When you're working your way through the LSAT, it's easy to get caught up in a difficult question and he test-makers know this. That is why they don't present questions in order of difficulty. It is true that the first question on an LR section is generally more straightforward than the last, but there is quite a bit of variety in the middle. Even if the test makers did want to put the questions in order of difficulty, everyone has a different set of strengths and weaknesses.All of this is to say, the questions that are most challenging for you will show up in random places in a section. … [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 NowRegister 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 than 2005, other than the ones you’ve already taken. Having a hard time figuring out which tests are which? Check out our Comprehensive Law Services … [Read more...]
8 Weeks to the LSAT: What You Need to Know
With about eight weeks until an official LSAT administration, test day is right around the corner. In fact, it'll be here before you know it. Don't panic! I'm not here to freak you out. In fact, I'm here to help.Below you'll find a list of resources, links, and general suggestions, all designed to help you make the most of your final two months, and finish--or, as may be the case, start--strong!First things first, you'll want to make sure you're registered for the exam. Don't delay! Go to LSAC's registration page here and sign up.Now that you're registered, the next seven to … [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 every waking hour doing Logic Games or Logical Reasoning questions. Nor should you have to; although the number of hours you spend training is surely … [Read more...]
6 Weeks Until the LSAT: What You Need to Know
With about six weeks (yes, this is a little early) until the next official LSAT administration on October 3rd, 2015, you're in the home stretch. Don't panic! I'm not here to freak you out. In fact, I'm here to help. Below you'll find a list of resources, links, and general suggestions, all designed to help you make the most of your final month-plus, and finish--or, dare I say it, even start--strong! First things first, you'll want to make sure you're registered for the October exam. Regular registration ends on August 28th, so you've still got a little time. But don't delay! Go to LSAC's … [Read more...]
Get a Grip on your LSAT Prep
It's fair to say that we generally think of friction as a negative thing. And that's basically an accurate view in the context of personal and societal relationships. But friction can also be very useful -- even necessary -- in other settings. In this post, I'd like to talk about how you can adapt the concept of friction to gain traction in your LSAT preparation and accelerate past the plateau you currently call home.If you need a bit of primer about friction, let me start you off easy. Or, better yet, let science.howstuffworks.com start you off easy: Friction, the … [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—and have the grades and plenty of other evidence to prove it—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 that may not necessarily have been fully developed in high school or college, even by … [Read more...]
PowerScore LSAT Self-Study Tools
Are you planning on self-studying for the LSAT? Then we have a sweet set of tools for you, and the best news of all is that they are absolutely free! While we have long provided additional study support via our Free LSAT Help Area, these new tools are very focused and powerful, and are designed specifically for self-studiers. So, what do we have for you? Let's take a look:First, we have released a set of new, extremely comprehensive self-study plans based on our famous LSAT Bibles. These plans, which encompass 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, and 6 month horizons, lay out the optimal study approach each … [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 question that you answered without confidence, whether you got it right or not. We've written extensively on this topic over the years, and you should … [Read more...]
Combining the PowerScore LSAT Bibles for Self-Study
Students who buy two or three of the 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 a few pieces of information that can help optimize your overall absorption of the material: 1. Start by reading the LSAT Bible that covers the section that concerns you most. You should always begin by attacking any perceived weakness that you have. For example, if you are concerned about Logic Games, begin by reading the LSAT Logic Games Bible. If … [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 prep tests and sections here. General Thoughts Studying for the LSAT is about consistency and diligence. This is not a test you can cram for, so … [Read more...]
Do You Really Need to Do All 7,000 Practice Test Questions?
When the October 2013 LSAT was released, it was called PrepTest 70. In other words, there are 70 licensed LSAT's, containing 7,000 questions for you to use in the course of your LSAT prep. Sounds daunting? It is, if only because you know someone who is doing all 7,000 questions (and complaining they aren't enough).To put this in perspective, hundreds of test-takers have managed to get a top-1% score without doing anything near 7,000 questions. Despite minor variations in question composition or type of reasoning used on the LSAT, the test doesn't change much year after year. The key is to … [Read more...]
Two Weeks to the LSAT? Here’s How to Study
So the LSAT is in exactly 14 days. That may not sound like a lot of time--and if you're just getting started you've certainly got your work cut out for you--but I think you'll be surprised at just how much progress you can make in two weeks with the right approach.So let's talk a bit about exactly how to maximize the value of the days ahead. In short, how, with only two weeks and likely a mountain of materials, to get the most out of the hours remaining to you.The key to effective practice, particularly with the type of time constraints mentioned, is recognizing that the volume of work … [Read more...]
Timing Strategy: Quit While the Quitting’s Good
Our inspiration for this post comes from an exceptional episode of Freakonomics Radio that counters a prevailing norm that quitting is somehow nearly always bad. The episode, The Upside of Quitting, centers on the efficiency you gain by knowing when to quit. The anti-quitting bias is one that we all tend to carry with us into the LSAT. Just like most real-world experiences we bring to the test, this bias can hurt us. Knowing when to avoid or retreat from a question is a valuable skill that can make a huge difference. It may be the difference between your first-choice school and your second. In … [Read more...]