When you start to move beyond the halfway point of your studies and come into the home stretch of prep, its common to feel like you're in the dog days of the LSAT. That Logical Reasoning section starts to weigh down the latter portion of your efforts. Method, Flaw, Parallel, Principle...the list of abstract question stems seems never-ending. Gone are the days of specificity and precision, only to be replaced by the vague wording and abstraction … [Read more...]
The Most Dangerous Conditional Rule on the LSAT
On our LSAT Discussion Forum recently, I've been running into a recurrent question about a conditional reasoning rule. These questions revolve around a really tricky phrasing, one that has devastated test takers when it has appeared on previous LSATs. But if you can learn the idea, it takes something the test makers expect to be very difficult and turns it into something fairly easy. Plus, it's not that tough to learn! So what is this mysterious … [Read more...]
A Comprehensive List of Rarely Tested LSAT Logic Games (Outliers and Oddballs)
A tutoring student of mine asked me recently if I could put together a list of Circular, Mapping, and Pattern games that have appeared over the years, hoping to ensure that if the next test continues recent trends of LG weirdness he'll be ready.So while it's always a reasonably safe bet that you won't see any games like the ones noted below, savvy test-takers are ready for any eventuality. To that end, you'd be wise to review a few games from … [Read more...]
How to Handle “Even If” in Conditional Reasoning (Even If it Doesn’t Matter)
Most students confront conditional reasoning very early on in their LSAT preparation. They spend hours mastering the logic of conditional rules in Logical Reasoning stimuli and answer choices, and in Logic Games as well. To this end, students must memorize a number of common conditional reasoning keywords and phrases that help indicate the presence of this logic.Some of these indicators become incredibly obvious with practice. Many of us can … [Read more...]
Why You Should Take the LSAT in June (and Not in September)
When taking the LSAT, timing when you should take the test is a big factor. A lot of students plant to the June LSAT, but when that test swiftly approaches, you may start to question postponing. Maybe you take a prep course, buy the Bible Trilogy, or invest in tutoring. If you see an uptick in your PT scores, that's awesome. If you aren't, then taking the June test becomes daunting. So, you may think that putting it off until September is a good … [Read more...]
Numbers and Percentages in Logical Reasoning Questions? Count On It!
The authors of the LSAT love to play with numbers. This makes sense when you consider that the LSAT is a test of logical reasoning, and math is completely logical. While it’s true that they sometimes test our understanding of actual numerical concepts, like averages and ratios, most questions are not testing your math skills. Don’t worry, you will never have to recall the Pythagorean theorem. Instead, they test your understanding of logical … [Read more...]
Weaken and Strengthen EXCEPT Questions
In our forum, we get students asking a variety of questions relating to the LSAT. There is one question in particular that I think sharing my reply here might help others struggling with the same issue, so let's get to it. What's the best way to understand the right and wrong answer choices in Weaken EXCEPT and Strengthen EXCEPT questions? My Explanation Those EXCEPT questions and their answer choices are often a little confusing for people at … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Armenia
Are you taking the LSAT in Armenia? Students take the LSAT if they plan to attend law schools in the US and Canada. However, the test administers across the globe. Check out this post about taking the LSAT abroad.In Armenia, only one location offers the LSAT: Yerevan, American University of Armenia. While there is just one location option, it occurs four times per year: February, June, September/October, and December. You can find a complete … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Egypt
Are you taking the LSAT in Egypt? Students take the LSAT if they plan to attend law schools in the US and Canada. However, the test administers across the globe. Check out this post about taking the LSAT abroad.In Egypt, only one location offers the LSAT: AMIDEAST in Cairo. While there is just one location option, it occurs two times per year: June or September/October. You can find a complete list of test dates and deadlines … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Italy
Are you taking the LSAT in Italy? Students take the LSAT if they plan to attend law schools in the US and Canada. However, the test administers across the globe. Check out this post about taking the LSAT abroad.In Italy, only one location offers the LSAT: Rome at the Istituto Mater Dolorosa. While there is just one location option, it occurs four times per year: February, June, September/October, and December. You can find a complete list of … [Read more...]
Advanced LSAT Guessing Strategy: Referring to Prior Answers
Note that this strategy largely applies to students taking the PAPER version of the LSAT. The digital format does not give you a preview of your answer choices at a glance. In a perfect world, you'd never have to guess on any question while taking the LSAT. But, there are occasions where time simply runs out, and when that occurs you have to guess (especially because, unlike the SAT, there is no penalty for guessing on the LSAT). I've talked … [Read more...]
The LSAT’s Trends: Looking Back to See What’s Ahead
Before the December 2016 LSAT I wrote an article attempting to predict that test's content based on the material presented on the most recent LSATs. Here I'm examining those trends and results and making informed guesses as to what the February 2017 exam may have in store. I'll begin with the same intro that prefaced my previous post: "The LSAT is not a static exam. Rather, it varies slightly from year to year and even from test to test, as LSAC … [Read more...]
Note-Taking Reading Comprehension: Mark Up Your Map
Taking notes on Reading Comp passages can be a challenge for many students, especially because RC on the LSAT is so unlike RC on other standardized tests. Most students either forego note-taking altogether in favor of trying to “just get it”. Or else they go crazy underlining everything they think might be important somehow.Neither of these strategies lends itself to the evidence-based approach you should take to answer the questions. … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Austria
Are you taking the LSAT in Austria? Students take the LSAT if they plan to attend law schools in the US and Canada. However, the test administers across the globe. Check out this post about taking the LSAT abroad.In Austria, only one location offers the LSAT: Wien at OeAD International Testing Services. The test also occurs only once per year in September/October. You can find a complete list of test dates and deadlines here. Students should … [Read more...]