The story is all too familiar. The diligent student devotes countless hours to:

• Taking an LSAT course
• Studying LSAT books
• Forming an LSAT study group
• Taking countless LSAT PrepTests

The student gets high scores on the LSAT PrepTests. The student feels good. The student feels confident. Yet, on test day, the student fails to come close to his or her target score. The student feels defeated because he or she must devote even more time to retaking the LSAT.

Wasted time and debilitating frustration are not the only concerns. With courses costing hundreds to thousands of dollars, not to mention the $160 that it costs to merely sit for the LSAT, money is at stake too.

Solving the LSAT Test-Day Score-Drop Paradox

The aforementioned description of the frustrated LSAT taker is exactly what led to the creation of the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD.  As co-founder Mike Wilkos, Esq. recalls:

I took my first LSAT in the Philadelphia Convention Center. Labeling it a distracting environment would be an understatement—it was an open room of about 200 students.  On top of that, the Convention Center staff was preparing for a concert that would take place that night, and there was constant noise in adjacent rooms that shattered my concentration.

When Mike received his LSAT results, he was not pleased.  “I was devastated. I took an LSAT course and devoted countless hours to full-length LSAT PrepTests. My test-day problems undermined all of my hard work.”

Mike started to reflect on his previous LSAT preparation. He realized that he had been too lackadaisical with his LSAT PrepTests. Mike notes:

Everyone says that LSAT PrepTests are the best way to predict how you will score on test day. They say that practice makes perfect. But I realized that this is only true if the PrepTests are taken under actual testing conditions. I realized that to fully prepare for my next LSAT, I needed to simulate three important test-day factors:

1. A proctor who strictly times you by telling you when to start and stop, who screams out the five-minute warning, who is always in your presence, and whose eyes burn right through you as you are taking the second most important test of your life (first being the bar exam).
2. The feeling of the test being the “real deal”: being read the instructions before the test starts, having only thirty seconds between sections, being allowed only a strict ten-minute break between sections three and four, having to wait for the proctor to collect test materials and ID’s before and after the break, and taking the writing sample, which is more important than people realize. (See The LSAT Writing Sample Matters).
3. The feeling of people being around you and making distracting test-day noises, including coughing, pencil erasing, chair squeaks, sneezing, and asking to use the restroom. Contrary to popular belief, ear plugs are not allowed on the LSAT and are considered a “test center violation.”

These three factors were the recipe for the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD, which Mike helped create between his first and second LSAT administrations. The DVD is the only professionally-produced full-video simulation of the LSAT. To date, the DVD has helped thousands of students successfully prepare for the LSAT. Mike was one of them.

Mike reflects:

As my story shows, the LSAT Proctor DVD was truly a creation of necessity. I used it myself while studying for my retake. By pushing play once, I was immersed in a realistic test-day environment. To make a long story short, my score increased by ten points. Thereafter, I was accepted at my first-choice law school in my beloved home state, received a large merit-based scholarship because of my LSAT score and GPA, served on my school’s Law Review, passed both the New York and New Jersey bar exams, and secured a great judicial clerkship after graduation. None of this would have been possible if I did not score ten points higher on my LSAT, which was a direct result of using my own product, the LSAT Proctor DVD.

Click here to learn more about the SimuGator LSAT Proctor DVD.

SimuGator has built the most comprehensive LSAT test center rating and reviewing system, which will help you decide which testing site you should choose when registering for the LSAT.

We have asked participants to evaluate such factors as desk space, room temperature, number of test takers in the room, noise level, lighting, testing delays, and competency of proctors, among others. We have also allowed participants to leave general comments and descriptions about their testing site.

To read free reviews, visit: LSAT Test Center Rater

This video demonstrates important techniques for solving LSAT logic games questions, as shown through June 2007 LSAT Game 3.

These techniques include:

• Creating an effective diagram
• Making critical deductions
• The importance of focusing on where variables can’t go
• How using your previous work can save you lots of time
• How to work smarter, not harder, to get the correct answer

We will continue to post free video lessons each week so be sure to revisit our blog. If you would like to be notified of new blog posts, please Subscribe to our blog.

You can also receive notifications of new lessons by liking the SimuGator Facebook Page.

Applying to law school? SimuGator’s editing and counseling division, Gradvocates, can help.

For a borderline applicant, a well-written personal statement can tip the scales in favor of admission into law school. For stronger applicants, a perfect personal statement could result in a scholarship, saving thousands in tuition.

The Gradvocates editing process is unique because it involves a tiered reviewing system. The applicant is assigned a dedicated editor who will critique the applicant’s document by fixing errors and providing objective analysis on how to best improve the substance of the document. These edits and suggestions are then reviewed by two other senior editors who ensure that the document has reached its full potential.

Gradvocates also offers resume editing, diversity statement editing, and scholarship essay editing.

For more information, visit: Gradvocates Law School Personal Statement Editing.

Anyone who is preparing for the LSAT and has seen the movie Legally Blonde has probably wondered: “How on earth did Elle Woods go from a 143 to a 179?”

One obvious answer is: “It’s fiction.” But even in the real world, such a large jump in LSAT score is indeed possible after months of dedicated preparation.

Surprisingly, if you watch closely enough, you can learn a lot about LSAT prep from Elle Woods. Here are four incredible LSAT prep tips from Elle Woods.

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SimuGator’s Analog LSAT Watch

Unfortunately, we no longer carry the SimuGator Analog LSAT watch, and won’t for the foreseeable future unless something changes. It was and still is a great watch—might even be a collector’s item one day. So snag one if you happen to come across it as its value will surely increase.

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If you plan to take the SAT this spring or have a son or daughter who is, register now for one of the upcoming available exam dates. You can register for the May 4th or June 1st 2013 SAT tests. You have until April 5th to register for the May 4th exam. For an additional fee, you can register by mail, phone, or online by April 19th for the same May 4th test.

If you don’t mind waiting until June to take the test, you have until May 7th for standard registration. For late registration by mail (for an additional fee), you have until May 17th. By phone and College Board’s website, you have until May 22nd for the same additional fee.

Remember, SimuGator’s SAT Edition timer and proctor can help prepare you for the test by timing your SAT practice tests before you take the real thing. To register for the SAT, visit College Board’s website here and click Register at the top of the page.

SimuGator’s SAT Proctor DVD

SAT tutoring can be very competitive. The high demands placed on students to succeed at the SAT, formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test, are greater than ever. This is true despite attempts to change admission standards and policies by many universities for several decades now. With increased pressure on students to do well on the exam comes increased stress for tutors to better prepare them for it.

Increased demand, however, can also present increased opportunity. Set yourself apart as a tutor by giving your students the advantage of timed practice with a simulated test environment. As you already know, timed practice under realistic conditions is one of the best ways to prepare for standardized tests. SimuGator has developed a realistic full-length reproduction of a proctored SAT examination. Use SimuGator’s SAT Proctor DVD along with SAT Practice Tests to give your students realistic SAT test practice from their own homes at their convenience.

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Susan’s first interview for a private equity firm did not go well at all. She was late for the interview with a representative of the company, who later turned out to be the founder’s son.

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(Photo Source: Liz Henry)

As we at SimuGator have advocated since our inception, intense, repetitive practice of the LSAT (as well as with any standardized test including the SAT) can lead to a significant improvement in overall exam score. The LSAT Proctor DVD and SAT Proctor DVD were both created to enhance the test taker’s ability to practice for these exams using simulated test environments.

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One of the best movies of all time is undoubtedly The Shawshank Redemption. And one of the best scenes in that movie is when Red, played by Morgan Freeman, is finally granted parole.

By “finally,” we mean that Red had three parole hearings between 1947 and 1967. At the first hearing, this is what transpired:

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At SimuGator, we are always thinking of better ways to manage time. That is exactly why we created both the SimuGator: LSAT Proctor DVD and the SimuGator: SAT Proctor DVD. We saw that two of the main factors preventing students from achieving their best test scores were the inability to manage time and stress in these exam environments.

From the great expectations we have for ourselves to the mundane daily tasks that need to be completed, balancing school, work, and life can be stressful. Distractions abound in today’s mobile world. While the Internet can be an essential asset to learning and research, it, nonetheless, can quickly turn into hours of unproductive activity. This is why maintaining focus is essential to overcoming the malaise of everyday distractions.

Here are a few ways to improve your focus and achieve better results with the time you have available:

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According to the recent Wall Street Journal Article, “Toughest Exam Question: What Is the Best Way to Study?”, the best way to prepare yourself for the SAT is through repetition and consistency —specifically, by taking the test over and over again:

In his junior year of high school…, Keenan Harrell bought test-prep books and subjected himself to a “relentless and repetitive” series of nearly 30 practice SAT college-entrance exams. “I just took it over and over again, until it became almost aggravating,” he says. Practice paid off. Mr. Harrell, now 19, was accepted at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a college he’s dreamed of attending since the third grade. He scored 1800 (out of 2400) on the SAT, up 50% from 1200 on the PSAT, a preliminary test during his sophomore year.

Students shouldn’t register to take the actual test over and over again, rather students can conveniently purchase previous SAT and practice SAT exams to build confidence and perfect technique. Official Practice SAT exams can be found in The Official SAT Study Guide, the study guide produced by The College Board, the makers of the SAT.

To achieve the highest scores possible, students should practice under the most realistic conditions. To simulate the conditions of test day, students should take timed SAT practice tests using the SimuGator: SAT Edition DVD, the only full-length SAT Practice Exam Simulation with all 10 sections (including Variable and Writing essay sections) included and an optional added distractions mode. The SimuGator: SAT Edition is available on SimuGator.com and Amazon.