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...]
Global/Local Question Answering Strategies
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...]
Applying to Law School Early: What’s the Deal?
A lot of students contact us well in advance of the year they plan to attend law school. For some, they merely want to get a head start and fully formulate their admissions plan. Others are even more ambitious and deciding whether or not it's worth applying Early Action or Early Decision to their top schools.Many schools offer the EA and ED options--candidates often don't take advantage of them because they don't really understand them, but … [Read more...]
Over 30 and Applying to Law School?
This comes from special guest, Ann Levine. Ann is the former Director of Admissions for two ABA-approved law schools and the author of the bestselling law school admission guide The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert. Since starting Law School Expert in 2004, Ann has personally helped over 2,000 law school applicants, providing supportive and candid law school admission coaching.Some of my favorite clients to work with are those … [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...]
Reasons to Become a Judicial Law Clerk after Law School
While an increasing number of attorneys are taking clerkships after a few years in practice, the traditional model has been for law students to apply for clerkships beginning at various points in their law school careers. The last decade has seen considerable flux in this area. Many federal judges banded together to establish a unified law clerk hiring plan and then abandoned the system. The turbulence in the clerkship application process is … [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...]