I recently had the great pleasure of teaching our free Causal Reasoning Secrets seminar, which is always a lot of fun. Getting into the spirit of things, I searched federal case law for opinions focusing on causal reasoning and found a doozy in Claar v. Burlington Northern R. Co., 29 F.3d 499 (C.A.9 (Mont.), 1994). Claar v. Burlington Northern R. Co. Twenty-seven employees brought a suit against the Burlington Northern Railroad Company. They … [Read more...]
Studying GMAT Critical Reasoning? Consider Using LSAT LR Questions
Those of you who follow the PowerScore blog know that I most frequently write about the LSAT and law school related topics. However, PowerScore also offers GMAT books, so I spend time in the GMAT world as well. If you've ever studied the GMAT, you know that both the Critical Reasoning (CR) and Reading Comprehension (RC) sections of that test are very similar to the LSAT Logical Reasoning (LR) and Reading Comprehension sections. But whereas the … [Read more...]
Time Running Out in LSAT Reading Comprehension
When considering another post on our blog, Mind-Wandering, Mindfulness, and Reading Comprehension, some other RC concerns we hear from students come to mind. How do I approach the final passage when I'm running out of time? What is the best strategy for attacking a passage with only 3-5 minutes remaining in the section?Considering that the typical test taker needs 9-10+ minutes to get through a passage and its questions, this scenario is … [Read more...]
6 Key Tips to Help You Score Better Than Your Classmates
There is little doubt that prep courses give you the most bang for your buck, and it's no surprise that they are an extremely popular way of preparing to take the LSAT. According to LSAC's own research report, students who use official LSAC test-preparation materials (i.e. PrepTests), non-LSAC books (such as the Bible Trilogy) and commercial test-prep courses tend to have higher scores than those who did not use such methods. Most students, LSAC … [Read more...]
Curveballs in LSAT Logic Games
. With the release of the June 2014 LSAT, we can take solace in the notion that, although 99.9% of test-takers bombed the last game completely, better days lie ahead. For one thing, missing every single question on that game only brings your score down to 177. This is thanks to the exceptionally generous curve on that test. Why was the curve so generous? See the first sentence above. Here's the funny thing about exceptionally brutal games: they … [Read more...]
Considering an LSAT Retake? Here’s What the Experts Say!
Whenever scores release, we consistently get the same question. Should I retake the LSAT? And that's understandable. Some will receive their scores and know immediately that they need another shot. Others are fortunate enough to not have to take the test ever again. But, a large segment of students will be in the middle. The scores are solid, but not slam-dunk and give a chance at target schools, but do not guarantee admission. This leads to a … [Read more...]
Using the PowerScore LSAT Bibles: 3 Month Self-Study Plan
Students often ask about combining the LSAT Bibles when they are self-studying. You can find a full list of guides for your LSAT timeline on our Self-Study site, but here's an overview of what to do if you have 3 months to study for the LSAT. This plan assumes you have our 3 LSAT Bibles, our first Training Type Series (which includes LSAT PrepTests 1-20), and a plethora of actual LSATs, including some recent exams. You can purchase full digital … [Read more...]
Do You Need to Do Every Released Practice Test Question?
The release of the May 2020 LSAT-Flex means there are now 96 official LSAT PrepTests. That's over 9,000 official LSAT Prep Test questions for you to use in your LSAT prep journey. Does it sound daunting? That's because it is. Yet, some students are still complaining that it's not enough.To put this in perspective, hundreds of test-takers have managed to get a top-1% score without doing anything near that many questions. Despite minor … [Read more...]
Who Should Retake the LSAT?
Whether or not you should retake the LSAT is one of the most common questions we receive. Students want to know if they should and how they should approach it differently for the retake. In this post, we will cover who should retake the LSAT and why. Already know you’re going for a retake? Check out this post on how to properly prepare for a retake. So... Who Should Retake the LSAT? There are several different scenarios that should almost … [Read more...]
Mind-Wandering, Mindfulness, and Reading Comprehension
Struggling to Focus Does your mind drift away while you’re trying to focus on Reading Comprehension? It probably does, sometimes. Apparently, it’s a condition cognitive psychologists call “mind-wandering” – an attention lapse often referred to as engaging in “task unrelated thoughts.” Mind-wandering can be beneficial if your line of work benefits from inspiration and creative problem solving. Unfortunately, these are not among the most critical … [Read more...]
Should I Answer Questions on the LSAT In Order?
Many students don't take much time to consider the order in which they attack the questions on the LSAT, but the right strategic approach can be extremely valuable. For most test-takers, the natural inclination is to do all or most of the questions in order. However, there are quite a few benefits from a slightly more flexible approach to every section of the test.Logic Games Most students start the Logic Games section by diving right into … [Read more...]
Digging into Supreme Court Oral Arguments Part II
Previously, we wrote about the Oyez Project, the online archive of Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decisions, including links to the oral argument in each case. Today we'd like to point out a case that might be of interest to you, Loving v. Virginia. This landmark civil rights decision held that miscegenation statutes (which criminalize interracial marriage) are unconstitutional. This came back into the spotlight in recent years in … [Read more...]
False Arguments Do Not Exist: Language Matters on the LSAT
At the beginning of each class we lay down the ground rules: raise your hand if you want to ask a question, turn off your smart phones, try to pay attention. In addition to that, students aren't allowed to call an argument "false," "wrong," or "stupid." Language matters.Here's why:In logic, we don't speak of arguments as being "true" or "false", nor do we speak of statements as being "valid" or "invalid." We assume that the premises upon … [Read more...]
How to Stay Motivated When Preparing for the LSAT
For most people, preparing for any standardized test can be somewhat stressful. The LSAT is a very challenging test, and in a competitive field, the stakes can be high. For a lot of people, even beginning to prepare can seem daunting. With so much potentially riding on your LSAT performance, here are a few suggestions to get and stay motivated. Commiserate It can be very helpful to know that you don’t have to take on this daunting test alone. … [Read more...]