A student, 143 and working toward 165: a live LSAT coaching session
This is what LSAT Unplugged coaching looks like. A student came in at 143, aiming for 165 and above on the November LSAT. Steve Schwartz coached him live for about 11 minutes on Logical Reasoning, and the whole session and transcript are below.
The numbers here are where A student started and the goal we set together in this session. Individual results vary.
- Student: A student
- Score when recorded: 143
- Goal: 165 and above
- Target test: November
- Situation: Works full time, retaking after a year and a half, previously worked with a different tutor without success, about 2 weeks into the program now.
- Focus: Logical Reasoning
- Worked on: pacing on Logical Reasoning, trusting your first answer choice (reducing second-guessing), flagging and skipping the hardest questions
What we fixed in this session
People will say to themselves, I don't think it could really be that easy. Yes, it can. It can be that easy.
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 identified her real problem was talking herself out of correct answers on easy questions, not an accuracy problem.
I set a pacing target: solve the first 10 Logical Reasoning questions in roughly 10 to 12 minutes to build a time bank for the harder ones later.
The plan: I told her to flag or skip 3 or 4 of the hardest questions, roughly numbers 15 through 23, instead of getting stuck on them.
Where the session landed: She says she feels very motivated and grateful, and commits to taking a timed practice test every Saturday until test day.
If your prep looks like A student's did, that's fixable in one session.
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In the student's words
I often choose the correct answer, but last minute I change it and it ends up being wrong.
A student
Before I would only get maybe 2 or 3 right, and now I'm getting 5 or 6.
A student
This is the first time in my LSAT journey that I've been feeling a little bit better.
A student
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 A student's case: her real problem was talking herself out of correct answers on easy questions.
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: Logical Reasoning timing.
Student reviews and finished results.
Full session transcript
Recorded December 2025.
Student: My score from last April was a 143, so it's very low. My goal score is 165 and above, and I'm taking it in November.
Steve: Great, nailed it. So we're looking for approximately 20 points from your last LSAT, 143 up to 165 or so by November. We got a month and a half. Now, what would you say is the major weak area or point of struggle that you're facing right now?
Student: Honestly, having doubt in myself about the correct answer. I often choose the correct answer, but last minute I change it and it ends up wrong. That self-doubt is something I need to learn not to do. It's my main struggle right now, because I've been doing the classes and the study plan with you for almost two weeks, and I get more right, but then I ultimately get them wrong from that last minute change. I understand why I got it wrong and why the correct answer is correct. Because of your classes, I've figured that out. Before, I was going in blind, I didn't know what to do or how to do it. But that's my weakest thing, because before I'd only get maybe 2 or 3 right, and now I'm getting 5 or 6, out of 10 questions on my study plan. But because of that self-doubt, on paper it's not 6. I'm actually feeling really great. This is the first time in my LSAT journey I've been feeling a little better. Thank you for having this program.
Steve: Awesome, congrats on your success. Going from 2 or 3 up to 5 or 6 is like a double or a triple in accuracy. You're on the path. We got to maintain that momentum. You've been doing the live classes, watching the videos, following the plan. We got to build your confidence, right?
Student: Yes, exactly.
Steve: You're second guessing yourself.
Student: Yeah, I feel like because I'm doing well on the practice questions, it's motivating me to make sure I keep getting them right without the self-doubt. I need to continue with that confidence in order to get an even higher score on those questions.
Steve: Have you been doing timed work at all?
Student: Not yet, but I have a practice test scheduled this weekend, so I'll see where I'm at. I'll probably start doing the questions timed to see my accuracy and where I can improve.
Steve: Good. Adding timed work into the mix, with a full practice test, should help build your confidence, because you'll get exposure to the questions in actual test day format. If you're only drilling, you're seeing questions out of context, and we've got to give you the belief you can hit 165 by giving you exposure to that process in pieces. A lot of folks avoid timed work because they're afraid of the countdown timer, but we got to introduce it gradually. Maybe you take a test just to get a measure of where you are today, since it's been a while. You said April, we're now in September, so it's been 5 months.
Student: Well, I'm talking about last April.
Steve: Last April? So it's been a year and a half.
Student: Yeah.
Steve: Oh, okay, yeah. It's been a long time.
Student: Yeah, so it's been way longer.
Steve: I suspect you're better than you were before. You've had a long time to study since then, and you joined the program recently, so you're making momentum, as we saw with these accuracy gains. You're probably in a much better place, and maybe we just need that data point to confirm it.
Student: Yeah, exactly. I feel a lot better than before, because I worked with a previous tutor and I wasn't understanding anything, I wasn't getting anywhere. Now, with the classes and the study plan, it's helpful because you get insight from the coach and from other students in my same boat. That's really helpful in understanding it my own way.
Steve: Good. My biggest thought is, first, let's take that practice test and see where you're at. Then we can adjust your study plan to the results, because that reveals what you truly need to work on. It gives us a picture of your accuracy in a timed context, not just a drilling context.
Student: Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Steve: We'll also give you advice on pacing, how you're allocating time over the section. We could talk again in a week or two, but my first thought is, students who struggle with confidence in timed sections are usually second guessing themselves on the easier ones. Going into this timed exam this weekend: logical reasoning questions run in a general order of difficulty, tougher as the section goes on. So trust your gut on the easier ones. The first 10 or so, if you want 165 or above, you want to solve in roughly 10 to 12 minutes. That builds a time bank you can apply to the tougher questions later that truly need it. Believe in yourself, especially on the easier ones. Go with your gut. People tell themselves, "it can't really be that easy." Yes, it can.
Student: Yeah, that's what I struggle with. We did one yesterday in class, and right away I chose answer choice A, the correct answer, and thought, "that's right," before even going through the other choices. I still went through them and thought, "none of them make sense, A is solid," but even then I was like, there's no way it's always that easy. I know it's not always easy, but on the ones that are, you're like, "okay, that's correct." That's still something I struggle with.
Steve: Okay, go with your gut, trust yourself. The other thing: just as you should be confident on the easy ones, be strategic on the tougher ones. Later in the section, say questions 15 through 22 or 23, that's the hard band in logical reasoning. Flag or skip 3 or 4 of them and come back later, so you don't get bogged down. Every question is worth the same, but some are harder than others. Don't get stuck in the quicksand of the hard ones when you can come back later. Keep the momentum going.
Student: Okay. Yes, sounds great. I feel very motivated to get this done. Honestly, I'm very grateful to have found your program. Truly.
Steve: I'm glad to have you in it. I'm excited for you to take this practice test. Are you going to take them on a regular basis, like once a week?
Student: Starting this week, I'm taking one every Sunday until my test day. Actually I plan to take it on Saturday, since I work full time, so that's the best day for me. But I should be taking one every week until then.
Steve: Amazing, perfect. So you'll take one a week, and you'll review it as well, right?
Student: Yes.
Steve: And you'll keep joining the live sessions in the evenings. What about your review process? Are you going to carve out time for review?
Student: I kind of review when I'm doing them. It takes a bit longer, but I review why this is wrong and this is right, and connect it to the stimulus. It's not very thorough, which is probably on me. After the first practice test, I'm going to start doing a more thorough one. Right now I just do it right then and there, understanding why it's right and why the others didn't work. That's what I'm getting from the classes too, going through it quicker instead of marinating in it. But I should get more thorough, especially reviewing the practice test.
Steve: Let's make that more thorough. That's a big opportunity. Take the practice test, review it not too long after. If you're taking it Sunday and working Monday, maybe Monday evening or during lunch, carve out time for review, maybe spilling into Tuesday. Did you catch when we had Max on earlier? He's one of the coaches in the program.
Student: No, I'm sorry, I haven't. I was working.
Steve: That's cool. Maybe a little later, go back. This is on YouTube, so you can scroll earlier in the live and catch the segment with Max. We talked a lot about review and how to go about it. You're in the program, so we have lessons walking through it with examples. Email the team and they'll send you links to the course videos covering review, where I walked through Socratic review for both logical reasoning and reading comp. We'll also cover it live in class. If there are specific LSAT practice problems you want to cover, email us and we'll cover those live.
Student: Okay, awesome, sounds great then. Thank you so much, Steve. I appreciate it.
Steve: Yeah, of course, my pleasure. Anything else comes up, just let me know.
Student: Okay, sounds great.
Steve: Have a good one.
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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