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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
Diagramming on the LSAT Part II – Notation Suggestions
In the first part of this series, I address LSAT diagramming and how to better determine its usefulness for you. Essentially, I suggest that diagramming is an investment of your time and rhythm. In order for that investment to be worthwhile, it needs to pay dividends in terms of two things:Gaining you more time than it took as you continue on. Like a prephrase, where you can more aggressively/efficiently sort through the answers. Leading … [Read more...]
Diagramming on the LSAT Part I: Is It Worth It?
When time is running out, students face a critical dilemma. It's one that I feel is important to briefly address as it is one of the most common elements that students find slows them down: diagramming. Make Sure It's Worth Your Time Here's the thing. Any time you find yourself stopping to make notations, for a passage, game, or stimulus, you're using valuable time. Theoretically, that time may be better spent. Maybe by continuing to … [Read more...]
The Importance of Cutting Through the Bullsh*t on the LSAT
With the notable exception of Logic Games, the LSAT is full of confusing, redundant information. Unfortunately, every single Reading Comprehension passage will contain needlessly complex details. These details often combine with unfamiliar jargon and forays into minutiae that detract from the main point of the passage and obscure the purpose. Reading Comprehension boils down to two primary objectives: read and comprehend (duh!). The thing is, … [Read more...]