Today we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible Course! This is the first step in what will become a full-fledged LSAT Bibles Course encompassing all three of our best-selling books. Let’s take a look at what this new course includes as well as our plans for the future.The New Course: Complete LR Mastery The new course is built around our well-known Logical Reasoning Bible. We have taken the content in … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 87: The PowerScore LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible Course Launch
Episode 87 is a slight departure from the typical topics of LSAT concepts, test reviews, and admissions advice, as Dave and Jon turn their attention to the latest addition to the PowerScore lineup: the Logical Reasoning Bible Course! Tune in to learn all about this invaluable new prep tool, from what it is and who it’s for to how you can most effectively utilize it to master Logical Reasoning. Whether you’re just starting out or nearing the end … [Read more...]
Should You Work Backwards in Logical Reasoning?
Students often ask if working backwards in Logical Reasoning might be the way to go. After all, the reasoning goes, the hardest questions are typically towards the end of the section. So, if you tackle them early on, you will have more time to get them right without rushing. As you progress through the section, you will have less and less time left, but the questions will (presumably) get easier, so you have a higher chance of getting them … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 86: The June 2021 LSAT-Flex Review – We Make History, Again
Jon and Dave bid farewell to the last-ever LSAT-Flex with a bittersweet sendoff: the short format will be sorely missed, but celebrations also abound, as they correctly predicted the exact LSAT given to the majority of June test takers! Join them as they discuss all of the test forms used—domestic and international—concluding with an analysis of each section’s difficulty and a scale calculation for every unique combination. … [Read more...]
Official Scoring Scale for the New LSAT
When LSAC added sections from the May 2020 LSAT-Flex administration to their Prep Plus package, it allowed us to see exactly how they score a Flex test. Although the Flex version of the test is no longer with us, this data is still relevant to the new LSAT. Let’s take a look at LSAC’s official scoring scale for the May 2020 Flex test:*** There is no raw score that will produce this scaled score for this form. Note: This scoring scale is … [Read more...]
Certainty vs. Uncertainty in Logic Games
We focus a tremendous amount of time and attention in our courses and books emphasizing the importance of inference making in Games; determining the truths of the relationships between variable sets. In making inferences, what we’re really focused on is establishing notions of what I’ll refer to here as positive and negative certainty. That is, determining what must occur in an absolute (consistent) sense, and what cannot occur in an absolute … [Read more...]
Canadian Law School Application Deadlines and Latest LSAT Score Allowed
Planning to attend law school in Canada? You may be thinking about which LSAT to take and wondering whether the January or February LSATs are too late. Schools in the US often accept scores from tests as late as July and application deadlines extend into the summer. But that is not the case in Canada.The majority of the 24 law schools in Canada list January as the latest LSAT they will accept. Application deadlines are generally in November … [Read more...]
Controlling Test Day Anxiety, NASA Style
A number of years ago I listened to the National Public Radio (NPR) podcast Fresh Air. They had a fascinating interview with a Canadian astronaut, Col. Chris Hadfield, who was promoting the release of his book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. Col. Hadfield is an interesting guy. From his Facebook description, he was "the first Canadian to walk in space and the first Canadian to command the international space station." Col. Hadfield's … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 85: Causal Reasoning Part II – Causality and Question Types
Wrapping up their comprehensive coverage of LSAT causality, Dave and Jon move from conceptual discussions of causation to an application-focused look at how causal reasoning is treated in the test’s various LR question types. Specifically, you’ll hear them address what to look for and how to best respond to causality in every context—from Weaken to Strengthen to Flaw and more—before touching on advanced cause and effect constructions, ensuring … [Read more...]
Logic Game Types and Frequency of Appearance
Anyone preparing for the LSAT is well aware of the unique difficulty presented by the Logic Games section. What is occasionally overlooked is that certain concepts are far more critical to success than others. That is, specific game types and ideas routinely appear and regularly serve as the basis for the entire section. Other outlier notions are tested so infrequently that they deserve far less attention.Basic Game Types & Frequency of … [Read more...]
Should You Cancel a Potentially Lower LSAT Score?
There's a common situation that pops up for test-takers after taking their second or third LSAT. After the exam, feelings of doubt creep in. "Should I cancel my score? It might be lower than a previous attempt! That would look bad on my application! What should I do?" It's a question that pops up a lot on our LSAT Forum and it's definitely worth addressing. Both Dave Killoran and Jon Denning have weighed in the debate countless times, so here's a … [Read more...]
Ignoring a Possibility vs. Making an Assumption: What’s the Difference?
If you're taking the LSAT, you'll encounter Flaw questions in the Logical Reasoning section. Students commonly struggle with determining how the author talks about a stimulus. Specifically, when reading and analyzing a stimulus, how do you determine whether the author has ignored a possibility or has made an assumption? What clues within the stimulus and/or what reading strategies help differentiate these two author approaches in … [Read more...]
Should I Take the LSAT “Cold?”
All too often we hear about students that took the LSAT “cold,” meaning without studying. It’s not uncommon for some students to believe they don’t have to study, especially if they’ve proven they can test well. Another common reason students do this is to get a feel for a “real” LSAT without preparing. In both cases, the LSAT often delivers a harsh reality. You need to study for this exam to really do well. Of course, there are exceptions, … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 84: Causal Reasoning Part I – The Nature of Basic LSAT Causality
After several months of LSAT-Flex reviews and admissions cycle analysis, Jon and Dave are getting back to basics with a conceptual overview of causal reasoning. In this episode they examine precisely how LSAT causality operates, the central assumption that makes it so vulnerable, common points of confusion including correlations and conditionality, and the key distinctions between causation in premises and conclusions. If you’re looking for a … [Read more...]