The December LSAT is coming up in exactly one month. Seriously, look at a calendar. If that thought makes you panic, look at it this way: you still have a full month to go before the December LSAT.

Many Blueprint LSAT Prep students have recently taken their second LSAT practice test. You may be wondering how much that test says about how well you’ll perform on the LSAT in a month. The perhaps surprising answer is that it doesn’t say very much at all.

I’ve had plenty of students whose LSAT score stayed the same or even dropped a little on the second LSAT practice test, and who then went on to see very large gains. I’ve also had students whose LSAT score has shot up right away. Either way is fine. If you’re not happy with your LSAT score on the second LSAT practice exam, there’s no reason to worry.

But that doesn’t mean you get to ignore your second LSAT practice test, shred it, or just set it atop a pyre and watch it burst into flames. The second LSAT practice exam can tell you a lot, just not so much from its LSAT score. Review the exam carefully, question by question. Don’t worry about timing issues, or your performance on any kinds of questions you haven’t studied yet. If these are the things that held back your LSAT score, you’re in fine shape.

On the other hand, pay close attention to your performance on the kinds of LSAT questions you’ve already studied. Your accuracy on these questions should be improved, at least on the ones you had time to get to. Review each question carefully, until you feel like you could explain the process and answer to someone else. If you notice any weaknesses on the kinds of LSAT questions you’ve studied already, don’t panic, but review the process for those questions. Go back and practice a few, too.

In the weeks to come, you’ll take more LSAT practice tests. You’ll also wrap up the last of the new material, and begin to practice your timing. Week by week, your LSAT practice tests will tell you progressively more about where you stand. It’s kind of like reality TV: each week that you manage to avoid getting cut from the show is more meaningful than the last.

Here’s to surviving another month.