156 to 173: Beatriz’s LSAT Success Story

One of LSAT Demon’s newest teachers, Beatriz, significantly improved her LSAT score by studying the right way. Beatriz started with a diagnostic score of 156 and ended with an impressive 173 on her official LSAT. 

We recently interviewed Beatriz about her story, study routine, and advice for students on the LSAT Demon Daily podcast. 

Changing Careers and Testing Struggles

In 2020, Beatriz experienced a mid-twenties crisis while she was working in sales management. Although she learned a lot from her early career, she felt a pull toward a career in law. She’d been out of school for a few years, and the idea of law school seemed daunting, especially as she’d struggled in the past with standardized testing.

Beatriz had already endured negative experiences with tests like the GRE and GMAT, which heightened her test anxiety. She pursued a graduate degree in human resources while working full-time, but her interest in law remained strong. This led her to begin considering the LSAT, although she was hesitant because she believed she was a poor test-taker.

Discovering LSAT Resources

While she was exploring ways to prepare for the LSAT, Beatriz found the Thinking LSAT podcast, which offers a no-nonsense approach to test preparation. Listening to Ben and Nathan’s clear and logical philosophy helped her demystify the LSAT. 

Although she had no experience with the test itself, Beatriz spent about a year listening to these podcasts during her commute, absorbing the LSAT Demon mindset before she ever attempted a practice test.

The First Diagnostic Test

After a year of listening to podcasts, Beatriz decided to take her first LSAT diagnostic. Armed with the lessons she had absorbed, she surprised herself with a score of 156—a solid start. Beatriz credits the LSAT Demon approach, which she learned through the Thinking LSAT podcast, for such a strong diagnostic.

By focusing on one question at a time, taking the test at her own pace, and valuing accuracy over speed, Beatriz overperformed her expectations and realized that the LSAT might not be so scary after all. 

Building a Consistent Study Routine

After completing her graduate degree, Beatriz began studying with LSAT Demon and adopted a consistent study routine. She studied for about an hour each weekday, with more time on weekends, following LSAT Demon’s philosophy. 

Over the course of a year, her scores improved steadily, although there were moments of stagnation. Throughout this process, Beatriz noticed improvements not only in her LSAT performance but also in her overall reading comprehension skills, which had previously been a weak point.

The Struggle with Reading Comprehension

Initially, Beatriz struggled with the Reading Comprehension section. She found herself rushing through passages, hoping the next sentence would clarify the previous one—a strategy that didn’t work. 

Beatriz struggled with Reading Comprehension until a piece of advice from LSAT Demon instructor Rebecca Cumberbatch finally clicked. Rebecca told her not to move on until she fully understood each sentence.

By fixing her approach in Reading Comprehension, Beatriz began to see steady improvement. Once she knew she was on the right track, Beatriz kept practicing, reviewing her mistakes, and focusing on understanding the passage until she overcame her weakness. 

Overcoming Test Anxiety and Test-Taking Strategy

Beatriz’s test anxiety was a major hurdle throughout her LSAT preparation. She initially believed that taking frequent practice tests would help her acclimate to the pressure, but taking such frequent practice tests eventually led to burnout.

Following advice from the Thinking LSAT podcast, she began prioritizing drilling, timed sections, and high-quality review. This strategy took less time than full practice tests and made her improve faster, which helped remedy burnout.

Final Results

In June, Beatriz took her official LSAT and scored a 173. This was a 17 point improvement from her initial diagnostic score of 156. 

Beatriz’s story is a reminder that, with patience and persistence, you can achieve impressive results even if you have self doubt.