5 Tips for Conquering the LSAT

By Danni White on January 29, 2017

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For many students, when we hear the words ‘test’ or ‘exam,’ our palms begin to sweat and we relive in our minds all the times we got especially nervous when test day was announced. While tests come with a reasonable level or pressure, there is no reason to fear. The LSAT, like the GRE, GMAT, or MCAT, is entirely learnable.

If you’re a pre-law or criminal justice student looking to become a lawyer or state or district attorney, the importance of the LSAT score cannot be overstated. While recommendation letters, statements of purpose, and work experience all play a critical role, your GPA and LSAT scores will be what separates the wheat from the chaff.

Since all students prepare for exams in different ways, you will need to decide what works best for you. Then, you’ll need to develop a plan that suits your learning ability, speed, and time so you can prepare in the best way possible. [A small note here: my little sister is a pre-law student and is preparing to take the LSAT later this year. When I told her about how much it’s needed to get into law school, she gave me that oh-goodness-here-comes-another-test look.]

So I hope these tips will be beneficial to her and to you:

1. Know what’s going to be on the test.

I hate when teachers announce a test but leave out the contents of the test. The LSAT tells you what to expect. The test contains five sections of multiple-choice questions of which you will have 35-minutes per section. Four of the five sections will contribute to your final score; the fifth section is an unscored variable typically used to analyze new test questions.

The sections include one Reading Comprehension section, one Analytical Reasoning section, and two Logical Reasoning sections. It is best to strive to do well on all five sections because the unsecured section is not made known until you receive the score at the end of the test.

An unscored writing sample lasting 35-minutes is also given at the end of the test. This sample is sent to all law schools that you apply to according to the Law School Admission Council.

2. Develop a study plan.

You can choose to study in one of three ways or with a combination of these ways.

First, you can study on your own. You will need to obtain the LSAT practice exam book, flashcards, online practice tests (over 70 are available according to Nathan Fox) or any other available study material and develop a set time to study at least three to six months ahead of your testing date.

Second, you can choose to study with a friend who is also going to take the test. This will help to solidify your comprehension and give you someone who you can bounce off questions and discussions. There are strengths to studying together, but make sure you help yourself.

Third, you can opt to hire a LSAT tutor. If you learn best in a teacher-pupil form where there is someone there with you either at a physical location or online, then you might want to invest some time and money in finding a knowledgeable tutor.

3. Keep your mind in LSAT mode.

Oftentimes, college students let test preparation for regular semester classes wait until the last minute. They cram on weekends or late into the night the day before the test. Aspiring law students who want to take the LSAT exam do the same thing. But you shouldn’t.

Princeton Review’s national content director for the LSAT program, Andrew Brody, compares preparing for the test to preparing for a marathon. He said the following.

“You wouldn’t run a marathon every day to train for a marathon. But you also wouldn’t do nothing all week and then run miles and miles on the weekend. You do a little bit of focused work [every day] to keep yourself in shape with occasional long runs — or practice tests — mixed in.”

4. Practice. Practice. Practice. Then analyze.

You’ve gone through seemingly endless courses on criminal law, legal methods, torts, and legal writing and research. Surely, by now, you’ve learned everything that could be learned about the law. But nothing could be further from the truth. Tests are formatted differently. Questions are framed to make sure you think.

Because of the unfamiliar nature of many questions on the LSAT, you must not only practice but also sharpen your critical thinking and analytical skills. The LSAT doesn’t test content; it tests your ability to tackle difficult theories and texts, think about all sides of a case or argument, and then present your ideas in a concise, logical manner.

In your practice tests, don’t just look at your correct answers and final score. Take a minute to go over the questions you missed or didn’t get right and try to correct your line of thinking based on the question.

5. Timing is everything.

After a couple weeks of taking practice tests at your leisure, begin taking tests under the 35-minute time limit that you will have on the real test. Set a clock or timer for 35 minutes before beginning a new section and see how many questions you can answer in that time.

Tests are challenging just by their nature but with time pressing down on you, it can make you nervous and even anxious. Get comfortable working in a timed condition. Pace yourself per question so you can answer all questions in the time frame given.

Even though you know how important the LSAT is to get into law school, try to breathe and relax before you enter the test room on test day. Everyone in the room will be traveling the same journey you are so you’re not alone. If you study hard and use these tips, you will increase your chances of scoring high on the LSAT and getting into your dream law school.

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