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February 3, 2020

3 Ways to Pick Up Your Pace on the LSAT

3 Ways to Pick Up Your Pace on the LSAT

When preparing for the LSAT, a very common question you might ask yourself is “How do I increase my speed?” Test takers often note that if time was not a factor, they could do better on the test. But of course, that is deliberate. The makers of the LSAT design the test to be both difficult and time-consuming. For most students, speed is a major concern. Here are some tips to help you pick up the pace by taking control of the LSAT.

Prioritize the Questions You Attack First

Each section has a barrage of questions that you’re expected to answer in a short amount of time. Don’t get bogged down by the difficult ones! Instead, prioritize. The toughest questions are scattered throughout each section. Attack your favorites first and save the ones that might hold you up for last. This helps ensure time isn’t lost while “spinning your wheels” with the hardest questions in the section. If there are easier questions available to answer, start with those!

Don’t Let Answers Slow You Down, Either

As much as a difficult question can catch you off guard, incorrect answer choices can do the same. They are cleverly designed to stall your progress. You’ve probably noticed that test makers are skilled at obscuring the right answer choice and making incorrect answer choices seem plausible. If an answer choice is confusing, requires analysis, or is longer than the others, skip it for now! Consider the other options first and then return to those you’re unsure of.

Practice!

We saved this for last because, for some students, this is the least welcome bit of advice. First you get good, then you get fast. The LSAT is not an easy test and pace development is a great reason to practice. With each practice test, you increase your familiarity with it. By becoming familiar with every curve the LSAT throws your way, you increase your focus and endurance. The more practice you get, the faster you will be.

 

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Posted by PowerScore Test Prep / LSAT Prep / LSAT Prep Leave a Comment

  • Karan Sarathy
    June 25, 2017 at 5:01am

    Hi there,

    So I presume than, that the more practice tests I take, the better I become with speed and endurance? Aside from that, I’ve also gathered that leaving “hard” questions last will be more beneficial?

    appreciate the advice

  • Dave Killoran
    June 25, 2017 at 7:52pm

    Hi Karan,

    Yes, it’s kind of like practicing violin or any instrument: first you learn the basic and a bit of the theory behind how it all works, then you begin practicing those elements. As time passes, you begin to learn more about how the instrument works, and your practice takes on a new dimension and becomes more rewarding. Over time, what was previously challenging starts to become easier, and eventually you can see the entirety of how the instrument works and take on and attack the hardest pieces and still feel comfortable.

    The LSAT is frustrating at first because we’ve been reading all our lives, and so it feels like it should be relatively easy. But they manipulate the words very skillfully, and you have to learn the the way they use language and ideas, and even the rhythms and patterns of the test. Practice tests really help with that, but you should also make sure you know the methods and techniques—they ultimately make the questions easier, and practicing the right techniques will make you faster and more confident.

    Last, since all questions have equal value, if one feels harder or is threatening to take more time, you would be well served to push it until later and do easier questions in the meantime.

    Please let me know if this helps, and if you have any other questions please let me know. Thanks!

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