Do you spend too much time reading? Fail to absorb enough information about the structure of the passage? Or is it that you go too slowly in the questions? Dave and Jon explore these common problems and teach you how to overcome them. They also showcase how to make this often-loathed section actually fun. Below is the recording for a webinar from Dave Killoran and Jon Denning on the best way to analyze your strengths and weaknesses in Reading Comp!Additional Reading Comp ResourcesKiller RC: The Hardest LSAT Reading Comprehension Passages of All Time RC a Total Drag? Find a Study … [Read more...]
Digital LSAT Question Collections Now Available!
When the digital format of the LSAT was introduced in July, we knew that students would need new preparation tools for this massive change. So, in June we introduced our Digital Platform. This allowed our students to study with the same tools and interface the actual test uses. Earlier this fall we opened up that interface to all students and gave them the opportunity to work with the interface by buying full tests or individual sections. Now, in response to students who want to do question type specific studying, we are adding the full contents of our well-known LSAT Type Training books. … [Read more...]
Killer RC: The Hardest LSAT Reading Comprehension Passages of All Time
Students studying Reading Comprehension passages often want to see the hardest passages in LSAT history. To that end, here is a list of the hardest Reading Comprehension passages of all time, in chronological order. It is accompanied by our at-times jesting commentary. Although we can no longer offer direct downloads of the games due to LSAC rules, this publication identifier link will tell you where to find them. Want to try them all? We've compiled them into a Digital Practice Set. PT2, October 1991, Passage #3: Waterbugs This was the first “hard science” passage ever to appear on the … [Read more...]
Reading Comprehension a Total Drag? Find a Study Buddy!
The LSAT can be a daunting experience for anyone starting out their preparation. And one particular area that a number of students will struggle with is the Reading Comprehension section. After all, most people taking this test are collegiate-level students who are initially confident in their abilities as readers. As such, they should be regular perusers of periodicals such as The Economist, Scientific American, The New Yorker and National Geographic. During their LSAT preparations, they should continue of course to read for pleasure (with a more critical eye) as we have advised here before. … [Read more...]
Note-Taking Reading Comprehension: Mark Up Your Map
Taking notes on Reading Comp passages can be a challenge for many students, especially because RC on the LSAT is so unlike RC on other standardized tests. Most students either forego note-taking altogether in favor of trying to “just get it,” or else they go crazy underlining everything they think might be important somehow.Neither of these strategies lends itself to the evidence-based approach you should be taking to answering the questions. Instead, what you need is a roadmap.Imagine that you are flying to a small town that you have never visited before. You’re going for a job … [Read more...]
Logical Reasoning in the Reading Comprehension Section
A student recently wrote in to ask about the relationship between Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension on the LSAT, and more specifically whether he should be looking to apply the lessons from the Logical Reasoning Bible to the Reading Comp section of the test. This is an interesting question, and one that I’ve heard before from students seeking to clarify the relationship and distinctions between the various sections of the test.The answer is Yes, because when an author makes an argument, it will be comprised of the components discussed in the Logical Reasoning Bible—a conclusion, … [Read more...]
What to Do if Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension Scores are Regressing?
Today's LSAT Forum Post of the Day is a response to a student who began experiencing score regressions in both the Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension sections after studying for a few months. Our instructors David Boyle and Nikki Siclunov help diagnose what could be causing the regression and offer advice on how to move forward with their prep leading up to test day.Here's a quick preview. Make sure to check out the full thread to read the entire explanation David and Nikki provided to this student:The Forum posts selected for this series are chosen because they have a … [Read more...]
Multiple Subjects and Varied Viewed Points on the Reading Comprehension Section
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of reading an LSAT Reading Comprehension section, you may have noticed that the passages are not necessarily intended to delight and amuse. Even if you are an avid reader, they can be very challenging, because the passages are not written or chosen for clarity. Unlike newspapers and magazines, whose writers do their best to be clear and direct, the makers of the LSAT aren’t trying to sell you their passages— because you will be a part of their captive audience either way.The test makers have found several ways to make LSAT reading passages difficult. They … [Read more...]
Approaching Reading Comprehension Sections Strategically
Approaching the LSAT Strategically Series: Part I, Part II, Part III There is a fundamental truth about test takers when it comes to the LSAT: everyone is different. That is, everyone who sits down with this exam will have unique strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and ultimately, ways they can optimize their performance in every section. While that certainly affects how it is that people prepare, I think it also dictates how test takers should behave during the actual test. In this three-part blog series, we will look at each of the section types on the LSAT and consider exactly … [Read more...]
Staying Focused During Reading Comprehension
Do you have trouble staying focused in Reading Comprehension? It's the one section on the test that is notoriously difficult to improve on. In this Forum post, our resident LSAT expert and content developer Nikki Siclunov discusses strategies for staying actively engaged with the text. If you've ever "zoned out" in RC, this post is for you.Here's a quick preview. Make sure to check out the full thread to read the entire explanation Nikki provided to this student:The Forum posts selected for this series are chosen because they have a universal quality to them. In other words, we’ve … [Read more...]
How to Guess Like a Pro on the LSAT Part III: Reading Comprehension
(To learn more about guessing on the Logic Games section, check out Part I of this blog series. For guessing strategies on the Logical Reasoning section, read Part II. )If you're going to be guessing on any LSAT questions, it will probably be on Reading Comprehension questions. Why? Because there are more questions in the Reading Comprehension section (27-28) than in any other section of the test. Moreover, it's no secret that the complexity of the passages you will be dealing with has increased over the years, with some of the latest RC sections bordering on brutal.While there is no … [Read more...]
Main Point Questions on the LSAT
If you've ever taken a practice LSAT, you've seen at least a few Main Point questions; they often accompany Reading Comprehension passages, and they appear in the Logical Reasoning sections of the test as well. Regardless of the context, the ability to recognize an author's main point is a crucial part of understanding any stimulus or passage, and the right approach is vital if you want to attack Main Point questions effectively and efficiently.All of our books on the LSAT, as well as our courses, deal with the concept of prephrasing. After reading any given question, you should seek to … [Read more...]
Passage Diagramming and Notation on the Reading Comprehension Section
Diagramming and notation can play a vital role in a strong performance on the Reading Comprehension section of the LSAT, but the ideal approach to effectively breaking down the passages can be different for each student. Unlike Logic Games, each of which is generally conducive to the creation of an objectively optimal diagram, effective for students across the board, when it comes to Reading Comprehension passages there is no single best way to diagram or notate. There are, however, several diagramming options from which to choose.Basic Underlining: this is the simplest, most common … [Read more...]
Reading Comprehension on the LSAT: Overload by Design
The LSAT's Reading Comprehension passages are typically dense and convoluted. Clearly, they're not designed for lazy summer beach reading. But what is the reason behind the design?When we read a passage, we're performing several mental processes all at once. For example, as we read a sentence, we identify individual words and combine them into phrases and sentences. An experienced and skilled reader, such as a law school applicant, typically can recognize these words and obtain the explicit meaning of the text without allocating significant mental resources to the task, making it … [Read more...]