September 2009 LSAT | Study Schedule | Questions and Answers

LSAT Blog Questions AnswersUpdate: Since the September 2009 LSAT is no longer something people are preparing for (I hope), it now makes the most sense to include a bunch of relevant links for those of you who are coming across this now.

Sample LSAT Study Schedules / Plans
Best LSAT Prep Books

You can see some questions and answers below in the comments.

Photo by lwr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0



20 comments:

  1. Hello!

    I came across your blog by a mere coincidence, and I must say, it has a grip load of the information I was very curious about.

    I was hoping if you could answer a quick question for me concerning the LSAT and law school..

    I'm currently a third year at a public university in California, and I recently decided to pursue a possible career in law. I've signed up for my first practice test which is in less than a week and my question was..

    When do you think is the latest possible date for me to take the LSAT if I am planning on continuing my education in the Fall of 2010? I am very lost as to how my schedule should look right now, whether I should try to cram for the June 2009 test or the September test later this year. My GPA is not miraculous (3.3 raised from a 2.1 my freshman year) so I will be relying heavily on LSATs that I planning on taking once.

    Anyway, a response would be greatly appreciated. I've already signed up for the Facebook group and I've book marked this site so you will have another avid reading starting now.

    Thanks for all your hard work!

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  2. Thank you for commenting. If you have the time to adequately prepare between now and June, take it in June and follow the sample June schedule on the blog.

    Because of rolling admissions, it is ideal for you to take the LSAT no later than June 2009. This will allow you to complete your applications well in advance of the date that admissions officers begin to accept applications.

    However, if you won't have time to adequately prepare for June, it's better to take it in September.

    The latest possible LSAT that most schools accept is December 2009. However, I would not recommend this if you can help it because it's relatively late in the cycle.

    Glad you signed up for the Facebook group and bookmarked the site. I'd also recommend that you subscribe via email (box in the upper-right corner of the screen).

    Take care!

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  3. Hi,
    I am looking at taking the LSAT in September 2009. However, I don't plan on starting to study for it until the start of July, giving me just under 3 months to study for it. Would this be enough? And how would you suggest re-structuring the study schedule you made to fit into a 3 month period rather than 5?

    My schedule allows me to put about 1 hour a day during week days and anywhere up to 3 hours a day on weekends. Any suggestions/comments would be GREATLY appreciated.

    The reason that I won't be starting my studies until July is that I am currently studying for my GMAT for end of June.

    Great website by the way. I really appreciate everything you are doing here!

    Regards,
    Emil

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  4. Hi again,
    I have actually re-thought my strategy and after contacting the school and seeing that the MBA admissions are open for longer and later than the Law admissions, I will be starting my preperation for the September LSAT next week (after Easter weekend). This would give me just over 5 months to study for the LSAT, which I am convinced will give me the time to get a great score on it.

    Do you see as an hour a day on weekdays and 2 to 3 hours a day on weekends as enough to go through your study schedule posted under the JUNE 2009 LSAT thread?

    Thanks again and best regards!
    Emil

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  5. Hi Emil,

    Glad you're enjoying the blog! 1 hr/weekday and 2-3 hrs/weekend day is great to start. As you approach August and September, you should increase the amount you're doing on weekdays, but what you suggest is fine for the next few months.

    -Steve

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  6. Hi,
    I have been following your schedule for my preparation to the September LSAT. I am on week 2, having read the Logic Made Easy book last week and now reviewing my answer for PrepTest 39.

    I have a question when it comes to the timing of the "10 Actual Official LSAT Preptests". I have the book and had initially subbed Week 2, 3 and 4 of Month 4 (review weeks) to do PrepTests 7-18 instead of re-doing PrepTests 29-42. I was wondering whether this was wise or whether it would be better to re-do the 29-42 tests. Basically, when would it be most ideal to do tests 7-18?

    With your schedule, I will have two free (empty) weeks befoe my LSAT date after running through all the study weeks. Do you have any suggestions as to what to do with those 2 weeks?

    Thanks again for this blog and all your advice. I'm only on my 2nd week of studying, but am really enjoying the LSAT and all it's sections. Can't wait to see how my scores improve.

    Regards,
    Emil V.

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  7. Hi Emil,

    Since you have two extra weeks, slow down the overall speed with which you run through months 2-4.

    Break apart PrepTests 7-18 and use them throughout these months to master question-types that give you difficulty.

    -Steve

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  8. Hi,

    Would like advice on a 3 months study plan for Sept 2009 exam, assuming no baseline studying has started yet.

    Thanks much!

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  9. I'll post a 3-month plan this week.

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  10. Hey Steve,

    This is my first post on your blog. Let me just say that your blog is absolutely amazing. I am torn between whether I should still register for the Sept 2009 test or just take the one in Dec. I started studying end of July, though on and off, but picked up pace in August. I've used McGraw Hills LSAT 2010. I Scored 133 on the diagnostic test, then after going through the material in that book, was able to score 158 in the second prep test in that book. I thought it was time to move on to the real LSAT Official tests. After writing just the first test in the 10 More Official LSAT Tests, my score fell down again to 136. Since then I've focused primarily on Logic Games and Logical Reasoning. The problem is that I can never finish any of the sections in time. I can only attempt upto 15-16 logical reasoning questions, finish around 2 logic games (with mistakes), and finish around 3 reading comp. questions. Yesterday I tried your Logic Game on the 7 hindu deities and I just couldn't solve it. As I see it, for logic games, one should be able to set up and deduct whatever is in there, in the first 4-5 minutes and use the last 3:30 to pick the right choices. I know that writing the thing in Dec. may negatively impact my application, that's why I really want to write it in Sept. Is there any hope for me, what do you suggest/recommend I do? Is an LSAT written in 2009 still applicable for applications sent the following year?

    Ali

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  11. Hello,
    I am deliberating canceling my September LSAT score. This decision is based upon a consensus of ideas that I can get about what section may have been experimental? This is the order of my exam:
    Reading Comprehension
    Logical Reasoning
    Reading Comprehension
    Analytical Reasoning
    Logical Reasoning.
    This is what I know:
    I know that it was section 1 or 3. I also know that people have a different experimental section and that it is in a different order. However, everyone has the same "counted" sections.
    The first reading comprehension that I did, I feel like I did pretty well on. The third section, or second reading comprehension, I did poorly on because I was stuck on two passages and my fatigue prevented me from moving on. Therefore, I KNOW that I missed TWO FULL passages of the section, not including the questions that I may have gotten wrong on the other two passages.
    All that I remember about the passage that I did poorly on was that the third passage was about intellectual property rights and "tangible-object theory" and another passage in that section was about comparing two different articles concerning the relaxation and cognitive effects that music has on humans.
    Please tell me that this was not on everyone else's and that this was the experimental section?!?! I mean, how can they seriously put 3 reading-intensive sections in a row and expect someone to do well?!
    I'm so lost on what I should do b/c I am in the process of applying right now and I have to go to law school by August next year so the deadline is approaching. Furthermore, I still have not gotten, or even asked, for letters of recommendation so I need to do that and finish getting transcripts sent out to LSAC - hopefully next week. But with all this, plus finals in December, and the fact that I work full time and am in school full time, I just don't honestly know if I can do well on the December LSAT and risk being late anyways. :(
    Please let me know ANY suggestions and what section ya'll thought was experimental?
    Thank you so much!

    Danielle

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  12. Danielle, I took the LSAT today as well. But my experimental section was one of the Logic Games. The passages you mentioned here(tangible-object theory) were on my test as well, and I suppose since I had another experimental section this means that the Reading Section you referred to was not experimental...Unless they change it for everyone...

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  13. I had the same reading comp sections that you did Danielle, and had the same experience--that the first section was easier and that the one with tangible object theory was harder. I too was hoping that was the experimental, but it looks like we won't be that lucky.

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  14. For those who didn't have two analytical can you remember anything about it? I had section 3 and 5 as Analytical Reasoning. I finished the 3rd and not the 5th. Anyone else have two analytical?

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  15. Unfortunately Danielle, I had 3 LR sections, and my RCs were tangible theory & Music/cognitive effect. So....my recommendation would be to take a deep breath. If you go through life basing your decisions on other peoples' opinions, or use those opinions to largely form your own, then you are going to crack under the pressure before you even get in the law school door. So with the answer of which your experimental was, I hope it help with your decision on whether or not to cancel and/or take it again, but hopefully you won't let it deter your overall climb of the ladder.

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  16. I had two reading comprehension sections; however, my analytical reasoning section had a game about two airline companies... hopefully this info helps you figure out which one was the experimental section if you had two logica game sections.

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  17. Damn tangible-object passage.

    I think that was the worst reading comp passage I've ever encountered.

    I had three LR. In a row. With games at the end. I wanted to cry.

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  18. Had the same test as you. Reading, 3 LR's, then games. Should have skipped Tangible object passage. I'm assuming one of the first two LR's was the experimental because they had 26 questions and the third was only 25. With the reading having 27, games 23, that would put the test at 101. Shoulda skipped the third game too. Oh well. I was a zombie during the writing. Couldn't have wanted to do it any less.

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  19. this is great. i don't mean to be a sore thumb here, but what happend to the non-disclosure contract everyone signed!?

    That said, I had RC, LR, RC, LR, Games. The tangible theory wasn't to too bad, seemingly, but it sucked up lots of time.

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  20. Danielle, I had the same section as you with the tangible object theory. The only problem is I don't remember if this was from the first rc section or the 2nd (3rd overall section). I found the 2nd rc section to be a lot easier so I hope the 1st was the experimental. Did anyone find there to be a lot of D's in a row in the middle of a one of the LR sections. I got like 6 in a row which surely means I did terrible on that section. I was getting 166 on practice tests but no way I got that. I thought this test was pretty tough especially the games section. Hopefully we all do bad so there is a curve lol.

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