As you know, there is no penalty for guessing on the LSAT. So, it goes without saying that you shouldn't leave any questions blank. If you are running out of time, make sure to guess on any unanswered question. Because some answer choices are more likely to occur than others, you should not guess randomly. Precisely how you guess, however, depends on how strong of a test-taker you are, and which questions you need to guess on. Let's … [Read more...]
Should I Study Formal Logic in College to Prep for the LSAT?
Given the emphasis on Logical Reasoning on the LSAT, students often wonder if they are missing out by not taking formal (or deductive) logic in college. Deductive Logic in Courses Granted, some exposure to deductive logic doesn't hurt. At their best, such courses will:Teach you the fundamental concepts of symbolic logic. Help you understand the difference between valid and invalid arguments. Train you to use symbolic language to … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Germany
Are you taking the LSAT in Germany? 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 Germany, two locations offer the in-person LSAT: Kolpinghaus and Technische Universitat Munchen in Munich. You can find a complete list of test dates and deadlines here. Students should know that testing center locations are … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Approaching the Answer Choices in Logical Reasoning Questions
1: Determine Know what the question stem is asking you to do. Although there are a myriad ways to ask the same question, there are only 13 basic question types on the LSAT. Take a look at the following example—all the question stems listed below belong to the same type of LSAT Logical Reasoning question (Justify the Conclusion), requiring you to identify an answer choice that proves conclusion of the argument:Which one of the following, if … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Ukraine
Are you taking the LSAT in Ukraine? 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 Ukraine, only one location offers the LSAT: Kiev, American Councils for International Education. They administer it once a year in September/October. You can find a complete list of test dates and deadlines here. Students should … [Read more...]
Passage Diagramming and Notation on the Reading Comprehension Section
Diagramming and notation can play a vital role in a strong performance on the Reading Comprehension section of the LSAT. The ideal approach to effectively breaking down the passages, however, can be different for each student. Unlike Logic Games, when it comes to Reading Comprehension passages there is no single best way to diagram or notate. There are, however, several diagramming options from which to choose. Basic Underlining This is the … [Read more...]
What to Do When You’re Feeling Defeated by LSAT Prep
Our free to use LSAT Discussion Forum is a tremendous resource for any student gearing up to take the LSAT and apply to law school, and while I'm sure the majority of our blog readers frequent the Forum and participate, it's easy for helpful posts there to slip through the cracks. In an effort to help our readers here stay fully informed, we occasionally have highlights of common questions we encounter in the forum. Two things first:Go use … [Read more...]
Negating Conditional Statements
Most Logical Reasoning questions with conditional reasoning won’t require you to negate the conditional relationships in them. You will certainly need to know what the contrapositive is, and—if there are multiple conditional relationships—you need to know how to form a conclusion by combining them into a chain (aka the “law of syllogism”). Occasionally, in Justify questions, you will need to establish a logical link between the premises and the … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in France
Are you taking the LSAT in France? 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 France, only one location offers the LSAT: Paris, Eurosites Paris La Chapelle. 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...]
Reading Comprehension on the LSAT: Overload by Design
The LSAT's Reading Comprehension passages are typically dense and convoluted. Clearly, it's not lazy summer beach reading. But what is the reason behind the design? Reading vs. Reading Comprehension When we read a passage, we're performing several mental processes all at once. For example, as we read a sentence, we identify individual words and combine them into phrases and sentences. An experienced and skilled reader, such as a law school … [Read more...]
Need LSAT Advice? How to Help Us, Help You
One of the most common LSAT preparation questions we receive is: "I've been studying for a while and want to increase my score even more. Do you have any tips to help me out?" This is a question we love to get because it directly relates to what we do. We love the LSAT, and we are passionate about helping students get better at taking this test.When answering this question, one of our goals is to provide advice that is specific to the … [Read more...]
Attacking Logic Games: Focus on Certainty!
Understanding Global and Local question strategies in Logic Games is difficult. Dave's blog post on the subject got me thinking about recent conversations I've had with students on similar topics, primarily with respect to efficient inference making and question attack. So I'm going to supplement his insights with a few of my own. Positive and Negative Certainty We focus a tremendous amount of time and attention in our courses and books … [Read more...]
Find Success within the 4 Corners of the “Must Be True” Stimulus
Often, people studying for the LSAT have trouble figuring out how the test has anything to do with real life, let alone law school or the practice of law. But the connection is clear with Must Be True questions. It all comes down to the "four corners" rule. The Four Corners Rule In Must Be True questions, you're limited to the information in the stimulus. You can't bring in any outside information. So, the correct answer choice will be either … [Read more...]
Bored with Reading Comprehension? Maybe That’s the Problem
Reading Comp may be your worst section. Students often admit boredom with it; "hate" is a commonly used word. Nobody cares about Navajo weaving techniques, 18th century French female poets, or the !Kung people. Why should you? Here's why: Low Interest Reading A number of research studies show that test-takers who report a high level of interest in the topic of a passage also demonstrate higher levels of engagement with the text. The presence of … [Read more...]