Episode 44 heralds enormous news from LSAC, as they launch a brand new digital test access subscription service, and Dave and Jon are here to tell you all about it. Tune in to learn not only what you pay to receive official content, but also what that content includes and how to best use it in your ongoing prep! … [Read more...]
Quantity or Quality?: A 2-Week Study Decision
So, your LSAT is fast approaching. Now, more than ever, you’re more eager to maximize the value of their remaining study time. That’s exactly what I’m here to discuss. How do you, with only two weeks and a mountain of materials, get the most out of the days ahead. Last Minute Game Plan There is a key to effective practice, particularly with time constraints. Recognize that the volume of work is less important than the insights that work can provide. You don’t need to go through everything in your arsenal to prepare, just focus on the most important pieces. The truth is, any time I elaborate … [Read more...]
The Secrets of Mindfulness Meditation (Your Local Monk Never Told You About)
This blog is brought to you by a special guest, Lauren Hartfiel. This post is about mindfulness meditation: what it is, how to do it, and its scientifically-proven benefits that may help improve your LSAT performance. Buddhist monks have used mindfulness meditation for over 2,600 years in an effort to achieve self-enlightenment. However, in the past few decades scientific research has shown that its beneficial effects go beyond spiritual progression. Most current scientific research is based on the practice of secular meditation, which is our focus here in regard to LSAT preparation and … [Read more...]
Taking the LSAT? Here are Blog Posts You Should Bookmark
With the LSAT looming over you and everyone and their mother is offering you their tips, most everyone (we hope) means well. Sleep more! Study more! Worry less! Eat well! Exercise! etc. While we hope that our Blog is a reasonable voice in this cacophony of wisdom, there is no question that receiving just the right advice, and at the right time, is not always easy. (OK, it's a little easier if you pay for it).Especially if your LSAT test is right around the corner, now, more than ever, you want the advice you receive to be on point. To that end, below you will find a list of our most … [Read more...]
The PowerScore 2019 LSAT Bibles: Changes and Updates
Every year I make revisions and updates to the LSAT Bibles, and there are several different reasons for that. First, at least three new LSATs are released each year, and I make changes to account for new wrinkles used by the test makers. Second, I talk with many different LSAT students and also teach various sessions throughout the year, and the feedback I receive helps me shape and improve parts of each book. Finally, as I discussed previously, the books have changed so much over time that providing new versions each year helps students know they are getting the most up-to-date information … [Read more...]
What to Do if You Run Out of LSAT Practice Materials
A common question pops up around LSAT crunch time. "How do I prepare for the test if I've burned through all of my practice material?" There are three key steps I'd take between now and test day so you can still maximize the remaining prep time that you have. Review Review, over and over, anything and everything that's given you the slightest bit of trouble the past several months. A lot of people underestimate or even entirely ignore the value of a form of "muscle memory" for a test like this. Doing challenging things perfectly enough times can make you not just intuitive, but … [Read more...]
LSAC Announces the Digital LSAT Launch Schedule for 2019
Back in May 2017, LSAC began testing a digital version of the LSAT in select cities for limited applicants. Students were able to take a free-of-charge, tablet-based LSAT in what LSAC labeled a "Digital Pilot Test," where the test makers could gather data and collect feedback in the final stages of their transition from a paper to a tablet format. The question on everyone's mind ever since has naturally been, "So when will a Digital LSAT become reality?," and up until today no one had a clear answer.Now we do.LSAC announced this morning that they will begin transitioning to a digital … [Read more...]
The Digital LSAT is Coming!
A few years ago I wrote a two-part article on "The Future of the LSAT," in which I examined the exam's history (Part 1) and speculated on what I believe could represent its future (Part 2). In discussing what the LSAT-of-tomorrow might entail, I noted, with some confidence, that the test makers would almost certainly begin exploring a computerized version of the test before long. Specifically, I wrote: "Just as LSAC is mindful of its test taking audience, so too is it aware of the other exams catering to its demographic. In particular the GRE, GMAT, and, to a lesser extent, MCAT. And what … [Read more...]
Creating an LSAT Study Bible
If you take our LSAT course, you learn the importance of accurately identifying every element you encounter on the test. In Logical Reasoning questions it might be Assumption or Flaw or underlying conceptual ideas like Causality and Formal Logic. Within a Game, constructs like Grouping and Advanced Linear may be apparent. You must be able to distinguish them consistently from one another so you can be certain your plan of attack is the best one!It should come as no surprise that we devote plenty of class time and course text to examining these elements. First, we explain how each piece … [Read more...]
Goal-Setting for LSAT Success
There has been much discussion on this blog concerning the state of flux we find ourselves in with respect to the number of LSAT administrations and law school applications. After five years of declining numbers (2010-2015) followed by two years of anemic growth (2015-2017), LSAT administrations are up significantly throughout the 2017-2018 cycle. Following another big test in February, total administered LSAT’s were up 18.1% over last year. That’s the largest year over year jump since 2001-2002.This numerical explosion is even more shocking considering the head winds blowing against these … [Read more...]
What Does -9, -10, -11, -12 Mean When Talking About the LSAT Curve
The shorthand reference of -8 to -14 refers to the number of questions you can miss to obtain a 170 on the LSAT. It's also a reflection of test difficulty. Harder LSATs allow you to miss more questions whereas easier exams require you to miss fewer questions.After every LSAT, there is a discussion of the relative difficulty of the test. You often hear numbers such as -10 or -12 thrown around as indicators of the LSAT scale. Simply, it refers to how many questions you can miss to score a 170. Historically, LSATs allow test-takers to miss anywhere between 8 and 14 questions to receive a 170. … [Read more...]
The PowerScore 2018 LSAT Bibles: Changes and Updates
Each year I make revisions and updates to the LSAT Bibles, and there are several different reasons for that. First, at least three new LSATs are released each year, and I like to make changes to some of the content to account for new directions taken by the test makers. Second, I talk with many different LSAT students and also teach various sessions throughout the year, and the feedback I receive helps me shape and improve parts of each book. And, finally, as I discussed last year, the books have changed so much over time that providing new versions each year helps students know they are … [Read more...]
Choosing a Prep Course After Reading the PowerScore Bibles
Which prep course should you take after reading the PowerScore LSAT Bibles? This is a fantastic question that we get frequently, and in today's LSAT Forum Post of the Day, LSAT expert Nikki Siclunov offers some tips to a student on how to find the best course fit for you. Here's a quick preview. But be sure to check out the full thread to read the entire explanation our team provided:The Forum posts selected for this series are chosen because they have a universal quality to them. In other words, we’ve selected posts that contain information that can be used by test takers of any … [Read more...]
You Can’t Argue with the LSAT
Over on the PowerScore LSAT Discussion Forum I've been talking to several students (both publicly and privately) about their LSAT performance. These are students who are either looking for big score increases (20+ points), or that are a little bit stuck with their scores, and who are looking to get back on the score increase train. In talking to these students, one of the age old problems for LSAT takers keeps coming up. What's that problem? That you can't argue with the LSAT and win.On the face of it, it sounds like an odd problem. Who argues with the LSAT? It's just a paper test. Well, … [Read more...]