Molly: a live LSAT coaching session
This is what LSAT Unplugged coaching looks like. Molly came in at 152, aiming for 160s on the November LSAT. Steve Schwartz coached her live for about 16 minutes on Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, timing and endurance, test anxiety, and the whole session and transcript are below.
The numbers here are where Molly started and the goal we set together in this session. Individual results vary.
- Student: Molly
- Score when recorded: 152
- Goal: 160s
- Target test: November
- Situation: Retaking after scoring below her practice test average due to test anxiety and a concussion she is still recovering from; studies 2 to 3 hours a day, more on weekends, with about 3 weeks left before the test.
- Focus: Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, timing and endurance, test anxiety
- Worked on: Necessary Assumption, Sufficient Assumption, Conditional Logic
What we fixed in this session
Review isn't only about what you got right, it's about why you got things wrong.
Steve Schwartz
This is one session, in the middle of the work. I've been coaching the LSAT since 2005, and every session runs the same way: find the real problem, fix the process, reset the plan.
I had her drill negating necessary assumption answer choices, including quantifier and certainty words, since she understood negation conceptually but was not executing it correctly.
I prioritized necessary assumption and conditional logic as the highest yield LR areas. That matters because LSAC has tested more conditional logic since dropping logic games, estimating another 5 to 10 points from those two areas alone.
The plan: I introduced the Socratic review method, asking where did I go wrong, what was the trap, and what's the fix, to replace her habit of glancing at a missed question, thinking it made sense, and moving on.
Where the session landed: She reports a 158 on an untimed practice test taken 2 weeks into the new plan, a 6 point jump from her actual 152, and commits to adding an extra practice test and a daily breathing routine.
If your prep looks like Molly's did, that's fixable in one session.
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In Molly's words
I scored a 152, which I was pretty disappointed about, because in practice tests leading up to my exam I'd been consistently hitting in the 160s.
Molly
When I look at my mistakes I think, oh, that makes sense, and just move on, but obviously it didn't make sense the first time.
Molly
I scored a 158, so that's a 6 point improvement in only 2 weeks of studying.
Molly
Questions people ask about LSAT Unplugged coaching
What happens in an LSAT Unplugged coaching session?
The coach finds the specific habit that's costing points, fixes the process, and sets the plan for the weeks ahead. In Molly's case: her drill negating necessary assumption answer choices.
Who runs the sessions?
Steve Schwartz recorded this one. Every LSAT Unplugged coach scored 170 or higher on an official LSAT, and students are matched to a coach on learning style and weak areas.
Where can I see finished results?
On the student reviews page at unpluggedprep.com/reviews, with video interviews and official scores.
Learn the fixes yourself: necessary assumption questions, sufficient assumption questions, conditional reasoning.
Student reviews and finished results.
Full session transcript
Recorded January 2026.
Steve: If you had the security of knowing you'd gotten a couple of practice tests in the 160s prior to test day, that would give you more confidence you could get 160s on test day itself. This is Molly, and she's looking to go from a 152 to the 160s in the next 3 weeks. My name is Steve Schwartz, and I've been teaching the LSAT since 2005. Today, Molly is going to bring me her biggest LSAT challenges, and I'll help her address them as she looks to improve by at least 10 points. Tell me a little bit about where you're at right now, where you're scoring.
Molly: I've taken the LSAT once, the September LSAT, and spent the summer studying. I scored a 152, which I was pretty disappointed about, because in practice tests leading up to my exam I'd been consistently hitting in the 160s. I wanted to retake it. Part of my problem on the actual exam was some anxiety, and I'm also working through a concussion, it's a lot better but I still have some off days, and my test day was one of those. What I'm really trying to do is tighten up my skills in the areas where I'm less confident, so even on an off day it comes more naturally.
Steve: That makes perfect sense, you want to raise your baseline so you're still in the 160s on your worst day. When are you taking the LSAT, what's your target test date?
Molly: I'm signed up for the test in November, hoping that'll be my last time, though I'd take it again if it's not.
Steve: We're in mid October now, so we've only got maybe 3 weeks. How many hours a week are you able to study?
Molly: I do 2 to 3 hours a day.
Steve: What about weekends, do you do more then?
Molly: Yeah, I could do more on weekends.
Steve: Awesome, so it's really about going hard for these next 3 weeks, carving out the time where you can, since we want you to knock it out, one and done in November, and then move on to sending in your apps. If you're taking the LSAT in November, you're not behind, you're actually in one of the best positions in the cycle. There's an old myth that if you apply early you're good and if not you're screwed, that doesn't reflect how admissions works today. Compared to people who tested in August or September, you've got more time to study, more time to prep your applications, and you've still got a real shot at scholarship money before budgets dry up, schools are still evaluating and comparing and waiting for stronger candidates. If you take it in November and send your application the second your score comes back, you're hitting them right when they're paying the most attention. Admissions officers don't reward you for rushing, they're only incentivized to evaluate your metrics, your LSAT score, your GPA, and your soft factors. Giving yourself a couple more months makes for a stronger LSAT score and a stronger application. What would you say are your biggest weak areas or pain points right now?
Molly: LR is more challenging for me. RC, if I take my time I can do it, and I have some wiggle room since I have accommodations. There are things I want to tighten up there too, but my struggle areas are definitely more LR based.
Steve: Within LR, are there certain question types, methods of reasoning, or topics that feel particularly challenging?
Molly: When I was studying originally, necessary assumption questions and conditional logic would trip me up, but I mostly just want to tighten up the whole thing.
Steve: Those areas are actually high yield, since logical reasoning is two thirds of the test, and within that, necessary assumption is one of the most common question types. LSAC has also been testing more conditional logic ever since they removed logic games, incorporating more of that reasoning into LR. If we can get you better at necessary assumption and conditional logic, that alone could get you another 5 to 10 points without pushing back your test date. Do you feel able to distinguish necessary assumption from sufficient assumption in the question stems?
Molly: A necessary assumption has to be 100% true, but a sufficient assumption doesn't have to be 100% true, it just has to allow the conclusion to follow.
Steve: Exactly right, nailed it. Necessary assumption is required for the argument to work, if that thing weren't the case, the conclusion falls apart given the evidence. That's why negation is such a useful technique. Do you feel clear on how to negate choices?
Molly: I understand it as a concept, but sometimes I don't negate correctly, and that's sometimes my problem.
Steve: Okay, so maybe negation is an area to work on. You've got to be able to negate simple sentences, more complex sentences, and quantifier words like all, most, sometimes, few, any, never, so that might be an area to brush up.
Molly: That makes sense, I definitely know that's an area where I need improvement.
Steve: Most people understand negation in theory but negate the wrong thing, flipping random words instead of the core subject-verb connection in the choice. If the argument collapses when you negate the core claim, that choice was necessary, if it survives, you eliminate. If the question stem says depends upon, requires, assumes, or presupposes, that's necessary assumption, then look for the gap between the evidence and the conclusion. When negating quantifier words: all becomes not all, must becomes not necessarily, always becomes not always or sometimes not, never becomes sometimes. We're not arguing over every little word, just negating the core logic, the core subject and verb.
That's something to practice and drill, take random sentences, especially in necessary assumption answer choices, and practice negating each one, in class or in coaching, until you can clearly and confidently negate every choice. For conditional logic, are you feeling okay with symbolizing things, taking the contrapositive, linking chains together?
Molly: Recently in my study plan I did one or two of the conditional classes with Deshan, and I found that really helpful, it clarified a lot for me. Now it's more just practicing to get it down, but that was something I struggled with on my first take.
Steve: Good reading comp is basically closed book, open book, your book being the marginal notes you made on scratch paper. There are four classic reading comp traps to beat: out of scope, where it sounds smart but isn't actually in the passage, gone; extreme language, like always, never, all, since authors are almost never that absolute, they're more nuanced; wrong viewpoint, where the answer is true for viewpoint two when the question asked about viewpoint one, or vice versa; and distortions, swapped details, the right topic but the wrong relationship, like causation versus correlation.
Here's a daily 15 minute reading comp drill: 6 minutes reading one old passage and writing a one-line task per paragraph, 4 minutes answering only the main point, primary purpose, and author's attitude questions, then the last 5 minutes checking answers and writing down one rule you learned, like "the author rarely uses extreme claims" or "paragraph 2 introduces a counterpoint, watch for a rebuttal in paragraph 3." Review like a lawyer: for every question you miss or guess on, ask which paragraph job would have prevented the miss, and what's your new rule to catch it next time. Write one sentence, then move on. How are you feeling on reading comp, is that feeling pretty smooth?
Molly: It's feeling good. I was watching a video this morning from my study plan and a student mentioned really benefiting from a workshop with Ayaka on her reading comp method, and I looked for it on the website since it sounded useful.
Steve: She had a great lesson breaking down reading comp passage structures with a skeleton of sorts, using a Google sheet dividing each paragraph into a simple structure breakdown and a more complex structure breakdown.
Molly: That sounds like it would really improve my reading comp, but I think it's pretty good where it is. I took an untimed test on Saturday, my first full practice test since my LSAT in September, and scored a 158, so that's a 6 point improvement in only 2 weeks of studying.
Steve: That's definitely worth celebrating, not too far from 160s.
Molly: I'm almost there. My RC was a minus 7 or minus 6, which I was happy with since I hadn't started the RC prep in my personalized study plan yet, I'd been more focused elsewhere, so that felt like a blind diagnostic. I feel like I could hit a minus zero on RC.
Steve: Absolutely, why not shoot for minus zero, you've got time, and if reading comp's a strong suit, watch Ayaka's lesson, implement some of the changes, practice them a few times, and that might be enough to get you there.
Molly: I think another area I need to improve is reviewing my mistakes. When I look at them I think "oh, that makes sense" and just move on, but obviously it didn't make sense the first time. I think I might need someone to walk me through it so I pay more attention.
Steve: Exactly, making sure you're actually making the changes you intend to make. Review isn't only about what you got right, it's about why you got things wrong. We teach a process called the Socratic review method: for every question you miss, ask where did I go wrong, was it the stimulus, the question stem, the choices, what was the trap, and finally what's the fix, a logic issue, a timing issue, a reading issue. If you can pinpoint the root cause, next time you see a similar pattern you'll spot it instantly, that's where the real growth happens, since the LSAT is a test of pattern recognition. What's your schedule like now for taking practice tests?
Molly: I've just been following my personalized study plan, I have a timed practice test coming up this weekend, my second one. I'd be interested in doing more, especially since I'm trying to focus on stamina too, that's somewhere I struggle, especially with the concussion.
Steve: Then I'd agree, add one more, if you have the space in your schedule, especially on weekends, just not on consecutive days, so you don't burn out, but a couple more would help build endurance. For every question you get wrong or have difficulty with, save a running list and go over them with your coach, ideally within 24 hours while your thought process is still fresh. Anything else I could help with right now?
Molly: My biggest concern is just having a bit of test anxiety.
Steve: That's really normal, a common issue. Have you tried mindfulness meditation or breathing exercises?
Molly: I have.
Steve: How's that worked for you?
Molly: It's been fine, I haven't noticed a huge difference, but it hasn't been negative.
Steve: Have you been doing it every day?
Molly: No, maybe I should.
Steve: It's a habit you build over time, even 3 to 5 minutes a day makes a difference, it's just a matter of carving out the time. If you did that every day for the next 3 to 4 weeks, it would scale up nicely, so by test day you'd have the increased focus and self-control that if you felt yourself spiraling, say you got stuck on a question and started catastrophizing, this could help you ground, recognize it's happening, flag it, skip it, come back later.
The other thing is raising your baseline understanding: if you know you've gotten a couple of practice tests in the 160s before test day, that gives you more confidence you can get 160s on test day itself, it's about getting that buffer. Test anxiety isn't a you problem, it's just part of taking the LSAT, you need systems for calming your mind and refocusing quickly. Even 3 minutes of breathing practice a day can make a massive difference, that's exactly what we focus on with students, building the habits so your worst day score still gets you into your dream school.
If on test day your heart's racing and your brain's getting foggy, label what you're experiencing and redirect: if your heart's racing, that's adrenaline, you're not actually in danger, it's just the LSAT. Focus on counting your breath for 10 seconds, if you lose track, start over, and do this every day, consistency beats duration. Have a pre-section warm-up sequence too, a 5 minute routine could be 60 seconds of 4-7-8 breathing, 60 seconds skimming your pacing checkpoints, like doing the first 10 LR questions in 10 minutes, 60 seconds reading your key takeaways from your error log, 60 seconds doing a warm-up question from an easy prior drill, and 30 seconds of a simple phrase like "calm, body clear, steps, next question."
Molly: Okay, thank you so much.
Steve: Of course, it was a pleasure, have a good one, talk soon.
More coaching sessions: Zabdi, 141 to 155, Abigail, 147 to 160, Leah, 153 to 170, Dominic, Alina, 157 to 170. Student results and reviews.
I've written free explanations for every question in LSAT PrepTest 159, 158, 157, 156, 155 and 154, with the right answer and why each wrong answer fails. All LSAT explanations are here.
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