A while back, I received an interesting question from a student: “Hi, I have your Logic Games Bible and have a question. Another book recommends answering local “if” questions first then doing what you call global questions. I don't believe the Bible makes any recommendations about which questions to answer first. Do you have a question ordering strategy or you simply recommend answering them in the order they appear on the test?” Strategies … [Read more...]
How to Guess Like a Pro on the LSAT Part I: Logic Games
There is no penalty for guessing on the LSAT. So, it should go without saying that you shouldn't leave any questions blank. Precisely how you guess, however, depends on a number of factors.Are you a strong test-taker? Can you at least narrow down your possible choices? Which questions do you need to guess on?Let's break it down. Blind Guessing According to our Guessing Strategy and Probability Tables, you would be best served by … [Read more...]
Tiered Circular Games: AKA the 10th Circle of LSAT Hell
The last time a Circular Linear game made an appearance on an LSAT was the February 2014 exam. Unfortunately, this test is undisclosed, so we will never actually see the game. This very game is also rumored to be a "tiered circular linear" game. It involves two variable sets to be distributed around a circle. We'll never know for sure, but such a game is not outside the realm of possibility. The following list shows every single appearance of a … [Read more...]
The Most Common Logical Reasoning Question Types
If your LSAT is fast approaching, you're inevitably wondering how to best prioritize your study efforts. A good place to start is figuring out which Logical Reasoning question types to focus on. To that end, here's a dissection of released LSATs from June 2013 to June 2015. Let's see exactly what the test makers have emphasized and what they've relegated to a back shelf. After all, if you know what your fellow test takers have faced, your own … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Japan?
Are you taking the LSAT in Japan? 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 Japan, two locations offer the LSAT: Tokyo, at Temple University Japan Campus and Kyoto, at Doshisha Law School. At the Tokyo location, they administer it in February, June, September/October, and December. In Kyoto, they administer … [Read more...]
Getting the Most out of Your LSAT Practice Test Review
If you’ve been studying for the LSAT, you already know that practice tests are a valuable part of your preparation. It’s helpful to see how you’re scoring, but the potential benefits of taking PTs go beyond tracking your performance. You can begin to derive those benefits from the outset, well before you master every LSAT concept. With each PT you take, you can increase your familiarity with the language, logic, and pacing of the test. You will … [Read more...]
Not a Morning Person? Start Behaving Like One if You Want to Kill It on the LSAT
If you're taking the LSAT in the morning, you'll likely have to wake up pretty early to be prepared for the LSAT. Depending on how close you are to your test center, you may need to wake up at 6 AM to even get to the test center on time. Unless you are decidedly a "morning person," this might be a problem. The Importance of Sleep Even if you do manage to fall asleep at a reasonable hour the day before (unlikely, unless you train for it), … [Read more...]
Arguments vs. Facts in Logical Reasoning
Recognizing Argumentation One of the most important tasks facing test takers in the Logical Reasoning section is the ability to accurately identify the presence of argumentation. “Argumentation” can be summed up as an author’s attempt to persuade the reader to believe that the author’s opinion is correct. While that seems simple enough, it’s not always that easy to spot.Argumentation on the LSAT is often in shades of gray as far as degree or … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in New Zealand
Are you taking the LSAT in New Zealand? 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 New Zealand, two locations offer the LSAT: the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. Both locations administer it four times per year: February, June, September/October, and December. You can … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT in Korea?
Are you taking the LSAT in Korea? 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 Korea, two locations offer the LSAT: Seoul, the Duksung Women's University and Yonsei University. The Duksung Women's University administers the test in June and the Yonsei University administers the test in … [Read more...]
The LSAT is Unfair
The LSAT is a great test in many ways, but some students complain that the test is not entirely fair, and they do have some valid points: The LSAT is Not Like Other Tests There are a lot of test takers who are very smart who nonetheless find the LSAT quite a bit more challenging than expected. It can be a very frustrating experience, even for good students (who also often tend to be particularly self-critical). The LSAT tests a set of skills … [Read more...]
Cognitive Biases in Test Reviews: When Smart People Can Be Stupid
One of the most daunting tasks in any test preparation program, whether undertaken on your own or with an instructor, is the practice test review. For many, it's an experience that is at once humbling and tedious, likely to repeat itself more than a dozen times over the course of their preparation. To make matters worse, the ideal test review requires more than simply going over the questions you got wrong. Ideally, you should review any … [Read more...]
Timing is (Almost) Everything When it Comes to Logical Reasoning
Keeping a good pace on the Logical Reasoning section is primarily a function of one’s conceptual understanding of the test. By “conceptual understanding,” we mean that simply knowing how to approach the most frequently appearing question types won’t suffice. Rather, you should practice solving each question type with over and over until your approach becomes more intuitive than deliberate. Conceptual Understanding in Practice For instance, you … [Read more...]
How to Best Review LSAT Practice Questions
In another post, we outline exactly how to take LSAT practice tests. In this post, I'm going to examine in a bit more detail the process of performance review, specifically how to assess your progress in terms of your initial confidence about the answers you've chosen.The final note in practice test article above describes the importance of closely analyzing your results. "You need to perform a thorough post-test review, analyzing your … [Read more...]