Practice tests should be a part of your study routine, you may even have a few of them under your belt. If you haven't incorporated PTs, start including them! But, let's assume you've taken several by now, all under test-day conditions. You probably know how imperative it is to take and review them correctly. If not, you can find more information on how to do that on this blog post. Obviously, not all of your PTs will go well and it is important … [Read more...]
Search Results for: conditional reasoning
Welcome to the LSAT Casino
When talking about the LSAT, and particularly when examining test results, I like to analogize the LSAT to a casino. Yes, there is the chance that you can go into the test and lose your shirt score-wise. However, what I'm really referring to is the somewhat random nature of the questions you encounter on the LSAT and how that can dramatically affect test takers. The Test is a Gamble The LSAT is a standardized test. While that means certain … [Read more...]
How to Increase Your LSAT Score When You Are Stuck
I'll begin this blog with a confession. The vast majority of the text below is not my own, but rather has been taken (with encouragement) from a post Dave Killoran wrote on our LSAT Forum. The advice is too good and too endlessly relevant not to share, so I'm reusing it here to ensure it reaches the widest audience possible. Specifically, Dave went to great lengths to explore and explain two of the most common concerns plaguing test takers. … [Read more...]
Retaking the LSAT? What to Do Differently to Raise Your Score
Note: we talk in detail about retaking the LSAT on the PowerScore LSAT PodCast, in episodes 2 and 3. Access those episodes here on iTunes. Previously, I covered who should retake the LSAT. In this post, I'm covering how to properly prepare for your retake. First, I'm going to presume that the last time you did a fairly decent job of preparing. That is, you worked through a course or some self-study guides and you took a fair number of practice … [Read more...]
How Can I Tell if the LSAT Book I Bought is Any Good?
A lot of students ask us what makes for a good LSAT studying book. While we're naturally keen on our own publications, here are some quick ways to tell if the book you are using is useless, out of date, or written by someone without a true understanding of the LSAT. General Points The book uses simulated LSAT questions. Real questions are available from LSAC (producers of the test) for a fee. A book uses real LSAT questions only if the … [Read more...]
1 Month to Prepare for the LSAT? Here’s Your Study Plan!
Assuming you aren’t taking a prep course, but are familiar with the PowerScore LSAT Bibles, the plan below should keep you on track for the test. This also presumes you can allow for 20-25 hrs of LSAT studying each week. Thing To Do Now Register to take the LSAT. Most registration deadlines have already passed, but you may have one last chance to meet the late registration deadline. Obtain at least 8 practice tests released no earlier … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT? Here Are Blog Posts You Should Bookmark
With the LSAT looming over you and everyone and their mother is offering you their tips, most everyone (we hope) means well. Sleep more! Study more! Worry less! Eat well! Exercise! etc. While we hope that our Blog is a reasonable voice in this cacophony of wisdom, there is no question that receiving just the right advice, and at the right time, is not always easy. (OK, it's a little easier if you pay for it). Especially if your LSAT test is … [Read more...]
Good News! You Just Bombed Your LSAT Practice Test
If your LSAT is just around the corner, you’re likely taking practice tests regularly in preparation. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, you score 5 points lower than your last one. What? You just bombed your LSAT PT. But why? You are, understandably, freaked out. You call your best friend, your shrink, your tutor—all the same person if you're lucky! Then you ask the crucial question: should you postpone your LSAT? Turns out, there is nothing … [Read more...]
Are You There, Test Taker? It’s Me, the LSAT
A great way to learn about what's important to someone is to see how they spend limited resources. This is just as true about the LSAT test-makers as anyone else. But we're so accustomed to answering the questions they ask us. We don't stop to listen to what they have to say about the test. The Purpose of the LSAT We know that LSAC puts a lot of time and money into creating each test. Those are limited resources. It's reasonable, then, for us … [Read more...]
6-Week Study Plan for the LSAT
Did you realize that there are less than six weeks left until the next LSAT? If you are planning to take this test, you should definitely start thinking about a study plan if you haven't done so already. Six weeks is a bit on the shorter side as far as study plans go, but it’s doable provided you can devote at least 15-20 hours/week towards LSAT prep. Be realistic – if you are a full-time student or work full time, chances are you cannot spend … [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...]
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...]
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...]
Combining the PowerScore LSAT Bibles for Self-Study
Students who buy multiple PowerScore LSAT Bibles often ask if there is some special way they should be combined during study to produce optimal results. Although each LSAT Bible is designed to stand as an independent entity, there are steps that can optimize your overall absorption of the material. Start with Your Struggles Start by reading the LSAT Bible that covers the section that concerns you most. You should always begin by attacking any … [Read more...]