Also see the 4-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Premium Day-By-Day Version.
4 months is PLENTY of time if you stick with a regular, but moderate, schedule. I've reviewed all books and PrepTests mentioned below in my best LSAT prep books recommendations post.
This schedule is intense. Follow it only if you're studying for the LSAT full-time, or if you're able to study for several hours each weekend. You might have work/school/life obligations that make this impossible. If that's the case, skip some of the "re-do" and "review" weeks, and complete the rest at a more relaxed pace.
Month 1:
Review my relevant articles on Logic Games and complete this list of Logic Games from PrepTests 52-61 ordered by difficulty during the first 4 weeks.
Week 1: Complete Pure Sequencing, Basic Linear, and Advanced Linear games. Review each game that gives you trouble.
Week 2: Complete Grouping: In-Out / Selection, Grouping: Splitting, and Grouping: Matching games. Review each game that gives you trouble.
Week 3: Complete Combination games. Review each game that gives you trouble. Then complete any Logic Games in older exams of the types that give you difficulty. Complete a few sections of Logic Games under timed conditions, and read A Rulebook For Arguments.
Week 4: Review my articles on Logical Reasoning before completing LSAT questions of each type in PrepTests 52-61 using the LSAT Logical Reasoning spreadsheet (untimed). Complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.
Month 2:
Week 5: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.
Week 6: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.
Week 7: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.
Week 8: Review my articles on Reading Comprehension and complete several sections of Reading Comp from PrepTests 52-61 (untimed). Complete a few sections of Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension under timed conditions.
Month 3:
Week 9: Catch-up and review week. Re-do the Linear / Sequencing games from PrepTests 52-61, then re-do the Grouping and Combination games from PrepTests 52-61. Try to solve them more quickly and make new inferences.
Week 10: Complete the 3 tests in LSAC's SuperPrep (timed) and review the explanations. Although the explanations are technical, it's good to learn how the test-makers think. Identify weak areas.
Week 11: Re-read my articles on Logic Games and Logical Reasoning about question-types still giving you trouble. Use my Logic Games categorizations and/or Logical Reasoning spreadsheet to do question-types in older exams that still give you difficulty. Complete a recent LSAT PrepTest under timed conditions. Review.
Week 12: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests under timed conditions.
Month 4:
Week 13: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Review each exam on alternating days.
For the remaining weeks, use these free Logic Games Explanations, these video explanations, and these other LSAT explanations after completing the relevant exam.
Week 14: Complete another 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Review each exam on alternating days.
Week 15: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Consider using one section to create a 6-section exam for extra practice. Review each exam on alternating days.
Week 16: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. (Again, consider using one section to create a 6-section exam). More thoughts on how to simulate the experimental section in this this article. Review each exam on alternating days.
Finally, rock the LSAT on Test Day.
***
Also check out my other sample LSAT study schedules and plans.
4 months is PLENTY of time if you stick with a regular, but moderate, schedule. I've reviewed all books and PrepTests mentioned below in my best LSAT prep books recommendations post.
This schedule is intense. Follow it only if you're studying for the LSAT full-time, or if you're able to study for several hours each weekend. You might have work/school/life obligations that make this impossible. If that's the case, skip some of the "re-do" and "review" weeks, and complete the rest at a more relaxed pace.
Month 1:
Review my relevant articles on Logic Games and complete this list of Logic Games from PrepTests 52-61 ordered by difficulty during the first 4 weeks.
Week 2: Complete Grouping: In-Out / Selection, Grouping: Splitting, and Grouping: Matching games. Review each game that gives you trouble.
Week 3: Complete Combination games. Review each game that gives you trouble. Then complete any Logic Games in older exams of the types that give you difficulty. Complete a few sections of Logic Games under timed conditions, and read A Rulebook For Arguments.
Week 4: Review my articles on Logical Reasoning before completing LSAT questions of each type in PrepTests 52-61 using the LSAT Logical Reasoning spreadsheet (untimed). Complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.
Month 2:
Week 5: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.
Week 6: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.
Week 7: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.
Week 8: Review my articles on Reading Comprehension and complete several sections of Reading Comp from PrepTests 52-61 (untimed). Complete a few sections of Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension under timed conditions.
Month 3:
Week 9: Catch-up and review week. Re-do the Linear / Sequencing games from PrepTests 52-61, then re-do the Grouping and Combination games from PrepTests 52-61. Try to solve them more quickly and make new inferences.
Week 10: Complete the 3 tests in LSAC's SuperPrep (timed) and review the explanations. Although the explanations are technical, it's good to learn how the test-makers think. Identify weak areas.
Week 11: Re-read my articles on Logic Games and Logical Reasoning about question-types still giving you trouble. Use my Logic Games categorizations and/or Logical Reasoning spreadsheet to do question-types in older exams that still give you difficulty. Complete a recent LSAT PrepTest under timed conditions. Review.
Week 12: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests under timed conditions.
Month 4:
Week 13: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Review each exam on alternating days.
For the remaining weeks, use these free Logic Games Explanations, these video explanations, and these other LSAT explanations after completing the relevant exam.
Week 15: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Consider using one section to create a 6-section exam for extra practice. Review each exam on alternating days.
Week 16: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. (Again, consider using one section to create a 6-section exam). More thoughts on how to simulate the experimental section in this this article. Review each exam on alternating days.
Finally, rock the LSAT on Test Day.
***
Also check out my other sample LSAT study schedules and plans.
This is perfect! I have exactly 4 months till june! Thanks Steve.. Awesome blog.
ReplyDelete4 months is just around the corner, thanks Steve!
ReplyDeleteI'm preparing for the June LSAT and just wanted to thank you for all your resources and tips. I'm going to follow your 4-month schedule and was wondering how many hours a day I should be studying? I'm currently a full-time student and am just curious, from your experience, about the amount of time I should expect to invest each day.
ReplyDeleteSteve I am retaking the LSAT and shooting for Dec ( I had a horrible panic attack that plummeted my score). Anyways how would I adapt the the 5 month schedule to a person such as myself. I'm shooting for a 170+ on the exam. Any suggestions...
ReplyDeleteQuestion about your schedule. When you say "review," what do you mean? For example: under week 1 you say to review all the basic and advanced linear games that give you difficulty. Do you mean review them? Or extract lessons learned or tricks from them?
ReplyDelete@Nia-Raquelle - Sorry to hear about the panic attack. I have a schedule for LSAT retakers.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 2/19 - All of the above.
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteI have exactly 4 months for LSAT preparation, and I intend to do it full time. If I follow this 4-month schedule, do you reccommend me to also do a prep-course alongside, or would this alone be sufficient?
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteI just came across your blog today (thank you for providing such a wonderful resource for those who aren't in/near NYC!).
My confession: I'm using a different prep guide than the ones you've suggested. My question: the publishers of said guide release annual editions. If I have the 2009 edition of a guide, would it be really necessary to procure a 2010 edition (if one exists yet), or is that a money-making gimmick on their end? Thanks much in advance.
Glad to help, Rajan!
ReplyDeleteThe publishers who release annual editions of their prep guides change the guides little or not at all from year to year.
If you email me, I'd be happy to let you know if this is the case with regard to the guide you're using.
4 months until the October Exam!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this.
Steve, you're awesome! Thank you for helping us out - the scheduling is probably the toughest part since most of us don't know what route to take.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)))
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteI have 'The Big Orange Book of Real Lsats' from Kaplan. Can I use the questions in this book as practice untimed instead of using prep tests 29-38. (The questions in this book are already separated according to categories)
Then can I use 29-38 as timed tests?
You can use them instead of PrepTests 29-38 in the Next 10 book. However, you probably wouldn't then want to do 29-38 as timed tests because the Big Orange Book contains questions from 29-38 (among other exams) broken up by type (those questions have to come from somewhere, right?)
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, thank you for having this blog. It's very helpful.
Second, I took the LSAT this month but I canceled my score and I'd like to know if your 4-month schedule is compatible with me. I read your blog on "retaking the lsat schedule" but you were referring to the 3-month schedule.
I have several prep books and most of them are the ones you recommend. I just didn't study efficiently for the test and for my second time around, I'm thinking of going by your 4-month schedule.
Any other advise would be much appreciated. Thanks a heap!!
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your advice. It has been really helpful in getting me prepared for the LSAT. I noticed that in the 4 month plan you do not have the books of 10 More Actual PrepTest 19-28 & 10 Actual PrepTest 7-18 as a necessary component of the study plan. Should I still get those 2 books and do all of the questions in them or is that not necessary.
Thanks again for your help!
@Hope
ReplyDeleteThe retakers' schedule is for people who've already done some or all what I've described in the regular schedules. Sounds like the 4-month schedule is best ofr you.
@Dayme
You can and should include the older exams if you have the time and desire. I had to strike a balance since not everyone will want or be able to work through every exam. The schedules are just samples and suggestions. Modify as you like.
Hi Steve I have a question.
ReplyDeleteIm looking at the schedule for the 4 month study guide. I took a kaplan class for the LSAT. My score did go up but not enough. I am Aiming for a 164. i'm having an extremely hard time with LG and LR. Should I start from scratch by buying a couple of the books you recommended and doing the 4 month schedule for those who havent taken the test or should i keep the strategies i learned in kaplan and follow the schedule for re-takers?
Dear Steve,
ReplyDeleteI want to take the December test, which would technically put me on the 3 month plan, and I waned to know should I take a prep course or try to study on my own? I've been out of undergrad 2 years this December and I am getting anxious about not being ready. Is 3 months enough time to study?
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI bought your 4-month day by day study plan and am finding it very useful so far just trying to tweek it a little to my personal study habits, strengths, and weaknesses. I really want to do well on the LR section since we know for sure there will be 2 sections of LR and in case my experimental section was LR and I had to compete 3, I wanted to be fully prepared to doing a lot of questions. So I also purchased Grouped by Question 1-20. I was just wondering how I should incorporate PT 19-28 (10 More Actual...) and the Grouped by Question into the 4-month plan?
Thank you!
Hi Erin,
ReplyDeleteGlad you're enjoying it!
I'd do them by type on the days on which you're doing other questions of that type. Alternatively, you can use the 19-28 book to do full-length sections in the areas where you need more practice.
In week 3 there's mention of the 19-28 prep tests but they aren't mentioned again. Are we supposed to do those prep tests during the first month or is it supposed to be 29-38--like the rest of the schedule says?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
hello! thanks so much for this! I have a question.. im starting prep for october early..how should I go through the LG and LR? any info would help!
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteIs there much of a difference in the third and fourth editions of A Rulebook for Arguments? I have the third edition already, so if it works the same as the fourth, I will just read it.
Thanks!