Olga, 149 and working toward 163: a live LSAT coaching session
This is what LSAT Unplugged coaching looks like. Olga came in at 149, aiming for 163 on the November LSAT. Steve Schwartz coached her live for about 13 minutes on Logical Reasoning, and the whole session and transcript are below.
The numbers here are where Olga started and the goal we set together in this session. Individual results vary.
- Student: Olga
- Score when recorded: 149
- Goal: 163
- Target test: November
- Situation: started the program a few weeks earlier, in her boot camp and small group classes, has only taken three full practice tests, prep schedule is inconsistent week to week
- Focus: Logical Reasoning
- Worked on: necessary assumption, sufficient assumption, inference, flaw
What we fixed in this session
It's not memorization or cramming, it's not knowledge, it's skills, exposure to the patterns, putting in the reps to get that exposure.
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 pointed out the student had only taken three practice tests and told her to add one or two more per week.
I told her not to take timed full exams on back to back days, and instead take one exam on Saturday, review it that day and the next, and do two sections back to back on a weekday instead of a full exam.
The plan: I told her to focus study time on logical reasoning since it is two thirds of the test, so gains there count double compared to reading comprehension.
If your prep looks like Olga's did, that's fixable in one session.
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In Olga's words
I'm a little stuck on 149. I've only taken three full tests total, and I have days where I'm doing excellent, and then a very bad day where I get every single question wrong.
Olga
I consider myself a pretty good scholar, anything else I've tried to achieve academically I did, and the LSAT is just this weird different experience.
Olga
I don't see significant progress. Even a little difference would give me wings and I'd probably keep doing better, and now I'm not, and it's frustrating a little.
Olga
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 Olga's case: the student had only taken three practice tests and told her to add one or two more per week.
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, flaw questions.
Student reviews and finished results.
Full session transcript
Recorded November 2025.
Steve: For context, if you could share your goal score, your current score, and when you're taking the LSAT.
Olga: My goal score is let's say 163 maybe. I only started your program a few weeks ago and I'm taking my LSAT in November. There's actually a few things I wanted to touch base on, I think I need a little pep talk. Last month when you had that all day streaming, I was watching all day, that's how I ended up in the program. I'm a little stuck on 149. I've only taken three full tests total, and I have days where I'm doing excellent, and then a very bad day, let's say in the small group classes, where I get every single question wrong, and I don't know what's happening to me really.
Steve: Happy to help. We've got a couple weeks till your test in November. We're looking to go from 149 to 163. One thing that jumps out to me, Olga, is that you've only taken three practice tests.
Olga: Not a lot, right?
Steve: Could you do one or two more exams per week over the next few weeks?
Olga: Yeah sure, I'll probably have to do one Saturday and one Sunday, since that's when I have the most time. I was planning to have some time off, but when I started with you, I felt like I have plenty of time during the day, and some days I do, and then the next day zero time, it's very inconsistent. Sometimes I fall a little behind and then make up for it the next day or the day after.
Steve: That's fine. The plans are more important for the level of specificity regarding what to do than the particular day by day breakdown. But I wouldn't want you taking timed exams on consecutive days, that's too much. You want to take an exam and review it shortly after, same day or following day. Two timed sittings back to back is too much. Maybe do one Saturday, review it later that day and the following day Sunday. For additional timed work, could you do two sections back to back during the week on a given day?
Olga: Yes.
Steve: Okay good. It wouldn't be a full exam, but it's more important to at least get some endurance and timing training. I don't want you to burn out with your exam coming up so soon.
Olga: Right. I've also noticed I don't have one specific weaker area, it's just kind of random, but that could also be related to the little experience I've had with the LSAT. I can't point to one specific question type in logical reasoning that's more difficult, it feels very random. I'm not worried about reading comp, I think I'm good there. But logical reasoning, and I also discovered I'm not a very logical person naturally, I'm pretty abstract. So that's in the way too.
Steve: The LSAT plays on all our natural human biases and tendency to fall for flaws. It's really just pattern recognition. I've made all the same mistakes as everybody else, confusing necessary and sufficient, for example. It comes with exposure. When you're at a 149, focus on the highest leverage areas. If you're feeling stronger on reading comp, we could focus more on logical reasoning since that's two thirds of the test anyway, any gains you make there are doubled across the two sections. Tell me how you feel about three types: necessary assumption, inference, and flaw.
Olga: I felt better on necessary and sufficient at first, I had a moment where I saw the difference, the stronger versus weaker language, but recently I'm kind of messing it up again, so I probably need more focus there. Inference I think is okay. Flaw depends, we had some flaw questions in class this week and I was shocked I got so many wrong, when I'd been getting most of them right before. It's hard to understand why I'm not getting it now when I got it before. I consider myself a pretty good scholar, anything else I've tried to achieve academically I did, and the LSAT is just this weird different experience, nothing really prepares you for it I think.
Steve: Yeah, it's different. It's not memorization or cramming, it's not knowledge, it's skills, exposure to the patterns, putting in the reps to get that exposure. When you tell me inference is okayish but the others not so much, that tells me there's big opportunity there. How many hours a week are you putting in?
Olga: Tuesday to Thursday I have either 2 hours or 1 hour at night of small study group, tutoring twice a week for 90 minutes, and around 2 hours on my own on weekdays. On weekends I do as much as I can, sometimes a good day and I do 6 hours, sometimes a worse day and I'll do a practice test or watch videos or take some single sections and do a little less. So it's a little inconsistent, I've noticed, and I thought it would be more manageable than it is.
Steve: It sounds like you might need a bit more time, the schedule feels a little inconsistent. Could you squeeze in another hour a day?
Olga: I'm trying and I'll keep trying to do my best, that's super important to me. But what worries me is the longer I'm in the program, I'm seeing people taking very long periods of time to prepare, and I'm just this person who just started and didn't realize how big it was really. It's a very humbling experience. I'm trying every day, but some days I have downtime at work that could be 5 hours and then next day zero. What worries me, and this is new to me too, is I don't see significant progress. I'm not doubting that I'm able to, but I'd love to see something, even a little difference would give me wings and I'd probably keep doing better, and now I'm not, and it's frustrating a little.
Steve: My thoughts, number one: since your LSAT's coming up in only two weeks, do everything you can to squeeze in more time. Wake up a little earlier, carve out another 30 to 60 minutes here and there per day. No zero days. It's crunch time now. Take a full exam every single week on Saturdays, review it later that day and the following day. During the week, if you can't fit a full two and a half hour exam, do two sections back to back one day, two sections back to back the following day, that'll give you more pacing and endurance work. Specifically, drill necessary assumption and flaw on the side, since those are two of the three types still giving you trouble.
Olga: Yeah, I was just going to ask, since you asked before about the three types of questions, I wanted to make sure I got it down. So there's no magic secret trick you could share with me in this desperate situation?
Steve: You've got access to all the tricks and secrets inside the program. The real thing is just putting in the time, more time. You mentioned it's more than you bargained for, which is the case for so many of us. It's unlike anything we've done before. You can conquer it, you can learn it, but you've got to give it the respect it deserves. That's partially just putting in the time, putting in the work.
Olga: Okay, I'll keep doing my best, thank you so much. I just want to emphasize one more time, I've heard so much valid advice from you just from the free content you share. I love the program and what you put there, there's so much material I haven't even gotten to yet, it's awesome, you're making a difference in so many people's lives.
Steve: I really appreciate that, Olga. I'm glad you're finding it helpful. If you want, email us and the team will send you some specific lessons on those types we talked about, to help you get over that hump and make that final push for your test.
Olga: And the last thing I want to say, I have a private tutor from your program and he is a rockstar. He's the best, he's a genius, and he's helping me a lot.
Steve: I'm glad the sessions with him are helping. Keep at it, you've got this. You're in the final stretch now. Just keep pushing.
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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