People Who Did Exceptionally Well on the LSATChai_166I haven't
posted here before, but this thread was very helpful to me as I
prepared for the LSAT so I wanted to share my experience.
1) What score did you get? 179
2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore
LGB, etc) Princeton Review: I used this when I first started
prep--good for a quick overview of the LSAT, but I think most of
their methods were more detrimental than helpful. Powerscore
Bibles! If you want to get a score above 170 I highly recommend
these. I did a couple weeks of prep before I started to go through
them. All available Preptests (but I didn't end up using 1-10 very
much)
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend?None. Thought about taking one, but decided to use the
money I had to get all the prep tests, and the powerscore bibles.
In my area the only available course was Kaplan, so I might have
chosen different if Testmasters was near.
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc) 2 months, while working
full time
5) How many preptests did you do? Hmmm.. I think I did around
40. Many have said this, but preptest are really the key to the
LSAT. Make sure you make a schedule for the prep tests so you are
doing the newest ones leading up to the test. I started taking the
tests untimed, and then moved to timed tests. I also would do
sections if I didn't have enough time for a whole test. Other
people have said this before, but make sure that you take at least
some tests in distracting situations. I took a couple at the book
store. I also had a friend time me on couple of times. Having
someone else there made my adrenalin rush a bit, so simulated test
day a little better.
6) What would you change if you were to do it again? I wouldn't
change much--I'm very happy with my score. I might skip the PR
Book.
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions. The week leading up to
the test i took it pretty easy with LSAT prep--maybe did two tests.
The day before the test I took the day off work and just relaxed.
The day of the test I got up around six and went out to breakfast.
I did a few problems to warm up, and then got to the test center in
plenty of time. I really think this made a difference on test
day.
Although it might have been overkill, I kept a careful record of
each preptest I took. I would record my score and the number wrong
in each section. I would then focus more on the section/question
type I was doing poorly on (do an untimed section from an older
test, or review the specific section in the Powerscore Bible). It
was good to see what areas I needed help in, but it also felt good
to see my improvement over time.
I also always tried to understand why I got questions wrong. If
I messed up a game, I would erase everything and do it again
untimed. If I messed up a LR question I would cut it out and write
out why I got the question wrong. I kept a bunch of LR questions I
had gotten wrong and would periodically review them. It's important
that you don't just do preptests over and over again. You have to
understand why you got questions wrong and make adjustments so you
are always improving.bcjets2121) What score did you get?first
diagnostic, 153. then got 171 on June 08 and 180 on Oct 08
2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore
LGB, etc)Downloaded all the tests from each book
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend?had a private tutor for a couple months before june
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc)i would study for 4-5 hours
a day, 5 days a week leading up to june (was taking a practice test
every day and going back over it after). I would mix up the
conditions that i took the practice tests under, a lot of times
intentionally putting myself in tough/loud environments for
practice
5) How many preptests did you do?40+
6) What would you change if you were to do it again?not much
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions. The key for me was going
back over the answers i got wrong and the ones i thought were hard
(i would circle them when i while i was testing). Eventually you
start to think like the testers think and can sniff out the "trick"
answers.
Also, the second time around, i barely studied (took 3 practices
in the 3 months leading up to the test), but i scored decently on
them so i was very confident and relaxed going into the Oct test.
The lack of stress just made it much much easier.[unknown LSAT
tutor]a) First, I got this advice from an LSAT tutor who has scored
180 4 times in a row, she is brilliant, and her strategy is
incredible. DONT TAKE PRACTICE TESTS WITH ONLY 4 SECTIONS. Better
yet, she recommended, take practice tests with more sections than
the acutal LSAT, take them with 6 sections!!!!!!! If you practice
with 5 sections, you get semi fatigued around the 5th section. If
you practice with 6, you will train your brain for a hard six and
you'll get fatigued around the 6th section, so you will NOT BE
FATIGUED DURING THE 5 SCORED SECTIONS OF THE TEST!!! This is the
absolute best tip anyone had given me for LSAT prep, IT WORKS, DO
IT!!b) So incase no one else has told you, the older tests are very
different from the new ones. With this in mind, what I did is take
my tests with using the newer tests, but used the older tests
(starting with the oldest #7) as my unscored experimental sections.
This way, every question your answering is a real lsat question,
DONT USE ANYTHING BUT OFFICIAL LSATS, the "similar" or "like
official" tests, dont require you to use the exact same train of
thought and deduction process. Let me also state that I got a few
"free b's" on my actual LSAT by taking every official preptest
because some questions are essentially repeated with a minor tweek
or two.SoberHobo1) What score did you get?179 - Oct. 08
2) What books did you use?Kaplan Comprehensive LSAT and LSAT 180
(I didn't like these too much. I would rather figure out my own
methods without getting caught up in their terminology).Every
practice test available on LSDAS
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend?None.
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc)I started about a year ago
before the Oct 07 exam with the Kaplan books and a couple practice
tests, but didn't feel confident about my score so I canceled.
About a month and a half before the Oct 08 test I began taking a
practice test every night after work. Sometimes I would take two
tests a day on weekends to build up stamina. After the first few
tests, I would be sure to stay within the time limits. Also, I
didn't watch any TV for the entire 4 months prior to the test
(never watch much anyway but I had just moved and was too poor to
buy a TV). Instead, I would read a lot, especially dense material,
like Supreme Court cases and political philosophy. This really
helped get my brain in shape.
5) How many preptests did you do?About 40
6) What would you change if you were to do it again?Not much.
I'm very happy with my score, but I was very nervous at the
beginning of the test. Luckily the first section was experimental.
It seemed so hard that I almost gave up, but just kept going,
hoping that it was the experimental. I missed a couple easy
questions that I shouldn't have. I feel like I rushed through each
section. I had at least five minutes to spare in each one but
didn't bother to review too much. Could have saved that extra
point.
nsd230Read A Rulebook for Arguments (short paperback book) and A
Concise Introduction to Logic by Patrick Hurley (an intro to logic
textbook) then get to work on questions. Forming the base
understanding of logic was the way I went from a 159 on my first
test to a 180. As stupid as it sounds, if you become a student of
the LSAT you will do well on it.Roo1) What score did you get?
178
2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore
LGB, etc)
The Bibles (which I went through 2 times a piece), Superprep,
the two most recent LSAT books containing 10 tests, all other
released practice tests.
I did the logic games in LSAT180 but skipped the rest - its
crap.
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend?
None
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc)
Four and half months, while working and in graduate school.
5) How many preptests did you do?
25
6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
Try to relax the morning of the test. I was too stressed and I
think it probably lost me a point. Also, I would have started off
with Superprep so I could get in the mind of LSAC to begin with. As
it happened I used it towards the end and it was not a lot of
help.
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.
1. Get obsessed. I researched everything I could about the LSAT,
including reading journal articles about the test itself and
standardized testing in general. I got obsessed with every little
detail ( i.e. How well do I work in a too-cold room as opposed to a
too-hot room? What about a noisy room versus a quiet room?). Cover
every detail, figure out how many cups of coffee put you at your
prime, and what kind of pencil eraser works best. Ridiculous, yes.
This isn't a shuttle launch, after all. But treat it like one and
you're less likely to have unexpected little things throw you off
on test day.
2. You need a cheerleader or two. Get someone important in your
life - friend, sig other, parent, whatever, and make sure they know
how important this test is to you. This is someone to report your
progress to on a regular basis, who understands the difference
between getting a 171 on a PT and a 175 and will help you
celebrate.
3. Logic games were my Achilles heel and I knew it. When I
started, I couldnt finish one in under 12 minutes. I put aside
everything else and did logic games only for about a month. I made
photocopies and did the same games over and over. Focusing
intensely on my weakness helped a lot.
4. On LR - cut out the questions you have trouble with and
lightly pencil the right answers on the back. Keep them all
together and once you have a good stack go over them. Make sure you
can explain out loud why the right answers are the right answers,
if you can't, you have to find someone who can explain it to you.
This board used to be a good resource for that but now that LSAT
questions cannot be posted I'm not sure what to do.
5. Reading comp. Forget the nonsense about reading the
economist, etc. If you have reading comp issues then by the time
you reach test day you should have completed every single released
LSAT reading comprehension section under the sun, and should
understand all of your mistakes on questions perfectly. That's the
best prep, IMHO.
6. If you're taking the LSAT in the morning, make sure you wake
up early for a week or so to put your mind on the right schedule.
For seven days before the test I woke up at 6 am and took an LSAT
around the same time that I would be taking it on test day.
Especially important for non-morning people.
7. To motivate myself I would imagine opening my email some day
in July and seeing a 165. All of my dreams of top schools would
vanish at that point (thanks to a not so stellar UGPA). This
provided me with enough motivation to get out of bed early to study
and do practice tests, etc. Especially if you are a self-studier,
you need to come up with some similar motivational imagery/mantra
to keep you going.
Last thought on LR and RC - doing well on these sections
involves really knowing the nuances of the meanings of certain
words and phrases. Focus on that fact in your prep. I found that
certain words did not really mean exactly what I thought they
meant, and this made a big difference.
bgc1) What score did you get?179 - June 08 [bgc ended up going
to YLS]
2) What books did you use?Princeton Review, Powerscore Bibles,
Master the LSAT (only RC), and GetPrepped's Ace the Logic Games
(Mostly for practice games).
Like most people, I highly recommend the bibles. The PR book was
the first I read and was useful to get an overview of the test but
not groundbreaking. Ace the Logic Games has a large number of good
games sections on which to practice without spoiling real
tests.
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend?None
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc)Three Months. I work but
didn't have many other obligations in that time.
5) How many preptests did you do?All of them, in one form or
another. I probably did 30 as actual timed tests and used others to
provide the fifth section or section practice. I did every games
and RC section but left some LRs untouched.
6) What would you change if you were to do it again?Apart from
not making a stupid mistake on the LG and missing a 180, not much.
I would start making notes about my physical state and eating
patterns sooner so as to have a larger sample size when trying to
regulate my body with sleep and food.
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.For me, volume of
practice tests was key. My diagnostic was a timed 164 (June '07)
and my second PT, after going through the PR book, was an untimed
180. I didn't have major problems with the concepts so getting my
timing down and getting used to taking the test was very
useful.
One thing I started doing towards the end was taking detailed
notes about my sleeping and eating patterns, my physical feeling
during each test, and whatever other factors seemed significant.
When on my game, I was pretty consistent between 177 and 180. I
have never been so aware of my own mental state as when studying
for the test and found that awareness to be valuable on test day. I
was able to figure out, for instance, that taking a day off before
the test was NOT the right move for me. My practice results were
better when I was on a roll.
Until one is solid on the concepts, taking a large volume of
practice tests might not be useful. Once you have it figured out,
however, it really is all about practice. I was able to try a few
different strategies for RC and LG with enough time to get a sense
of how they work.
[]RC was also my hardest section but I only missed one this time
around. The thing that helped the most was practice. It enabled me
to experiment with different amounts and types of note taking and
figure out what would help the most without getting me in trouble
with time.180Splitter1) What score did you get?
180.
2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore
LGB, etc)
I started with Kaplan Complete (very incomplete, but simple and
a decent introduction to the lsat) and the Kaplan logic games book
(an OK book). I then studied the Kaplan 180 book (the logical
reasoning section is a total waste but the games are good practice
and the reading comp is OK). After that, I took ~25 practice tests
and reviewed every problem I missed at *great* length but my score
was fluctuating wildly all over the 170's so I buckled down and
took Blueprint. Blueprint helped me by giving me methods to more
quickly answer questions I was already getting right so I had lots
of time for hard questions. It also helped me focus and kept me
doing a lot of practice problems.
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend?
Blueprint full length.
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc)
I studied during the summer on my own and then took blueprint
full time, doing most of the homework.
5) How many preptests did you do?
Around 30 total, ~25 on my own and ~5 with Blueprint.
6) What would you change if you were to do it again?
I would have taken blueprint from the beginning and added a fake
experimental section before every practice test to replicate real
conditions. I only did that occasionally. On some practice tests, I
checked my answers after every section (giving myself a small
break). Not surprisingly, I did better than average on those!
Practice tests really ought to resemble the real thing in every
way.
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions.
Preparing for the LSAT tests not just your intelligence, but
your character. Do you have the integrity to never, ever stop
reviewing every question you missed until you understand why you
missed it and will never miss a similar question again? Will you be
honest with yourself and take practice tests under realistic
conditions, with three sections in a row, followed by a short break
and two sections? Do you take the time to bubble in the answers as
part of your 35 minutes per section? You aren't giving yourself
extra time, right? Right!
The week before the test, I got up at the same time I would on
test day and ate breakfast.
The day before the test, I drove the route to the testing center
as if it were the day of the test. I went to a room at the center
and sat down in a chair, and thought about coming in the next day
and getting a 180.
I don't drink caffeine and didn't before the test. I did pack a
survival kit with many pencils, sharpeners, Powerade, and Snickers
marathon bars.
You too can do well on the LSAT. Take it seriously, as your best
score will get you into a better school than your mediocre score or
get you scholarships where you were already planning on
going.GygesRing1) What score did you get? 170; 180 (I retook)
2) What books did you use? 10 Actual, Official LSATs; 10 More
Actual, Official LSATs.
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend? None.
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc) Took a prep test every few
days leading up to the test, would review the answers that I got
wrong or had marked as difficult while going through the test
(didn't want to miss understanding a question type just because I
got lucky during a practice test.)
5) How many preptests did you do? ~17. (12/5)
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions. Stay. Calm.
I was lucky enough to have a father who was able to explain any
logic game to me quickly and helpfully, so I didn't buy any review
books, but the review books I did look at were much less helpful
than an actual person.
Based on that, I'd have to recommend taking a class, or at least
going with one of those options where you can spend time at the
test center and get questions you got wrong explained to you. I
didn't take one (no time or money), but I've heard the best things
about Kaplan and not the Princeton reviews.
letylyf
1) 180
2) I used a Kaplan review book that was a year old and bought
one of those 10 practice test books. I also spent hours searching
online for practice tests (even just individual questions) and
explanations.
3) I didn't take any courses, so obviously it's possible to
score perfect without them, but I do recommend them if you have the
leisure (time/money are always problems).
4) I took last year's December LSAT and probably studied at
least an hour every day from mid-September and solidly through
November. I was lucky enough to have a job in a relatively quiet
environment with enough time on my hands to study, so that was a
big factor in motivating me to study sufficiently.
5) The 4-5 that were in my book, about 8 in the ten actual tests
book, and maybe 5 or so I found from random sources (Kaplan and
Princeton both sponsored practice tests at my university, looking
online, asking friends who've taken it for their old tests,
etc).
6) Not a whole lot.
7) Actually I don't recommend taking time off from work or
school solely for the LSAT. A lot of people get burned out, and
then you're almost worse than when you started.
I was lucky enough to find an amazing guy and we started dating
the week before the LSAT, and I went from extremely stressed and
freaked out to relaxed and even semi-confident. I know there's not
a magic formula for everyone, but it helps an awful lot not to be
stressed and constantly worrying taking the test itself. I actually
had time to check my work - twice - on every section because I was
so focused. (I'd never even approached a 180 on practice tests,
funnily enough. A 177 was the best I'd previously done.)
I guess my advice here is don't push it. Study hard, discipline
yourself, but create for yourself the best test conditions you
can... for me, that meant not taking any practice tests in the few
days leading up to the real test.[from another thread]
Reading fast helps enormously. My best advice on RC has always
been to read the passage first - once, quickly, and efficiently. If
the class can actually teach you to read faster and comprehend what
you're reading, it is without a doubt worth it.
The more time you save on reading the passages, the more time
you can afford to spend on the question and re-reading a couple
lines. Also, the RC sections seem to be getting denser and longer,
so any investment in improving this section is a wise one.
Depending on just how good you think the class is, I'd recommend
it.
About the word/minute reading thing, I have no idea! I don't
measure it like that. But if you can read (and understand) a
passage in a minute, you're set for the whole section.
lightIt(not useful)
1) What score did you get? 180
2) What books did you use? (Kaplan, Powerscore LRB, Powerscore
LGB, etc) Kaplan
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend? Kaplan Night Course Weekly
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc) I studied while at school.
I did a few problems a night about three nights a week for a few
months
5) How many preptests did you do? Maybe four or five
6) What would you change if you were to do it again? I would Not
take the course I would just get help on the logic games
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions. I started at a 169 with
absolutely no prep...I would say if you score at least 165 or
thereabouts without studying then a prep course is a waste of your
time unless you are just too unmotivated to study on your own. The
only area it was remotely helpful was the logic games, and you
could learn the Kaplan logic games strategy, or any other Kaplan
strategy, from a book just as well and much faster.
LyrradFigured I should post here. Hopefully it's helpful.
1) What score did you get? 180 (PrepTest Average: 175, 176 in
the few days running up to the test)
2) What books did you use? Regular Kaplan Book (Premiere),
Powerscore LR/LG/LGSetups, Kaplan 180
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend? None
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions?
(during school, during the summer, etc) 1 Month. Nothing else to do
that month except study.
5) How many preptests did you do? 27
6) What would you change if you were to do it again? I wouldn't
buy the LG Setups or Kaplan 180. I didn't use the LG Setups at all,
and only looked at the tips in the Kaplan 180 book.
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions. a) Get the LSAT Proctor
DVD. It's helpful. b) Don't worry about not getting much sleep the
night before. Just make sure you get rest the few days before. c)
Never be satisfied with an almost perfect score when Practising.
Look carefully at all mistakes you make on a PrepTest. d) Don't
over-study. I got burned out a couple weeks in. e) Slow down
studying the final week. f) Understanding the Logic Games is more
important than diagramming it the same way they do it in the
PowerScore book. If you know you can remember a key rule, you may
not need to write it out. g) If there's an either-or in a Logic
Game, consider two diagrams, one for each case and its
implications. This was necessary to breeze through the Sept 07
LGs.
rucoach
1) What score did you get? 180
2) What books did you use? Both Powerscore Bibles and Princeton
Review's LSAT Workout
3) Prepcourses? None
4) How long did you study for, under what conditions? 3 months,
but not too much in the last month because of work. 6-8 hours per
week, a little less the month before the test. I try to study in
quiet areas and always in timed conditions.
5) How many preptests? 18
6) What would I change? I would travel in a time machine and
beat my undergrad self for shackling me to a 2.94 GPA.
7) Comments? Go through the tests after you are done. Figure out
why your right answers are right and wrong answers are wrong. I
would do every choice of every LG question to see why they were
right or wrong. Practice doing whole tests under timed conditions.
Eat well on test morning, drink juice or water (no coffee), and get
in a rhythm on tests. I was taking a test every 4 days (spending
the 3 days in between to fix whatever section posed the most
problem) by the end, so the real one just felt like part of that
routine.
HariboYay I've always wanted to post in this thread, and now I
can!
1) What score did you get? 180
2) What books did you use? LSAC practice exams (obviously
recommended) Kaplan 180 (not recommended) Kaplan Games guide (I
used this mostly for distracting myself from doing another set of
boring LR/RC questions, because I really like the games. It didn't
help me much as I never had problems with games, but their
diagramming suggestions for sequencing games are excellent.)
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend? None.
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? I took
my first diagnostic in early September, and had a 175. At this
point my biggest concern was my score not dropping [from an
email]First of all, a caveat: I didn't use Penny Press puzzles to
prepare, but rather see a number of similarities between the LG
section and some of the PP logic games puzzles. Also, I've always
enjoyed the PP games and played them quite a bit at various times
in my life (for example, to keep me awake in boring lecture
classes.) The specific puzzles I would recommend arethe actual
logic games puzzles - very similar to the LG section. I'm trying to
find a sample but about to run out of time on the internet cafe...
I'll look for it later. As far as chess puzzles and mathematics, I
don't think it wouldhurt, but is probably not the most
time-effective way of working on things. If you're genuinely
interested in chess or math, go for it. Otherwise, I'd not
bother.
[from a post]
The biggest difference I made to move from 177 to 180 was how I
approached LR problems. I was like you, missing one or two in each
section, and there seemed to rhyme or reason to which type I was
having trouble with. It was just two hard questions (or sometimes,
1 hard question and 1 easy question that I misread and turned into
a hard question.) For these, I would be stuck deciding between two
similarly correct answers, and end up guessing.
My turning point was when I realized that I should never, ever
guess on an LSAT question. They are designed so that there are 4
wrong answers and 1 right answer - not 1 right answer and 4 almost
right answers. If you cannot come up with a reason for every answer
choice you cross you, you don't understand the problem. Try going
back, looking it over, rethinking it, diagramming it, restating it,
whatever will help you (for me, I found rewriting it in simple
English helped, removing extraneous words and helping me see the
patterns more clearly. I would also spend up to 5 minutes on a
single LR question if it took me that long to determine the single
correct answer, and not give up when I didn't figure it out
immediately. YMMV.)
Anyway switching my attitude was what got me those last 3
points. Promising myself that I wouldn't guess on any more
problems, realizing the mistake didn't lie in the test or the
questions but with my understanding - it sounds simple and stupid
but I saw results immediately. It sounds like this is a problem
you're having, so hopefully attacking those LR questions a
different way will help you.
Also, just to add my own experience to what other people are
saying - I did zero 5 section practice tests before the LSAT, and I
also tended to split the sections up and work on them individually.
I wasn't strict about timing, for the most part, but I do admit to
using the dull pencils trick - it's so much more satisfying to fill
in the circle that way!
Framboise1) What score did you get? 180 (Sept 07)
2) What books did you use? LSAC practice exams (the single most
useful study aid out there) Kaplan 180 (highly recommended)
Princeton Review (not at all recommended - read about 10 pages,
realized it was a waste of time and never looked at it again)
3) What prep courses did you take (if any)? Full length,
weekend? None
4) How long did you study for, and under what conditions? I took
a diagnostic test at the beginning of July and scored a 168. Then I
didn't study for the next 2 months. I began studying in the
beginning of September. I spent about 4-6 hours a day studying
Mon-Fri for three weeks. (I go to a semester school, so classes
hadn't started yet and I was done with my summer job.) On weekends,
I either rested or spent at most 2 hours studying. The week before
the test, I took two 2 practice tests, but other than that, tried
not to think about the LSAT at all. Taking this break helped me
significantly reduce my stress level.
5) How many preptests did you do? Between 10-12. I tried to take
all of my preptests under conditions as close to those of the
actual test as possible. Always doing all the sections in one
sitting, timing myself with a non-digital watch, etc.
6) What would you change if you were to do it again? I would not
spend 2 months of the summer worrying about not having started to
study yet. Either start studying early or accept the fact that
you're prone to procrastination and won't start studying until the
last possible minute.
7) Any other misc comments/suggestions. Make sure you know about
all of the weird LSAT regulations, e.g. no cell phones, no digital
watches, no pens, no hoods, etc. etc. And put together your clear
plastic bag two or three days before the test, so you're not
worrying about what you need to have with you the night before or
the morning of.
If there are many test centers in your area, ask people who've
already taken the test about the conditions at the various centers.
My test center had great conditions - lots of table room,
comfortable chairs. But I've heard horror stories from people who
went to other centers in my area.
JDeweyThought I would give my bit of advice. I took a more
holistic than most people I think.
Here are my top three bits of advice.
1) Read all different kinds of information. I would read The
Economist, The Smithsonian, and Scientific American, daily. I think
this is what helped the most, and reading should be a top priority.
You can re-wire the neurons in your brain to better handle written
words if you read all the time. Most people's brains are probably
set in "T.V. Mode" and unfortunately there is no video section on
the LSAT. Turn off the television, start reading dense material,
this will help you across the board not just on the reading
comprehension section.
2) Pick up a good book on INFORMAL logic. I hear people saying
that formal logic important, believe me, for this test INFORMAL
logic is actually what you want to study. I think people are
confusing the two. I am particularly fond of "Informal Logic: A
handbook for critical argument" by Douglas N. Walton.
3) When you are studying, figure out why each answer choice was
wrong, as well as why the correct one was in fact correct. This is
kind of common sense but the tediousness of doing this causes it to
be often ignored.
Cheers
Unstoppable1. 180
2. No books, except for those from the LSAC containing just prep
tests.
3. None.
4. I began studying in August and took the test in December. I
did not work or go to school during this time, and I had to move
home with my parents to allow that. For some, that might not be
possible, and for many more, it would be undesireable. For the
latter among you, I suggest you take the time to assess what is
really important: a test that can and will contribute significantly
to determining the career opportunities you will have for the rest
of your life, or your personal lifestyle for the next few months?
If you lean towards the latter, I suggest you re-evaluate your
commitment to law school to begin with...
My preparation consisted almost entirely of prep tests, mostly
under very strict conditions. Because four sections does not really
prepare you for the six you will face on test day, I usually did
them in pairs: four sections (a full prep test), then a 15 minute
break, then four sections (another full prep test). This is more
extreme than the actual test, so if you can master that level of
endurance, then the actual thing will be a piece of cake. I also
used the same equipment I would be using on test day, down to the
same pencils, sharpener, watch, et cetera. This is important
because you do not want anything to be different on test day so
that it might throw you off. Some people advise taking prep tests
in a public area where there are other people around such as a
library. This may be a good idea if you are prone to being
distracted by that sort of thing, but I just took my tests at my
desk at home and did not find the change in environment at all
distracting on test day.
The other important thing, and this is echoed in the posts of a
few other top-scorers, is you don't just take the prep tests, but
you have to review them thoroughly. I would say that I spent about
twice as much time reviewing each test as I did taking them. Any
question I got wrong would get exhaustive attention in this review;
I would analyze exactly how I approached the question, why that
approach failed, and what approach would have allowed me to select
the credited response. I would similarly pay great attention to
each question that I had marked as 'unsure' during the test. It is
important to see how you got it right, and how you avoided getting
it wrong (perhaps narrowly) rather than just be content that you
got the correct answer. That said, there may be questions for which
the answer does not seem as cut-and-dried, even after extensive
consideration, as perhaps it ought to be. Do not dwell extensively
on these; whether the problem lies in you or in the test (neither
is perfect, I assure you), there should not be so many of these as
to seriously affect your score on test day. In fact, I would say I
only encountered a question which I could not reconcile about once
every four prep tests. If it is happening a lot more frequently for
you, then you may be missing some important rule or concept which
is essential to understanding those questions. Try to look at them
as a group and see if they have common elements, and perhaps
discuss them on a forum like this one where other people may be
able to illuminate the issue that is causing you problems.
5. In the end, I did between 30 and 40 prep tests. If you are
going to leave some out, then leave out the older ones, since it
tends to be the case that the more recent the test, the more
relevant it is to the one you will have on test day.
6. I would have investigated my test center a little more
thoroughly. As it turned out, my center was fine (except for the
fact that they did not get started remotely on time,) but it was
one area that could have caused trouble and I essentially just
"lucked out" in that regard. Other than that, as I am completely
satisfied with the outcome, I would not change anything.
7. I was worried about taking the test in the morning,
especially with a 1 hour plus drive to the test center, so I
switched to a sleeping schedule whereby I would sleep from about 6
p.m. to 1 a.m. about two weeks before the test. This allowed me to
take the test in "my afternoon," and worked quite well as I never
felt remotely tired or unfocused during the test. However, I don't
suggest doing this unless you know how your body will react. That
said, if you are really not a morning person it is something to
consider, though I'd suggest that you start experimenting with
adjusting your circadian rythm months ahead of time to get a feel
for what you can expect.Shadyb[from a post]
Endurance is really important - I took two practice tests on
many days leading up to the exam so that I wouldn't get that tired
burned out feeling at the exam.
I didn't run out of materials though, so I'm not sure what to
tell you about that.
When you say you ran out, do you mean just of PTs? Because
reading and working through some prep books might be helpful - you
might find the strategy that *clicks* and will gain you some
points. My first diagnostic was a 160 until I worked through a prep
book and learned the strategies. Then try using them on the PTs;
and as others have said, make sure you understand why every wrong
answer was wrong. If it's a LG, do it over from scratch to drive
the lesson home.
Since you've been studying so much, you've probably already done
all this stuff, sorry![from another post]
Re Endurance, I would recommend taking 2 4-section tests in a
day several times before the real thing. One in the morning, break
for lunch, then another full one. When your afternoon score is as
good as your morning score, you have enough endurance. The real
exam is more tiring because you care so much about doing well, and
you want to feel as fresh on the last section as on the first.
[from another post]
go through a different brand of prep book. Do all the exercises.
You might find a different strategy that works well for you. Also,
you need to take a lot of timed tests, as time is the biggest
challenge. Your timing will improve if you do. Don't worry that
your first full length test wasn't as good as you wanted it to be.
You need to build up your stamina and speed. Some days I took two
full length tests - it was horrible, but helped with my stamina.
Good luck!
[from a PM]
I only studied for a month (because I decided late to apply to
law school, 2008 cycle in Canada - I went there for a year then
came to HLS as a first year...it's a bit odd). I wasn't in school
or doing anything, so I studied 6-7 hours a day. On my first
diagnostic which I did without any studying and untimed, I got a
160. I then carefully worked through the Master the LSAT book - I
read it cover to cover, doing every exercise and every section,
timed as recommended. I found that the strategies really worked for
me (especially for LG) and that learning the tricks was amazingly
helpful. I did pretty well on RC from the start, but it was the
section I had the hardest time improving on.
After that, I started doing timed practice tests. I went over
them and studied every question I got wrong. After I had worked
through the book, my scores jumped to the 170s - I didn't get below
a 170 after completing it. By doing practice tests I gained
exposure to the different types of games and LR questions, as I'm
sure you have. I already mentioned what I did to build
endurance.
Honestly, I really don't have a magic bullet...I took a couple
of days off before the exam because I was getting so sick of it. I
just did a few sections of RC, which I was having some trouble with
(at that point I was hardly ever getting any wrong in LG or LR
because they are essentially formulaic). I will note that I never
got a 180 on a practice test - I scored consistently in the high
170s.
I don't get nervous for exams, so I just focused on test day and
did my best. I felt like a had a bad section (must have been the
experimental one!) but put it out of my mind and focused on what I
was doing. I had no trouble with time because of doing so many
timed practice exams, and didn't get a headache or get worn
out.
I feel like that was a big lot of useless drivel, sorry!!! Feel
free to ask more specific questions if you want, about the LSAT or
HLS.
A 180 vs. high 170s really comes down to luck, so good
luck!!!
[another PM]
I think working through another strategy book will really help
you. I found that the strategies in Master the LSAT worked great
for LG and LR - they were quick and very accurate.
I took 2 practice tests a day for a couple of weeks - most days
but not every day.
[another PM]
When I was working through Master the LSAT, it was my first look
at the test, so I usually got a few of the test problems wrong. I
tried to figure out why, and what type of question it was. Usually
I could see my mistake from the answer explanations, but sometimes
I also went back and looked at the section addressing that type of
question and figured out where I had deviated from their strategy.
I did read every answer in LR, but not carefully. Whether you
should or not probably depends on whether you have time. I just
couldn't get my head around not reading some of the answers, it
felt like walking into a trap.
dannyI scored a 178 on the September 2009 LSAT and hopefully
have a few helpful suggestions on how to score well.
The books I used were all the available past tests which I think
are the best resources and probably all that most people need as
far as materials go.
[Redacted.]
I also recommend taking a practice test every week. I took a
practice test every Saturday at 8:00 am which prepared me for the
real thing and took away a lot of the anxiety on the day of the
actual test.
During the week, I studied by drilling particular question types
and game types, as well as practicing whole sections, but saved the
practice tests for the weekend.
I hope this helps, and good luck on the LSAT.
WoozyI will record what I did here in the hopes that it may help
some, but I would like to preface this by saying my study plan
would have been insufficient for the majority of takers. I had a
great advantage in that my initial diagnostic (after looking at the
LG section of a prep book for 1-2 hrs) was already >170.
1) 180
2) A friend had taken the Testmasters course and I had access to
the complete set of their books, which contain all LSAT questions
from mid 90s to about 2005 or so, organized by question type.
3) None
4) I studied for 2-3 months, about 5-10 hours per week. I was
also working full time.
5) 5-7 PTs, 2 of those were crappy fake tests. Use only real
LSATs! The fake tests made by test prep companies do more harm than
good.
6) Take more PTs. I made a mistake in having too few PTs to work
with. Also, I should have been taking 5 section PTs.
7) I have a few thoughts about test taking and test prep. Many
are not new, some are:
A) Try to be in decent physical shape. Sound body, sound mind.
Don't go crazy, but at a minimum do 30 min of physical activity a
few times per week.B) Take PTs honestly. Time strictly, use bubble
sheets, etc. If you are dishonest here you only hurt yourself.C)
Think efficiency and speed. Every second needs to be spent
productively. Try to move as quickly as you can from question to
question and from answer sheet to test booklet. It sounds simple
and obvious, but it is not so easy in practice to identify every
wasted second. A few examples of things I did:i) Practice turning
pages and beginning immediately. Attack the questions. Feel a sense
of urgency during practice and the test. In LG practice setting
games up as quickly as possible; often you can just skim the
opening paragraph. You should be able to immediately identify what
type of setup to use.ii) Late in practice when you have
internalized your sense of timing, stop looking at a watch. Every
second spent looking at a watch is a second not spent on the
LSAT.iii) Use dull pencils - they fill an oval quicker.D) Practice
is the time to develop your focus! When you go through problems,
try to move with a sense of urgency and do not let your mind
wander. Whether you are doing practice tests or just random
problems, if at any time you find yourself thinking about anything
other than the problem in front of you, give yourself a mental slap
and bring your focus back to the test. If you are constantly
thinking about random crap during practice you will be thinking
about random crap during the test. If you learn to do this properly
you will be less stressed during the test because you will not be
worried about failure, nerves, stress, etc. since you will not be
able to think about anything other than the problem in front of
you. I was very stressed out/nervous during the 12 hours leading up
to the test, but once the proctor said "begin" the LSAT was the
only thing going through my mind.E) Be flexible in your thinking. I
have been tutoring a friend and he gets many wrong because he
fights the test, often deciding he likes some answer more than
another because of something in his head, not on the paper.
Hope this helps someone out there. Best of luck.
[from another post where he copied most of the above
information:]
5) Make sure you don't drink too much the morning of the test
and bring a snack for the break.
[later post]
The main point of the dull pencil thing is not the few seconds
it might shave off in a section but to illustrate the mindset you
need to have that every fraction of every second is important, and
that during your practice you should try to figure out the
mechanics of moving fast, both mentally and physically.
It sounds like you need to set aside some time to do some
serious dry runs. There are potential mental fatigue issues with 5
sections done back to back that you need to work out before the
test. This is separate from tired/sleepy sort of fatigue, so you
can't assume that being awake is enough. If you haven't been doing
3 sections back to back, 15 min break, then 2 more back to back you
need to start now.
[later post]
I made absolutely no marks on RC or LR passages. I only cross
out answers I think are wrong and circle ones I think are correct -
the little letter next to the answer, not the whole thing.
That's not to say you should do the same. I did end up doing
plenty of rereading, so I'm open to the possibility that some
strategic markers could have helped. Do whatever works for you.
[later post]For all the LSAT discussion around here, I see
surprisingly little about mechanics. Stuff like keeping the
scantron as close as possible to the booklet, using a dull pencil,
flipping pages quickly, not looking at stuff other than the test,
etc. never gets discussed. People are rightly concerned with
understanding the test, but they should still spend some time
thinking about taking the test.
Sure, saving every single second will probably only net a couple
of raw points, but why leave them on the table?
[later post]
I started off with a terrible Mcgraw Hill LSAT book where I did
a diagnostic and went through their logic games section. It at
least taught me the rudiments of game diagramming. After that I got
the TM books and immediately recognized that I should dump the
stupid book I had and work only with these.
I would have taken more PTs but I didn't have many - I hadn't
found this site yet, I didn't even know what was out there. I tried
to take one PT per week, but couldn't get enough tests. I managed
to get my hands on one from the LSAC website and a couple from my
friend near the end, which was a big help. Most of my time in
between running out of tests and getting my last few was spent
doing games.
Basically, I'd say I spent about 65% of my time doing LGs from
the TM books, 10% doing LR from the TM books, and 25% doing PTs. I
think it did help to have so many questions organized by type. I
did a mix of timed and untimed for the LG and LR, I did only
strictly timed PTs. After each PT I would review questions I got
wrong and questions I wasn't 100% sure of. Not to toot my own horn,
but it was usually not that many so it didn't take much time. I
probably spent 10-20 minutes reviewing each PT near the end, maybe
30-45 in the beginning. However, I'm lucky enough to learn very
quickly from my mistakes.
I thought about your bubbling strategy but it felt unnatural to
me. It is definitely worth exploring, but I think many people dare
not try it because they fear running out of time with no answers
bubbled. If you are quick and disciplined it may work well for
you.[later post]
Anecdotal evidence and polls on this forum indicate more people
score below their PT averages than above. While many chalk this up
to test day nerves, I have a different view. I noticed during
practice that my PT results and those of a friend I PTed with were
not normally distributed. Although I did not have too many data
points, it seemed that the distribution of our test scores were not
symmetrical about the mean, rather they had short tales on the
higher end and longer tails on the lower end. The results of the
poll above mesh well with this view. For me this realization meant
one thing: I had a higher than expected chance of getting a
significantly lower score than I wanted. Most of my work in the
last month (after I formed this theory) was done with the goal of
shortening this long low tail. One conjecture guided me: the long
low tail would not exist if the test were untimed.
That's why I'm so big on identifying wasted seconds. It is not
enough to get to the point where you usually have enough time to
answer the questions, you need to get to the point where you have
excess time even in a worst case scenario. If you are essentially
taking the test untimed, there is a very low probability that you
will score significantly below your PT average.
I'm convinced that a motivated and highly gifted person could
get fast enough that he would have a decent shot at a perfect score
with 1/2 the time per section, so there is no reason you can't do
the same in 30 min, and then use the extra 5 minutes to hopefully
move from decent shot to even better shot.
PoorOrpheusDiagnostic: 160September 2009 LSAT: 177
I studied for exactly two months. The first two weeks I went
through a few chapters in each PowerScore Bible, but quickly
realized my score would improve quicker if I just went through a
whole lot of tests. I took nearly 30 in that span of time and went
over my wrong answers and questions I got right but had doubts
about. My PTs were always timed. I felt burnout coming on, so I
only took a section or two each day the week before the actual
LSAT. My main points of advice:
1) Set aside 1 or 2 hours every day to study. It doesn't have to
be in one chunk but get those hours in. Some people can "cram" for
the LSAT, but I think slow and steady works very well.2) Chill out
the week before. If you see you've reached a peak and are scoring
lower than normal, back off for a few days. You're probably just
tired of taking so many PTs.3) Take your PTs timed...4) ...and take
many. You want to walk into your testing center feeling like you've
done this a million times before...because you have. It's just
another test, then. I immediately recognized the experimental on my
actual LSAT because it did not have the rhythm I had become
accustomed to for that section. That's how attuned you should try
to be.
Good luck!
samsonyte16Diagnostic: Low 160's June '09: 176
I began studying in September of '08, took the LSAT in February,
was dissatisfied with a 167, began studying again and retook in
June. In total, I probably studied for about 7.5 months. I used:
the Powerscore Logic Games and Logical Reasoning Bibles, the
Powerscore Logic Games supplement, copies of every modern LSAT up
through PT56, and the book put out by LSAC that has three LSATs
with explanations for every problem (I forget the name now).
In the beginning, my worst section by far was logic games. On my
first test I missed twelve on games and around three on each LR and
one or two on RC. I spent the first two months of my studying doing
nothing but games. I did the harder old games over and over again
and eventually got to the point where I could do easy sequencing
games in about four minutes. Those two months took my score from
the low 160's to the high 160's.
At that point, I began doing full practice tests. I averaged
about two tests per week. I took them in fairly strict testing
conditions and spent my days off going over the problems I missed
and redoing old games. Around January, my LR scores suddenly jumped
from around -2 per section to -0/1 per section, and I started
averaging in the mid-170s. I'm not entirely sure what happened on
the February test as it was undisclosed, but I suspect that nerves
(and a cold/flu) got to me and caused me to mess up a game setup.
At any rate, I knew right away that I had to do it again.
I stayed away from LSAT for the rest of February and most of
March. When it came time to start studying again, I'd already used
most of the practice tests so I began redoing the tests and again
doing huge sets of games on the off days. The only change I made
compared to my pre-February studying was that I began giving myself
34 minutes instead of 35 for each section. Two nights before the
June test I took my last new practice test and got a 179.
In my opinion, the most important skill needed for self-studying
is the ability to ferret out your own weaknesses. It can be really
hard to pick out trends in your own performance and hammer out your
weaknesses.
sayandiag: 165sept 09: 176PT average: 175-176
LR: bought kaplan mastery, read powerscore LRB (usually
skimming), did kaplan mastery LR questions ONLY by type to master
each individually. in actual PTs, I aimed for 10 q's in 10min and
hoped for 15 in 15. If I did 15 in 15 I could usually finish in
sub-30 minutes.
LG: went to a thread where T14 broke down every logic game by
type (similar to powerscore LGB) and photocopied each game 3 times.
I stapled all game types together (3 stapled piles of each type)
and started with linear basic and moved to grouping/advanced
linear. I did each type over a couple of days and after at least
24-48hrs, did the same game types again. I horribly sucked at LG
thinking I would never do good but this strategy worked flawlessly.
I dominated LGs after a while and it was my easiest section. I only
photocopied up until PT 42 or so.
RC: the hardest by far to improve in. I just practiced it as
part of my PTs.
overall: I did every single PT from 9 to 57. i gave myself 40
minutes for the first 10 PT. I then went down to 35 for the next
10-15 or so. I then went even further trying to finish in sub-32
(or even sub-30). That was possible for LR and LG but seldom the
case for RC which was stubbornly stuck at 33-35 throughout my
practice. finally, I took timed tests in noisy cafes and quiet
libraries. I did at least 20 PTs in different environments. By PT
35 or so, I began using past PT sections as a 5th section. Usually
it was RC because that was the most exhausting section for me. I
had a 2nd RC section on the actual test so I think it was a good
decision.
The above regimen was done over a 3-3.5 month period with about
1-2hr/day average.
oneforshipFirst Diag (cold): 163Feb '09: 175
I used the Logic Games Bible and the Logic Reasoning Bible.
Luckily, time was never an issue for me, so all I really used the
LGB for was to get a consistent method of approach, and I was able
to whittle that down to a -1/0 consistently, and then -0
consistently the week leading up to the test.
The LRB I had to go through once completely, and then back to
sections that were giving me problems. Every LR section that I took
and scored, I cut out the questions that I missed from the booklet,
erased any marks, and kept them together, and write the
test/section I pulled them from. When I had 20-25 of those, I would
run through them as a "section" of only questions that had
previously given me trouble. Typically, a second glance would yield
the correct response, although when I did have a repeat miss, I
tried to really dig down and see where I was missing. I think this
was key for me to bringing my scores down from -4/-5 to the -1/-2
range consistently.
For RC, I bounced around a bunch of methods before finally just
settling on reading and answering, no markups. I didn't really
focus on RC until 1.5 weeks out, although I wish I had because I
think I could have picked up 2 or 3 more points here if I had
tried. It was definitely what held down most of my PTs, I would be
cruising in every section and then out of nowhere a -6 or -7 in RC
would just really bring down my score. It wasn't until I realized
the only way to fix that was to just do every RC section I had
until I was consistent in pulling out the answers and anticipating
the questions. It didn't really click for me until 2 or 3 days
before the test, and I wish I had had more time for these, so
definitely don't neglect them.
That said, for self-studiers, knock out the games first, it is
by far the easiest section to pick up points in, IMO, and it really
is the most learnable.
AlexandriaI spent 7 weeks studying (but very diligently) and
ended up with a 177. I'm not really sure what my diagnostic score
was, bc the first couple tests I took weren't official ones (got
like in the high 150s)... they were from a study guide (Barron's or
something) that I eventually started to think was not very good.
The first official prep test (free one off the website) I took I
got about a 172, but that was a couple weeks into studying, and I'm
sure I wouldn't have gotten that score right away.
I definitely liked the Bibles, like most people, especially LGB.
For LG, learning to diagram in a consistent way was key to getting
fast. I didn't exactly use the LGB's method... I made some
adjustments where their method was counterintuitive for me.
LR was never hard for me (the way LSAC words things just made
sense to me right away, so I didn't need to categorize questions
the way the LRB teaches you, in order to know what they wanted). So
the LRB didn't have as much of an impact, but it did help me on the
two types of questions that sometimes tripped me up... parallel
reasoning and formal logic questions.
For reading, the things that helped me most were the book Kaplan
180 and just taking as many prep tests as possible. I just had to
get used to reading the boring passages and figuring out what they
meant by the different types of questions (sort of the opposite of
my experience with LR... here I really did need to decipher what
they wanted from me).
The one thing I would have done differently is to have sprung
for tons of recent prep tests, even though they're more expensive
than the books of older ones. I got a lot of 180s on the old ones,
but they were harder to come by on the recent ones (and I even got
a 174 on one of the recent ones, which, frankly after having taken
a lot of the old ones and done so well, really freaked me out). The
difference was definitely that reading comprehension is harder on
the more recent ones, and since that was my weakest section, I
could have used more practice on the newer RC sections. (On my
actual test, all the questions I missed were RC.)
kajosaCold diagnostic: 147June '09: 175
I studied for three weeks, starting with Princeton Review's
Cracking the LSAT. I decided I needed more work on logic games, but
I didn't have much time, so I stupidly avoided the LG Bible and
chose a less costly LG book from McGraw Hill (I think). Terrible
idea--I would never recommend that book. I also took some
PTs--maybe 7 or 8 over the three weeks. I did about half of them
untimed, just working on fully understanding each question. And of
course, I thoroughly reviewed every question I got wrong until I
knew why.
Someone else: 147 to 175 in three weeks? Sick! You forgot to
mention which steroids you used though.
Ha! What I forgot to mention was how lucky I got. Dinos made LG
a big blur of guessing, and a 175 was seriously shocking.
?I scored a 180 on the LSAT, and it was due in large part to
advice I found on this site. In this article I hope I can give a
little back to the site and help others to reach their goals on the
test.
If you are looking to strengthen your law school application,
know that huge gains on the LSAT are possible, and that your LSAT
score is probably the main determinant of which school youll go to
and what kind of financial aid youll get. Some people mistake the
LSAT for a test of intelligence, and thus assume that their score
wont budge through studying. Never mind that new research suggests
that what we understand as intelligence can be improved through
study. Some TLS users have reported a score jump of 20 points. Did
they suddenly jump from average intelligence to the top 2% of
college graduates?
I took a diagnostic a while back and I was pleased to see a 168.
I thought, All right! Ill study for a couple weeks and take a
couple preptests to raise that to 170+, and Ill be set!
Fortunately, I fell short of my goal, because I was forced to
realize how nave Id been and also how much more I could improve if
I worked at it. I came back later after a solid three months of
filling my head with nothing but flaws in reasoning, the status of
women in medieval English law, and Abdul, Becky, Charm, Don Juan,
Eiji, and Francines seating arrangements. The effort paid off.
In TLSs LSAT preparation forum you will find a wide variety of
opinions about the best study methods. Some posters insist that
LSAT courses from the major test prep companies are worthless, and
others say that they really do help. At the very least, I can tell
you that they are not necessary to score at the highest level on
the test, because I never took one. In my personal opinion, they
may be a bad idea depending on how high you hope to score. My own
improvements on the test came from finding what worked best for me,
rather than following a method devised to work for thousands of
students.
Much of what you need to know can be distilled to this:-Though
exceptional, plenty of TLS users raised their score by as many as
20 points over their initial diagnostic.-This generally involves at
least three months of hardcore study.-To do the same, you want to
take at least 30 official PrepTests timed properly and with a
bubble sheet.-You must thoroughly review your mistakes.-Help your
brain switch to text processing mode by reading in your free
time.-Find methods of attack that work best for you.
Create a Study Plan
TLS poster pithypike wrote up a very detailed post outlining a
plan to assault the LSAT with special attention paid to the Logic
Games (LG) section. You should consider following it because many
TLS users swear by it. At the very least, you should create a
similar study plan and stick to it.
Look to do at least 30 official PrepTests over at least three
months. Some people do more PrepTests over a longer period of time,
but I would say 30 tests and three months are the minimums. Each
week I would do a full length PrepTest on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays. After about three weeks, I started doing four games
sections that I'd seen before on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
When deciding which PrepTests to use, the more recent they are,
the better. At some point around June 2001, LSAC stopped writing
the test themselves and handed the job over to ACT, Inc. Many
people believe that the test has gone through subtle but
significant changes as a result. Not everyone agrees on what the
effects of these changes are. Since most people go through the
tests in chronological order, I think there is some bias toward
thinking the new tests are easier, when in fact the person
preparing is becoming more skilled. Nevertheless, I found the
Logical Reasoning and Logic Games sections to be easier on the
newer tests, which Reading Comprehension probably became more
difficult.
If youre on a budget, the earlier books of 10 PrepTests will be
very attractive, but you should also purchase a healthy number of
the later tests. You might think that theyre overpriced, but they
may literally be worth their weight in gold if you get into the
school of your dreams or if youre offered a full scholarship
because of your LSAT score. I strongly recommend using newer
PrepTests close to gameday so that you are accustomed to them.
Its easy to lose time or points because of errors on the bubble
sheet. Practice with one! It took a long time before I found a
bubbling strategy that worked best for me in each section. I
settled on page by page in LR and LG, and question by question in
RC. Youll need to find what works best for you. Bubbling takes time
out of your 35 minutes per section, so you should practice with a
bubble sheet if only for that reason. If you get to the point where
you can finish sections with time to spare, quickly checking your
bubbling is an excellent idea.
In the next three sections Ill tell you a little about what
worked for me. What worked for me may not necessarily work for you,
but this should give you an idea of the kinds of things you need to
be thinking about when youre reviewing your finished PrepTests. My
advice may also be old news for you, but this is what I felt would
have been very beneficial to know. If you havent done a PrepTest or
two yet, you can stop reading here and come back when youve seen
the test.
Specific advice for Logic Games (LG)
If youre like most people, LG will be the most foreign section
type for you. The good news is that a decent number of TLS users
eventually manage achieve consistently perfect scores in this
section. As with most everything in life (and other LSAT sections),
repetition is the key to improving in LG.
Most people will probably want some system to give their
thinking structure. Games were certainly my weakness and it took
forever for me to get them down. I originally looked at one of the
Kaplan books, but eventually settled on the Powerscore Games Bible.
Its not important to follow a system religiously, even if it calls
itself the Bible.
Although, repetition will do a lot of the work for you if you
let it, you also need to think of general strategies to improve.
The broad instructions in the Games Bible should work for everyone.
Start by diagramming the game and fixing its rules and variables in
your mind for a couple minutes. Then attack the questions. How you
do this is, in the end, up to you. As you gain more experience in
games, youll find the wisdom in your books system, but also what
you can throw out or adapt. For instance, for the sake of clarity,
a system may suggest you represent a rule like this:M ND/A A/D
I found this to be too complicated both to write and read. It
was easier for me to write it this way:M NDA DA
Find what works best for you!
For a long time, I was spending too much time writing out
useless information that wasn't necessary to answer the questions.
Make sure you read and understand the entire question before you
begin working on it. Lets look at a linear game to illustrate this.
Linear games often have you placing people in order from 1 to 7, or
factory visits in chronological order on a schedule. Heres a simple
one:
A, B, C, D, E, F, and G must be inspected once each, once per
day on consecutive days of a week.E will be inspected directly
before F. [EF]B will be inspected before C. B EM , EN -> CN)If
the Greek rides in the Nissan, Ziggy rides in the Mercedes. ( GN
-> ZM, ZN -> GM )
We can start diagramming, but the only rule that always appears
is D -> A.
ABCDEFGZM ND/A A/D____ ________ ________ ____
Should our setup phase end there? I dont think so, because we
have almost no useful information to use for the questions. The
rules are probably not fixed in our minds at this point either.
Take a minute or two to explore the effects of the other rules
through a hypothetical or two.
If CM, then, EM. Remember to cross of the letters as you place
them in your hypothetical.
ABCDEFGZM ND/A A/DC ____E ________ ____
Only one space remains in the Mercedes. Z and G cant ride
together in the Nissan, so one of them occupies the remaining space
in the Mercedes, and the other rides in the Nissan. Our random
variables B and F have no choice but to ride in the Nissan.
ABCDEFGZM ND/A A/DC G/ZE BZ/G FWeve filled in every square! This
information should prove very useful. (If you want to write it like
I would, it looks something like this:M NDA DAC ZGE BZG
FDiagramming this way only works if its clear in your mind that
each spot can only be taken up by one letter. If you find this
style confusing, then dont do it. It helped me, but you should find
what works best for you.)
Grouping games are often light on rules and heavy on the
implications of those rules. During your setup time in a grouping
game, it can be very beneficial to work out some of those
implications. It will save time if a question asks, for instance,
If Cedric rides in the Mercedes, where does Frank ride? Also
importantly, doing this will help you keep the rules in your
mind.
I have sloppy writing. Writing out your diagram sloppily will
continue to hurt you throughout the entire game. After much pain
and confusion on the PrepTests, I eventually discovered that my
main diagram needed to be organized.
Review your mistakes and identify pitfalls to avoid. Write down
those conclusions and review them prior to your next tests.
Specific advice for Logical Reasoning (LR)
Improvement in LR kind of took care of itself just by virtue of
the fact that I did 35 PrepTests and thus 70 unique LR sections. If
you do a similar number of PrepTests while reviewing and learning
from your mistakes, you should make some nice gains.
My strategy for improvement on this section was to do the first
10 problems in 10 minutes. I struggled with that for a little
while, but it gradually became second nature. Then I moved on to
doing the first 15 in 15 minutes. By the end of my three month
plan, I could do 20 in 20 and even 25 in 25 if I was lucky. You
should definitely try to save time on the earlier questions since
they tend to be much easier than the later ones. The early
questions can still throw you a curveball, however, so be
careful.
Dont be afraid to skip around, but make sure you do it
intelligently. I would draw a big box around the questions where I
wasn't confident in my answer. I drew the box with a light line if
it was a small doubt, and a dark line if it was a big doubt. I
would circle questions that I didn't answer. In general I circled
parallel reasoning without even looking at them because theyre best
to answer last, in my opinion.
When Id finished the last question in the section, I would go
back and answer the circled questions, then look at the dark box
questions until satisfied, then the light box ones. Doing this will
make sure you dont get bogged down during the section. You need to
avoid spending 3 minutes agonizing over a difficult question and
then losing your opportunity to answer the easier ones.
Wrong answer choices on the LR section very often contain
language that is too broad or (less often) too narrow. Very
commonly, if I was trying to decide between two answer choices, I
could remind myself to check the scope and immediately eliminate
one.
10. A greater proportion of high school students these days are
lazy compared with earlier generations. Industriousness is both
necessary and sufficient for academic success, and lazy students
are never industrious.
Which of the following can be properly concluded, assuming the
statements above are true:(A) Blah blah blah(B) Yada yada yada(C) A
greater proportion of high school students these days will find it
impossible to succeed academically.(D) A smaller proportion of
students are industrious these days than in earlier generations.(E)
More high school students these days will not succeed in life.
Since this is question number 10 its still relatively easy, so
we were able to quickly narrow the choices down to two. Yet,
because its question 10, and were trying to finish the first ten in
ten minutes, were moving quickly and may miss a key word or two. At
first glance, D may actually appear more correct than C because its
language isnt as strong and it requires fewer logical steps, but I
hope you noticed that D is talking about all students. C correctly
limits itself to high school students.
Normally, noticing this would be enough to eliminate D, but if
you want to think further, realize that there might be more
industrious elementary and junior high students than in previous
generations. If this was the case, it might outweigh the increase
in lazy high schoolers. The moral is, pay very close attention to
language indicating scope.
I do think its a good idea to prephrase the answers on LR
questions. Prephrasing is guessing the answer before youve even
seen the answer choices. This can be a great way to save time,
especially on the earlier, easier questions. Still, even if you
think of a perfect prephrased answer, you should be prepared to
throw it away. Here is an example:
16. The only reason Dons wife would leave him is her learning
his secret identity, but she will definitely leave him if she
learns it. Don values protecting his secret identity above all
else, and he would never intentionally reveal it to her. Therefore,
his wife will not leave him.
(At this point, perhaps youre thinking to yourself, What if she
discovers it on her own? Youre ready to look for that answer among
the choices.)
This argument is vulnerable to the criticism that it assumes:(A)
Don will not tell his wife his secret(B) Don is a good husband and
provider(C) His wife can find his secret on her own(D) Don will not
accidentally reveal his secret(E) Don will not act in a suspicious
manner
Excellent! Our prephrased answer was among the answer choices.
Lets select C and move on This is the danger of prephrasing. If we
find an obvious prephrased answer, we might pay less attention to
the question stem, and also ignore the correct answer. C is
actually the opposite of what wed hope to find. The argument
assumes Dons wife CANNOT find his secret on her own. LR questions
will often try to fool you like this.
Prephrasing is useful because, if youd prephrased D instead,
youd have saved time and the question would have seemed extremely
easy. Someone with D in mind might be able to look at C and quickly
see that its incorrect. Prephrasing is very powerful, but you still
need to be cautious when doing it.
Review your mistakes and identify pitfalls to avoid. Write down
those conclusions somewhere and review them prior to your next
test.
Specific advice for Reading Comprehension (RC)
RC will ask you the same types of things about the passages each
time. Youll need to know the main point, the authors attitude,
statements the author would agree with, understanding a metaphor
the author used, and so on. These questions will come up again and
again so experience will help you find what to look for in the
passage while youre reading it.
What helped me was realizing that all the answers should match
each other. I refer to this as the puzzle theory of RC. If you feel
confident in your "main point" answer, you can use it to answer
other questions that give you difficulty. It works the other way
around too. Maybe the main point is tough but you are confident in
some others about "the purpose of the passage" or "author would
agree with." Consider this example:
4. The author would be most likely to agree that Billy Mumphreys
downfall was primarily caused by:(A) love(B) deception(C) his
support of the conservative party(D) his abandonment by key
political allies(E) his unbridled enthusiasm
You very confidently select E. Then later, you encounter this
question that you find much more difficult to answer.
7. Which of the following most accurately restates the authors
conclusion:(A) The main characters politics were more important
than his attitude(B) The main characters politics and attitude were
equally important(C) The main characters politics were less
important than his attitude(D) The main characters politics and
attitude were equally unimportant(E) The dirty game of world
diplomacy and international intrigue is unwinnable regardless of
politics or attitude
You know the main character refers to Billy Mumphrey, and that
this phrasing is simply meant to confuse you. You remember an
earlier question where you had to decide between politics and
attitude. You look back at number 4 see that unbridled enthusiasm
had definitely been the cause of Billy Mumphreys downfall, and this
helps you to be reasonably confident in selecting C.
I often lost points on RC in PrepTests because of boredom.
You'll be ruined if you get bored. You'll also be ruined if you try
to speed up, because if you feel like youre reading very quickly,
youre probably missing important information. If I get interested
in the passage and read to understand everything in it at my own
pace, I can do well on it. This may vary from person to person
though.
The TLS LSAT forum is quick to recommend The Economist for
reading comprehension skills. This likely stems from the perception
that The Economist is written using more difficult language than
many other magazines. I dont think any one magazine or book will
prepare you for the reading comprehension section. Its a good idea
to read a variety of magazines like The Economist, Scientific
American, Foreign Policy, The New Yorker, and others that seem like
graduate degree holders subscribe to.
The RC section can cover, in any one test, topics as disparate
as a 1950s German poetry movement, the evolution of birds in a
small corner of the Amazon, womens landholding rights in the Magna
Carta, and the origins of Law & Wine Tasting as an academic
field. Chances are youll find at least one of those hard to get
through due to boredom, convoluted language, or unfamiliarity with
the topic. Reading more in your spare time can only help. This may
also have some benefit for unfamiliar topics in the LR section.
Review your mistakes and identify pitfalls to avoid . Write down
those conclusions somewhere and review them prior to your next
test.
More on that underlined advice
This may be the most important advice I have to offer. Doing a
lot of PrepTests is an obvious method to prepare, but many people
fail to review them sufficiently. I was guilty of it as well. When
I sat down and thought a little more deeply about some of my
mistakes in LG, for instance, I was able to identify some serious
flaws in my method of attack. Here are the notes I wrote to myself
over the course of those three months:
-Never take ANY section for granted-Always make sure the answer
choice fits PERFECTLY-Be interested in every passage, game, and
question-Don't skip around on games questions if you want a
-0Instead, make a full hypothetical if stumped-Read everything
slowly enough that you don't miss anything-5 question passages and
games aren't any easier-Grouping games, track categories on
diagramWrite out letters for each problem, cross off placed
ones-One answer is 100% correct, others are 100% wrong.If you can't
see them that way, you're overlooking something.Reread a tough
problem critically if there's time. Don't rely on your
memory.-Wrong answers (esp. assumption) are often too broad. Watch
scope-GUESS INTELLIGENTLY - Letter used least within the
section-Explaining a discrepancy between two groups should show how
something affects the two groups differently-PAY ATTENTION WHEN
BUBBLING! DON'T RUSH IT! BE CAREFUL!
I looked at this before I did each of my PrepTests. I also
printed it out and brought it with me for test day. You might find
it helpful. I definitely recommend starting with a blank page (or
text file on your computer) and writing your own instructions to
yourself.
Less obvious ways to prepare
Its common sense that you would study the LSAT itself in order
to prepare, but you may be able to improve your score before youve
even seen the test, or when youre trying to relax after a
PrepTest.
Many people say that studying philosophy is good preparation for
the LSAT. Thats probably true. A well rounded college education
will prepare you for the reading comprehension section, at the very
least. Ive studied a bit of computer science, and I felt that was
very relevant. Several of my classes were devoted to manipulating
logical expressions and games, and I have no doubt that this helped
me.
The classes I felt were most helpful were Discrete Mathematics
(read: formal logic), Computer Architecture, Theory of Computation,
and Logic Design. This list is by no means exhaustive. All of these
were in the engineering department. Even within it, some were
notorious for their difficulty. As such, I wouldnt recommend taking
these classes solely to improve your LSAT ability, because they may
well drag your GPA down. On the other hand, if theyre already
required or optional for your major, dont blow them off if youre
entertaining the thought of law school.
In terms of your attitude, you need balance when approaching the
LSAT. You won't do well if you're intimidated by the test, a
section type, or question type. At the same time, you won't do well
if you start to get cocky and think that the test, a section type,
or question type are easy. Each and every question needs to be
treated as a bomb squad member would treat a live explosive.
Whether it's a hand grenade (LR question #1) or a nuclear bomb (LR
question #19 parallel reasoning), they can both blow up and kill
you if you're not careful. I found that I would miss questions if I
fell into either extreme. Through practice you should be able to
get yourself into the correct mindset.
Some people recommend studying in a place with other people such
as a library. Its definitely wise to practice somewhere with some
background noise. It was inconvenient for me to go to the library,
but I did practice with the window open along a noisy street. One
aspect of the test you cant control is the noise and distractions
in the room, so you might as well be prepared for that.
Most administrations of the test will begin early in the
morning. If youre a night owl like me, then you should train
yourself to be up and functioning at this time of day prior to the
test. Start waking up early and do a PrepTest properly timed.
A psychology PhD may disagree, but its my understanding that it
can be beneficial to study before going to sleep. If you can study
before bed, I read (in Scientific American!) that your brain will
reprocess and digest the information while youre asleep. I didnt do
this, but I tried to take advantage of it the night before gameday
by doing problems from each section before hitting the hay. If you
start having nightmares about logic games then I would advise you
to study earlier in the day.
Some people also find doing a warm up to be helpful. On test day
I woke up bright and early and did about 8.5 minutes of fresh,
never-before-seen problems from each section type. That meant 1
game, 1 reading passage, and every fourth LR question in a section.
You can do this pretty quickly and it should help your brain switch
into LSAT mode.
It goes without saying, but you need to take care of your
physical well-being. Get plenty of sleep. I started going to the
gym while I was studying and I honestly think it helped. Exercise
is supposed to be good for your brain. If you normally eat nothing
but junk food and drink soda by the case, consider investing in
some healthier fuel for yourself.
Retaking
LSAC keeps track of retakers and reports that most people only
improve by a few points at best. They also show that the higher
your original score, the more likely you become to go down upon a
retake. This means you need to be cautious when approaching a
retake. If you prepare for 3 months as best you can, take the test,
and score at your practice average, you should probably call it
quits. Yet, if you score above 175 very consistently, and then are
shocked to find a 174 on your results page, then it may actually be
wise to retake even with such a high score.
If you dont improve upon a retake, then youve shot yourself in
the foot. On the other hand, if you can improve by even one point,
then youve helped your application considerably. Admissions
personnel expect you to improve simply through familiarity with the
test, but since your highest score is the one that becomes part of
the schools statistics, the candidate with a 165 and a 166 will
probably fare better than the candidate with a 165, all else being
equal. I recommend reading TLSs interviews with admissions deans
for more perspective on how they view retaking.
Its incredibly important that you use your months of practice to
establish what your real ability is on the test. If youre paying
attention, you should learn your strengths, weaknesses, and
strategies to score higher. You will also learn what score you can
expect when you take the real thing. Using this knowledge, you can
evaluate why you didnt score as well as you expected. Was the test
center noisy? Did you cut yourself some slack on practice tests
without necessarily realizing it? (For instance, some people take
long breaks between sections, dont use a bubble sheet, fudge the
section timing, or never practice with an experimental section.)
Perhaps most importantly, did you put in as much practice as you
should have?
Depending on the answers to questions like these, you can decide
if and when you should retake and what you can do to ensure you do
better next time. I was unlucky is not the right answer, because it
excuses you from taking any corrective action.
Cancelling
Some proctors and testing centers can be truly atrocious. Your
proctor may call time five minutes early, or chat on the phone with
a microphone left on, or some other nonsense. You might also have
some unimaginable personal problem. Having been kept awake with
anticipation, maybe you slept through your alarm and showed up
late. One TLS user claimed to have drunk two gallons of water the
night before the test and severely disrupted his bowels. In these
cases, the option to cancel your score may be attractive.
The decision whether to cancel or not cancel is an exercise of
your judgment, and admissions staff are well aware of this. Thanks
in part to US News, they have a strong incentive to look only at
your highest score. Still, I think its only natural to view
Candidate A with a 155 and a 170 in a different light from
Candidate B with a cancel and a 170. When someone reads Candidate
As file, theyd have to wonder why he didnt cancel that first
score.
The other point to consider is that Candidate A with 155, 170
likely looks better than Candidate C with 155, cancel, 170. Some
schools (the top 3, for instance) state outright that they will
look at your full testing record. Its your job to make sure it
reflects well on you.
If youve prepared properly, I believe youll be able to make the
right decision. When I took the LSAT for the second time, an
unbelievably loud protest was going on right outside the building,
and it definitely affected my concentration. I felt Id performed
well and didnt consider cancelling, though I would have had a
legitimate reason to.
What they dont tell you
Here youll find little bits and pieces of information that may
calm your nerves or give you slightly more knowledge about the
test.
I hope that you are familiar with the concept of the
experimental section. You may know that its impossible to
distinguish which section is experimental while youre taking it.
Test prep companies report, however, that the experimental section
has always appeared in the first half of the test. This information
is not likely to help you much, but it may demystify the test a
little. On my second LSAT, RC came first, and in my morning mental
fog I felt like I may have gotten a couple questions wrong. I was
very relieved when RC came again in the second half of the
test.
The LSATs last section is a writing sample. This section is
unscored, but you should still try your best on it. Even if it
counts for very little (or nothing) in your application package,
admissions staff do have access to it and reserve the right to
waitlist or reject you if you dont take it seriously. Since its at
the end of the test, spending your remaining energy here cannot
adversely affect your score, so give it an honest go. That being
said, very few people practice for it, and I certainly didnt.
T