the day.
• 33:43 – The Tuesday test (7/14). The RC section from Sunday and the LR sections from the past 2 days carried over, but a new LG section was introduced.
• 38:41 – Scoring scales. Jon and Dave analyze all of the potential outcomes and offer students various scale predictions based on which combination of sections they had on their test.
• 48:26 – What does this mean for the future? The mixing and matching of sections throughout the day will likely continue in August and beyond.
• 49:35 – August score preview. A reminder that all students taking the LSAT for the first time in August can preview their score before deciding to keep it or cancel it.
• 51:17 – Will October and November be Flex tests too? Our educated guess based on the current world climate.
• 1:00:24 – Outro.