LSAT Frequently Asked Questions

I've already posted an LSAT FAQ and some book recommendations.

Some of you folks have emailed me with questions like, "What other advice do you have for me?" and I say to just thoroughly read the blog. Problem is, there's a lot on here, probably too much, and not enough of it is short and sweet for a generation with short attention spans.

Now, I'll be able to just give y'all a link to this here blog post.

Without further ado, here's the next edition of LSAT FAQ:

What are the most effective methods for preparing for the LSAT?

Before taking full-length practice tests, build a strong foundation in the basics of the exam. Learn which techniques and strategies work best for you, then move on to completing several recent practice tests under timed conditions where you apply those techniques.

Develop effective diagramming techniques for the Logic Game section. Develop an efficient and minimalistic notation system for the Reading Comprehension section. Figure out which systems work best for you, and putting them into practice before Test Day.

Approximate the test-day conditions as closely as possible. Time yourself strictly (no food or bathroom breaks during test sections!) and take at least a few tests in a mildly-distracting setting. The published practice tests only contain 4 sections, but you'll take 5 sections on test day due to the insertion of the experimental section. For this reason, insert an extra section from another exam to build endurance.

After taking a full-length practice test, spend several hours reviewing anything that gave you difficulty - whether you answered it incorrectly or not. This includes questions where you were down to two choices and guessed. In the final weeks before the exam, this is where the greatest score increases come from. After all, you're not simply taking practice tests to gauge your performance and impress your family and friends with great practice scores - you're taking them to learn about what's holding you back from your goal score so that you can avoid similar mistakes in the future.


How long should I spend preparing for the LSAT?

I generally recommend a minimum of 3 months. This gives you time to learn strategies and practice them under timed conditions. Some factors that may determine how long you should spend preparing are:

-your prior history with standardized tests (are you a naturally-good test-taker?)
-your work/school/life schedule like? (do you have many other obligations?)
-your goal score / desired law school
-your college GPA (a lower college GPA means you'll probably need a higher LSAT score to make up for it.)


What strategies should I use while taking the LSAT on Test Day?

Since the Comparative Reading passage in the Reading Comprehension section requires a slightly different approach than the 3 longer passages, test-takers may want to do this passage first or last in the section.

There are 35 minutes per section and approximately 25 questions per Logical Reasoning section. This means the test-taker has approximately 1 minute and 24 seconds per question. Questions in the Logical Reasoning section are presented in a general order of difficulty. For these reasons, test-takers who intend to complete all questions in the section should work through the first 10 questions of the section in less than the average time allotted per question. This allows the test-taker to have more than the average amount of time for the tougher questions where more time is needed.

Similarly, there are 35 minutes per section and 4 games per Logic Games (Analytical Reasoning) section. Although this creates an average of 8 minutes and 45 seconds per game, not all games are of equal difficulty. When completing a particular game, think about how difficult it is compared to the games you practiced. If it's on the easier side, try to complete it in less than 8 minutes and 45 seconds so that you'll have more than 8 minutes and 45 seconds for the tougher games.


Which college courses best prepare students for the LSAT?

Philosophy and logic courses are helpful but not necessary. Reading dense material, reading and making logical arguments, dissecting logical arguments, getting a foundation in formal logic, etc.

Philosophy majors tend to do much better than the average test taker (and much better than English majors).

See breakdown of average LSAT scores by major to get a sense of who does the best.

However, as you will learn from your LSAT prep, correlation does not guarantee causation. Perhaps the type of people who tend to major in philosophy already have the skills/ability to do well.

As I said, majoring (or taking classes) in philosophy does help, probably more so than majoring in something like English. Pick whichever you like more, though. You can prepare to get a super-high score no matter what your major or classes (even underwater basket-weaving, although even a 4.0 GPA in that course of study would not impress adcomms).

Photo by bjmccray

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LSAT Logic, Math, and Verizon's Epic Fail

(aka "One of My Stupidest LSAT Blog Posts Ever." You probably won't learn a single thing from this blog post, but I hope you'll find it as hilarious as I do and forward it to your friends.)

"Wait a second," you say. "There's no math on the LSAT."

Yes and no.

The LSAT doesn't ask you to solve math problems, but it does ask you to understand the differences between percentages and absolute numbers. It also asks you to perform basic deductive reasoning.

You can see my explanation for one basic deductive reasoning question in Formal Logic Inference Questions.

However, this blog post will cover a simpler real-world example. In this epic fail, Verizon customer service reps embarrassed themselves and achieved Internet notoriety by demonstrating their inability to make some very basic math deductions.

Via NYTimes:

A few years ago... a frustrated customer named George Vaccaro recorded and posted his phone conversation with two service representatives at Verizon Wireless. Vaccaro’s complaint was that he’d been quoted a data usage rate of .002 cents per kilobyte, but his bill showed he’d been charged .002 dollars per kilobyte, a hundredfold higher rate. The ensuing conversation [SS: mp3 via xkcd] climbed to the top 50 in YouTube’s comedy section [SS: link added].

About halfway through the recording, a highlight occurs in the exchange between Vaccaro and Andrea, the Verizon floor manager:

V: “Do you recognize that there’s a difference between one dollar and one cent?”
A: “Definitely.”
V: “Do you recognize there’s a difference between half a dollar and half a cent?”
A: “Definitely.”
V: “Then, do you therefore recognize there’s a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents?”
A: “No.”
V: “No?”
A: “I mean there’s … there’s no .002 dollars.”

A few moments later Andrea says, “Obviously a dollar is 1.00, right? So what would .002 dollars look like? I’ve never heard of .002 dollars… It’s just not a full cent.”

The challenge of converting between dollars and cents is only part of the problem for Andrea. The real barrier is her inability to envision a portion of either.

If you like reading instead of listening, here's a full transcript of the 27-minute conversation where George encountered multiple Verizon reps, none of whom understood his argument.

Since the Verizon reps didn't understand George's argument, it's entirely possible that someone reading this blog doesn't understand it either.

As the NYTimes blog post notes, the Verizon reps commit more than one logical fallacy, so it's worth taking a bit of time to review their arguments.

The simpler (aka stupider) fallacy:

V: “Do you recognize that there’s a difference between one dollar and one cent?”
A: “Definitely.”
V: “Do you recognize there’s a difference between half a dollar and half a cent?”
A: “Definitely.”
V: “Then, do you therefore recognize there’s a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents?”
A: “No.”

George makes a simple deductive argument that all of you should have understood.

In case you're reading this while under the influence (I really hope you'd do more exciting things in those magical moments), I'll take a moment to explain.

Using symbols, we could say if A (a dollar) doesn't equal B (a cent), then A multiplied by 0.5 doesn't equal B multiplied by 0.5, and A multiplied by 0.002 doesn't equal B multiplied by 0.002.

(We can also say if A = B, then A +1 = B + 1. On the other hand, if A doesn't equal B, then A + 1 doesn't equal B + 1, but George doesn't get into addition.)

Basically, once you accept the basic premise that dollars and cents are not equivalent, you're also committed to accepting several other statements regarding their different values.


More-interesting fallacy:

Andrea: "Obviously a dollar is 1.00, right? So what would .002 dollars look like? I’ve never heard of .002 dollars… It’s just not a full cent.”

She uses this to support her answer of "No" to the question of whether there's a difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents.

Putting this into an Evidence-Conclusion framework gives us:

Evidence: [Because] .002 dollars is not a full cent (it's 2/10 of a cent)
Evidence: [Because] Andrea has never heard of .002 dollars
Conclusion: [Therefore] .002 dollars is no different than .002 cents


Andrea fails to consider that just because:

-we don't create hard currency in such small amounts (like 2/10 of a cent), AND
-we don't usually charge for things in such small increments

THAT

this doesn't mean that if we were to do so, that these small amounts would have no unique value of their own.

The Verizon mp3 conversation is about cost per kilobyte transmission, which some of you might not know much about.


Here's a simpler example:

Suppose you were 5 years old and bought a jar of sand. (Little kids get a kick out of things like jars of sand.)

Each jar costs $1.00 and contains exactly 50,000 grains of sand. If all grains of sand are identical, then you've just bought sand at a rate of .002 cents per grain.

(50,000 grains/100 cents = 1 grain/.002 cents)

Just because there's no coin representing .002 cents and just because people are unlikely to buy only a grain or two of sand, this doesn't mean the "sand store" can't charge for sand at that rate.

(They'd probably impose some sort of minimum on the amount of sand you can purchase in order to avoid wasting their time with purchases of only a couple hundred grains.)

And this, my dear readers, nearly concludes my simplest blog post ever.

***

Before I go, I wanted to share a funny image I came across while searching "Epic Fail" on flickr. Seems like I'm not the only one interested in the dollar/cents confusion.

Enjoy.

(Comments are from the person who uploaded the photo to flickr - not me. Click image to enlarge.)






























Photo by weatherpattern / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Photo by kt / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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LSAT Diary: Logical Reasoning Tips, Please?

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Leave Nazia some encouragement and advice below in the comments!

Nazia's LSAT Diary:

Lazy (Post) Rainy Sunday: In need of LSAT Advice.

So the thunderous rain has stopped. Yipee.

Today the game plan is to do at least 3 timed sections. I’m going to start with Logical Reasoning. I need some heavy work on those especially when it comes to timed.

Some kind of stamina to get through it within 35 minutes! Yikes!

By the way, there hasn’t been an urge to go on Youtube in the past…hour? Go me?

Back to the issue at hand. Timed Sections. Other than a timer what has helped you fellow lads and ladies get through 35 minutes and finish 25 questions? Any advice? Other than “practice.”

Kidding. Everything I read says practice.practice.practice.

Which is what I intend to do.

I’m going to do a timed section now and will be back after to talk about the results.

Wish me luck!

___________________________________________

Well, that went well.

Yeah, right.

Yesterday I had a plan to do three time LSATs.

Result: One untimed LSAT ( Logical Reasoning) … really.

You must be scratching your head wondering what happened.

Well I’ll tell you. LSAC happened.

Those tricky writers caught me in a stump for an evaluate the argument question which had me going through everything all over again and reviewing. Was that useful? Did I waste my time in re-visiting? Should I have just continued through the questions in the prep test?

Although I am writing it in October, I have a practice test scheduled this Saturday and I really really need to work on my timing. I feel that although it was useful to go revisit certain techniques and concepts of the different types of questions, my timing is still an issue that I haven’t practiced yet.

I’m going to try and do 2 timed tests today.

Will report back with the results!

_____________________________________________

Results are in
I did it.

2 timed tests.

How’d I fair on the scoring? Let’s not talk about that now shall we, but the main thing is that I got it done in the timed limit (35 freaking minutes; holy shiznat)

Some thoughts that were running through pre, during and post.

Pre: Obviously, I had my game face on. I had the music playing in the background ( I need music to study..although we’ll discuss this later) Water on my side. Pencil(s) & Erasers. Comfortable lighting. AC on. Phone hidden. Door Locked.

During: Holy mother of good lord… I’m reading the questions to slowly… oh now I’m reading them too fast… oh wait. Great. Now I’m re-reading them over and over again.. oh snap look at the time. 10 minutes left and I’m on question 10 only! ..Wait what song is this? Oh I don’t like this song. I knew I should have had it on shuffle. Damnit.

Post: And the confidence level drops even more. 160+ will you ever be achieved? Got this wrong. Oh that’s right. Wrong. Wrong.. oh wait why did I get this wrong… OH darn! I missed that part.Great.

(BTW the only sections I did were LR and RC)

Calculate score. Oh boy.

Grab a pint of B&J and some good ol’ Big Bang Theory reruns.

Here’s something to ponder on: Music while studying? Is this something I should re-think even during the timed sections? Does it matter?

_______________________________________

Another day, another result
I did two timed tests.

LG & LR.

Right now I’m praying to god that I get LG for the 4th surprise test on my LSAT. My final score wasn’t great at all. No siree.

Did I manage to get through all the questions ..in LG i did. But not in LR (I so bombed that section, terribly).

I really need to re-evaluate something. But I have a practice test this Saturday.So now I’m in a dilemma should I stick to just getting the timed aspect of the test down or should i go and re read all the discussions of LR? What to do. What to do. What to do.

____________________________

A More Defined Approach

As I may have mentioned before I had signed up for a Mock LSAT. It was this past Saturday. I won’t know how well I did until later on this week with list of my strengths and weaknesses but even without the results I know I need to step up my LR and RC majorly! However what was surprising is the eerie calm I felt before the test. There were no nerves, no freak out; maybe because I knew deep down inside that this was a mock and not the real thing? Hmm, maybe. Nonetheless I felt relieved and a sense of pride only about the nerves.

If we’re talking about how well I did on the test well I can say with a good amount of enthusiasm that Logic Games, I do not fear you anymore. What I do need to do with you however is read your clues more carefully, I need to make more inferences before the game more often. I did find that I wasn’t too rushed in this section, I finished in the appropriate amount of time allowing me to review my answers and take a breather. I remember reviewing the first section which was LG but the third section which was also LG I found my self just taking a breather. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. Something to ponder on.

On to LR.

oh boy oh boy oh boy.

I don’t know what to say except god you really are going to be the death of me aren’t you? In this section for sure I can say that I did not pace myself, I read over each question and stimulus.. well not each but a nice amount of stimulus’s and questions twice because sometimes the information just went over my head.

Here is what I did not do:

• Look for the conclusion.
• Paraphrase the conclusion.
• When I was down to 2, I really just eenie meenie minnie moe’d.( this was especially true for the weaken questions)
• And of course, I didn’t pace myself.
• I really need work on LR. Really and truly.

Anyone have any time-saving tips?

Last but not least, RC.

I don’t have much to say about this section… surprised? Yeah I would be too. But there is a reason why.

I spent to much time reading and understanding the passage that I didn’t leave myself enough time to answer the questions not just for that specific passage but the other 3 as well! So I ended up quickly scribbling in bubbles onto the scantron.

BAD MOVE! I hope to god that I don’t end up doing that on the real thing.

And there it is. That’s the end of it. I took the next day off to decompress and start over. I know now where I need to put a lot of my focus on and where I feel comfortable. I feel confident in my study schedule. Do I feel confident in my answers? No. The past two months, I have only timed myself a handful of times (5 or so) and I have stayed within the 140-156. It fluctuates. Which also scares me a little more.

I hope that that changes now.

____________________________

Are you sure there’s a light at the end of the tunnel?

Really.. Is there?

As of right now I doubt it. I’m ready to do something, anything, explosive that would cause maximum damage or would cause the light bulb to suddenly flicker on regarding the Flaw in Reasoning Questions and the Method of Reasoning.

Every time I get an answer wrong it always feels like a brand new cut.. oh gosh that sounded terribly emo, didn’t it?

Its not the stimulus that is confusing me, I can see myself paraphrasing the answer or figuring out where the flaw in the argument is or how the speaker makes his/her argument. Its the answer choices that cause me to go all *does jazz hands* I can’t seem to put their wording into my own words, for instance one of the answers that I had gotten wrong was because of the difference in words of ” assume ” and “presuppose”

Oh and also Casual Reasoning vs Conditional Reasoning.But lets not add more to my plate of worries shall we?

Holy goodness gracious. Holy mother of goodness gracious.( that’s as kosher as I can go for tumblr)

As everyone else, a lot is riding on this test for me. Sometimes when I go on forums and read the posts either about LSAT test day experience, or study tips or how to achieve the perfect score using so and so’s method. Some competing against others.

At the end of the day I realize everyone else is in the same boat as I am and the whole mumbo jumbo about how competitive it is getting in [law school or getting the perfect score on the LSAT] gets thrown out the window because I stop seeing it as a competition and start seeing it for what it truly is; at the end of the day we’re are struggling with the same fear and hope, be it LR, RC or LG. And for some reason that takes away the nerves, not completely but enough where I know come test day I’m not going to worry about the person next to me or behind me or in front of me. I don’t see them as competition. They won’t achieve me the 160+. That’s going to come from my own worth, my own strength.

However as great as that little epiphany is, I still don’t get Flaw Arguments.

Crappers.

Back to the drawing board.

Photo by Bob AuBuchon

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LSAT Logic Games Section - Scrap Paper Not Allowed

A long time ago, I mentioned that there's no scratch paper allowed on the LSAT.

This is a problem for many people when preparing for the Logic Games section. There's often very limited space on the page.

Occasionally, there's almost no space at all.

I recommend getting accustomed to the limitations of the work space fairly early in your prep.

Here are some ideas on how to deal with this:

If you want to preserve your books to redo/resell them, consider:

1. making photocopies (after all, Logic Games are only 4 pages per exam)

2. limiting yourself to a similar amount of space in a notebook. However, start working with the actual free space on the page sooner rather than later. It's a different experience.

3. using pencil and erasing.

4. getting some large post-it notes (something like these or these, depending upon how much space you want to give yourself). Put one at the bottom of the page. You get to simulate what it's like to work within the page's space constraints, but you don't mess up the page itself. No need to erase or photocopy. It also helps you stay organized because your diagrams don't get separated from the games themselves (like they would if you worked separately in a notebook).

This isn't a perfect solution (since there's often plenty of white space next to each question as well). but it's pretty close. Depending upon whether you draw hypotheticals next to particular questions or at the bottom of the page, this may matter to a greater or lesser degree.

Photo by featheredtar / CC BY 2.0

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LSAT Logic and Graffiti in California

I don't remember how I found this photo, but once I saw it, I knew I'd have to post about it.

The Santa Ana Police Department created a "useful" graphic to help parents determine whether their children are graffiti artists, aka "taggers."

The poster claims that a child who meets only two of the criteria in the poster is probably a tagger.

(Yes, graffiti - Banksy, anyway - is something white people like.)

Looking at the criteria:

-Hood, hat, and bandana
-Fat markers
-Black book
-Gloves
-Stencil
-Backpack

(I'm assuming that everything listed after the dash in the photo is speculation, not fact. Otherwise, each criterion would already have the presumption of guilt, which strikes me as particularly unreasonable.)

Hood, hat, and bandana
Could be fashion statement or used while committing some other crime

Fat markers
Could be for legal art, could be for school project
(Who uses markers for test-taking, anyway?)

Black book
Could be for legal art, could be personal journal / art book. I can think of plenty of kids who draw in notebooks with no intention of ever creating graffiti. What about all those girls who used to draw ponies?

Gloves
My first thought was that the presence of gloves is virtually meaningless. Then, I remembered that it's probably never cold in Santa Ana. However, maybe the gloves are a fashion statement, the kid's working as a doorman, or the kid is wearing gloves in order to get away with committing some other crime.

Stencil
Could be for legal art (perhaps in previously-mentioned black book)

Backpack
Most kids use backpacks in school. This criterion is meaningless.

Even if we consider the presence of graffiti on the backpack, it's possible that this kid is a victim of taggers. Or maybe this kid just wanted to decorate his/her backpack.

***

With a little thinking outside the box, it's pretty clear that no two criteria alone are enough to justify a heavy suspicion of tagging.

Don't be too hard on your artsy kids, parents of Santa Ana. They might not be graffiti artists after all. They might be burglars.


Photo by thomashawk / CC BY-NC 2.0

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LSAT Diary: LSAT Studying and Motivation

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Thanks to Danielle for sharing her experience and advice!

Danielle's LSAT Diary:

Before I stepped foot in the second grade, I thought I had my entire life figured out, and I strayed little from my plan until last summer — when I was 21 years old.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. The genre was not as important as the realization of seeing my name in print. My local newspaper published my poetry throughout elementary school, I was constantly writing short stories, and I later took up an interest in journalism that lasted throughout high school and college.

I declared a double-major in English and journalism during my first semester at Lehigh University (Bethlehem, Pa.) and secured a handful of relevant internships. I worked at a financial newspaper in New York City during the summer of 2008, and at a large magazine owned by Time Inc. last summer. What I refused to acknowledge for a long time was that I was bored and uninterested in the work I was doing. About two months before I would take the LSAT — I had an epiphany. I did not want to be writing and producing content for publications; instead, I wanted to protect the creative works of authors, and have a hand in supporting the written word in today’s digital age.

Once I came to terms with my decision, studying for the LSAT quickly consumed my life. For two months, my social life and other academic commitments took the back seat. I combined Steve’s one-month and three-month LSAT study schedules into an intensive two-month schedule. I read most of the blog posts on this site before I took about 16 timed practice tests over the course of three weeks.

I was fortunate to have a lot of free time over the summer in order to accomplish this. However, I was also juggling an internship at a Rodale publication that I had committed to before I knew I would be taking the LSAT. After working there from 9 to 5, I had no other option but to fill up on coffee and hit the library for a few hours afterwards in order to squeeze in a practice test. There were days that month that I did not see my roommates.

In the end, it was worth it. I was accepted to Boston University, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and Fordham University by November and December, while many of my peers who studied less intensely were waiting to re-test or simply settled with mediocre results.

While studying for the LSAT is a highly individual endeavor, these are the things I found most useful:


1. Practice Tests, Practice Tests, Practice Tests

The LSAT (for me, at least) was 80% about efficiency and timing, and 20% about content and knowledge. Once you’ve mastered the basic concepts, take as many practice tests as you can under real test-day conditions. I taped my scored answer sheets to a wall in my bedroom where I could see my progress over the weeks. Doing this allowed me to see patterns in my test-taking, such as where I was too rushed and got sloppy. It also motivated me to beat my last score.


2. Make the test about you

The worst part about the LSAT was showing up on test day and seeing how many other people had been working just as hard and aspiring towards the same goal. I forced myself to pretend that they were at the testing center for other reasons; it was just me and my test. I had the same pencils and eraser I used over the course of my studying and reassured myself that nobody had the same relationship with the test that I did.


3. Hang in there

In retrospect, the two months I missed out on social activities hardly mattered. By making the LSAT and law school applications my main priority, I was able to sit back and relax as early as Christmas, knowing that my future was secure. Since then, I have had all the time in the world to catch up with friends. Although those two months initially seemed like hell, the test was over before I could even stop to think about things.

Photo by photosan0/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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LSAT Blog Update: June 2010 LSAT

Many of you took the June 2010 LSAT earlier this week. Hope it went well!

Some other bloggers reported the following news:

Claire blasted Party and Bullshit in the USA while driving through the projects on the way home from her test center. She also wrote that many at her test center didn't do so hot:

One thing is for certain: I did better than the woman near me who ran out of the room screaming and crying during hour 4. And the 27 people who bailed out at the break!

Cushman passed the time by picturing everyone in suits (I thought you're supposed to picture everyone naked, but whatever):

I mean, since we were all there to take the LSAT, which is to get into law school, which produces lawyers who wear suits, I figured it’d be fun to see what everyone looked like in a suit.

Christian's Test Day featured several celebrities:

-Augustine of Hippo during breakfast
-Josh Ritter on the drive to Test Day
-Jesus, among working other miracles, helped Christian cheat (irony?)
-Bono joined all the others in an impromptu concert

Choice quote:

Jesus is in the desk next to me. He looks pretty calm, but I know deep down he would rather not take this test.

Elizabeth said:

I peed five times in the 30 minutes I had before starting the test.

Clay kept things in perspective with his religious beliefs:

who cares if I blow this test out of the water and get a 170-something or if I bomb it completely. As long as I wake up tomorrow and know that God loves me, is saving me, and I worship him with my life then anything else really is just....something else.

Greg took the LSAT the day after competing in a triathlon. Needless to say, he had a tough time doing both:

I'm not taking the LSAT the day after doing any race again.

Juan Diaz, the boxer, decided not to take it yet, having similar difficulties balancing his training with LSAT prep:

I wanted to make sure I was scoring a little higher than the average so if something was to go wrong on test day, I've already calculated those factors...I don't think I was prepared to the fullest capacity I could've been. I started training and working out, it started getting a little tougher.

***

How'd the big day go for you?

Photo by 10350347@N06 / ATT by N.C.

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How to Wait a Long Time for Your LSAT Score

LSAT scores will come back in about 3 weeks.

Until then, how do you keep busy so you don't go crazy?

The following are a couple of random suggestions in no particular order:

-Take up a hobby like model trains or scrapbooking (kidding).

-Beat the Pac-Man game on Google without losing any lives.

-Catch up on all the current events you missed out on while studying.

-Catch up on TV shows.

-Catch up with friends.

-Exercise. I read the book "Born to Run" in March and it inspired me to take up long-distance running. I'm now training for a marathon. Exercise also really boosts your mood to get those endorphins flowing. I've found running to be very rewarding because you improve your ability to run long distances remarkably quickly (among other reasons, of course).

-If you're one of those people who just can't relax, you may want to research law schools, start thinking about your personal statement (also see these personal statement tips), and figure out what kind of LSAT score you'll need given your GPA. Law School Predictor is a great tool for this.

Read random websites. (See 7 Ways to Waste Time During LSAT Prep.)

Photo by sebastianfritzon

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October 2010 LSAT Questions and Answers

The October 2010 LSAT might seem far off, but it'll be here before you know it. What would you like to see on the blog between now and then?

Please leave your questions for me (and for each other) in the comments, I'll do my best to answer as many of your questions as possible between now and October 9th.

Quick request: please leave a name rather than posting as "Anonymous." It makes it easier for everyone to respond to specific comments. Thanks!

***

Also see previous Questions and Answers posts.

Photo by lwr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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LSAT Logic of a Spam Email Scam

In this LSAT Blog post, I analyze two similar emails as if they were Logical Reasoning arguments. Both ended up in my spam folder (with good reason).

Here's the first, edited for brevity:

It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me, Please forgive this unusual manner to contact you, but this particular letter/email is of exceptional and private nature, as by virtue of my position in Hang Seng Bank - Hong Kong.

i have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. I will need you to assist me in executing a business project from our bank worth US$25.5 Million.

Here's the second, edited for brevity:

There is a sum of $19,500,000.00 in my bank Hang Seng Bank, Hong Kong. There were no beneficiaries stated concerning these funds which means no one would ever come to claim it. That is why I ask that we work together.

I solicit for your assistance in effecting this transaction. I intend to give 30% of the total funds as compensation for your assistance. I will notify you on the full transaction and details of the transaction on receipt of your response if interested, And I shall send you the details and necessary procedures with which to make the transfer.

I was excited about the first email until I got the second. The chances of getting two similar, yet unusual, proposals a day apart seemed highly unlikely, suggesting a scam.

(Ok, I'm getting serious now. As much as I want to believe that you're just reading this blog for fun, you're probably reading it for help with your LSAT prep.)


Comparing the emails
After receiving both emails, I decided to compare the two since they make similar arguments.

Go back and read both, considering the strength of each argument as you read. Which makes a better case? Which email's argument is better-supported?

Basically, think about each email as if it were a Logical Reasoning stimulus.

First email

-The first part:

It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me, Please forgive this unusual manner to contact you

This functions as a counterpremise. The spammer begins by acknowledging a weakness in the argument. Spammers understand most people are skeptical of anything in their spam mail folders. By pointing this out, the sender hopes to appear more legitimate. By pointing out that this is "unusual," the spammer tries to make us think that he isn't sending these kinds of emails all the time.


-The second part:

this particular letter/email is of exceptional and private nature, as by virtue of my vantage position in Hang Seng Bank - Hong Kong.

The spammer begins to give evidence as to why he is sending this email. It's "exceptional" and "private." The fact that he has a position at the bank makes us more likely to believe the third part.


-The third part:

i have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. I will need you to assist me in executing a business project from our bank worth US$25.5 Million.

The first sentence here isn't too important - it's basically just a background/filler sentence meant to get us interested. However, the second part pushes the envelope. Saying "I will need you to assist me" struck me as an unsupported conclusion. The author (spammer) offers no evidence as to why he needs me in particular. What special qualifications do I hold? Why can't the spammer carry out this "business project" on his own?

One principle that would justify this argument is:

If someone has a "vantage position" in a bank, then he will be incapable of executing a business project on his own and will require the assistance of the LSAT tutor who runs LSAT Blog to carry out said business project.

Second email

-The first part:

There is a sum of $19,500,000.00 in my bank Hang Seng Bank, Hong Kong. There were no beneficiaries stated concerning these funds which means no one would ever come to claim it. That is why I ask that we work together.

By itself, the first sentence is background. However, when combined with the 30% figure mentioned later in the stimulus, this becomes a reason (evidence) for me to work with the spammer.

We can rephrase second sentence to read, "Because there were no beneficiaries...no one would ever come to claim it."

"No beneficiaries" serves as evidence for the subconclusion that "no one would ever come to claim it." Then, "no one would ever come to claim it" serves as evidence for the main conclusion that we should work together.


-The second part:

I solicit for your assistance in effecting this transaction.

This is the conclusion. It's a restatement of the previous sentence asking we work together. Just like real LSAT Logical Reasoning stimuli and Reading Comp passages, sometimes the author is redundant.


-The third part:

I intend to give 30% of the total funds as compensation for your assistance. I will notify you on the full transaction and details of the transaction on receipt of your response if interested, And I shall send you the details and necessary procedures with which to make the transfer.

The 30% figure is giving a reason to engage in the deal, but the rest is just housekeeping (organizational) stuff. Nothing special.

***
So, which email makes a better argument?

First email
I like that it used a counterpremise. It helped to ease my concerns.

The fact that the spammer has a position in the bank seems pretty promising.

However, this spammer made a serious unsupported claim that he needed me specifically to carry out the project. The spammer didn't provide any evidence to support this.

Second email
I enjoyed the evidence -> subconclusion -> main conclusion format. It was very smooth and logical, and a lot clearer than some Logical Reasoning stimuli.

I also liked that this spammer didn't make any big unsupported conclusions. However, I was disappointed that this scam only involved $19.5 million, of which I'd get a measly 30%.

The 1st email involved $25.5 million. Although that one didn't say what percentage I'd get, it's got me expecting a larger sum for my participation in any international banking scams.


The Verdict

I've decided not to participate in either scam, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled.

I'm sending both spammers a link to this blog post in the hopes it'll help them make better arguments the future.

(If you need to reach the spammers, email #1 is from jonchochan@hangseng.com, and email #2 is from songlile@jw.liyang.gov.cn)


See fun facts about the spam industry.

***

Please join me in thanking the spammers for the supplying raw material for this week's blog post.

Photo by foolswisdom / CC BY-NC 2.0

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LSAT Diary: Balance LSAT Prep, College, and Dead-End Job

This LSAT Diary is from Ian, a 31-year-old assembly-line worker.

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please fill out this survey.

Leave Ian some encouragement below in the comments!

Ian's LSAT Diary:

Monday

-6:00 am ALARM goes off
-6:09 snooze
-6:18 snooze
-6:27 see above
-6:36 too cold to get out of bed to study for LSAT so I start working on 25 logical reasoning problems.
-7:10 I got only 16 of 25 correct. I review my answers and see where I made my mistakes.

Although, I understand where I went wrong, I still can’t help but feel extremely frustrated. When I first started prepping for the LSAT, the logic games by far gave me the most trouble so I took them head on and was able to significantly improve how well I scored on them. These logical reasoning problems seem different to me. It’s as if I’m on a plateau. No matter how many I do, or how many I review that I missed I’m not improving. With the logic games I could definitely sense a breakthrough in my progress but with these its almost as if I’m going backwards.

-7:45 I get out of bed after reading over the problems and get ready for school.
-9:00 Finance class starts and I learn I made a 114 on the last test. Again, frustration wells up in me. How can I excel in college and do so poorly on prepping for the LSAT?
-10:30 I’m back home from school and it is study time for me. I have a mid-term exam tomorrow night, plus a major paper due Wednesday night.

I checked the mail and got a letter from my employer. They laid me off last August and wanted to let me know they intended to recall me back to work this month. Great! I’m signed up for 18 hours of college, I’m studying for the LSAT and my place of employment for the past 11 years decides they want to rehire me just for the summer months (due to the poor economy of the past 19 months I’ve only worked 4 months).

If I go back, it means I may have to drop classes and reduce my study time for the LSAT. If I quit my job it means I loose my unemployment benefits AND any benefits I could receive from my employer, such as tuition reimbursement.

All of this causes me to question my goals and desires. Do I want to go to law school bad enough? Will the benefits outweigh everything I’m giving up? Will I be able to score well enough on the LSAT to be accepted to a respected law school, even though the logical reasoning is killing me.

I think about all of this and then I think about working on the assembly line for 8-16 hours a day. I HATE IT. I hate being a slave to that line. I hate doing the same thing over and over. I hate that it is a dead-end job. I hate that I have only worked 4 of 19 months because no one is buying air conditioners.

Most of all I hate that that kind of work is the highest-paying type of work I’m qualified to do until I graduate college. It’s a dead end job, and I’m 31. I made poor decisions in my youth and now I’m paying for them. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but these are the choices I made and I have to adapt and work to over come them. It’s supposed to make me a better person right? I know it has made me a better college student.

Stuff like this runs through my mind all day, sometimes in the background, sometimes in the forefront. It doesn’t matter if I’m studying, in class, or hanging with friends. I even think about it when I’m riding my motorcycle 120 mph trying to relax. I look forward to a time in the future when I can remember this period of time and laugh about it, and when I see someone in my current position I can encourage them.


Tuesday

-8:00 wake up and start working through 25 logical reasoning problems. I only got 13 of 25 right. SOOOOOO frustrating! I read through all the solutions and understood all the right answers. I still haven’t found a common thread in any of these problems that causes me to miss them.
-9:30 wrapped up my LSAT study and started studying for an organization of management test I have tonight.
-12:30 I got ready for school and went to my business law class. Ugh…I have a test Thursday. Got tickets to the symphony and a hot date Saturday night!
-2:00 I came home and continued to study for my test tonight.
-5:30 Headed back up to the university for Organization of Management class
-6:00-8:40 Tested and listened to a lecture. That should be illegal! Why would any teacher lecture after giving a test? My brain is fried.
-9:00 I go to a friends house to chill and hang out
-6:30 (Wednesday morning) I come home after staying up all night


Wednesday

-6:30-8:00 Sleep! ZZZZZzzzzzz…….
-9:00 Finance class
-10:00 come home and started writing a paper for marketing class that I should have done last week.
-2:00 Finished paper and I take a nap
-4:30 Go get some dinner and get ready to go to marketing class
-5:30 OMG My LSAT books arrived! The postal worker left my books on the back porch.
-6-8:40 Marketing class
-9:00- Got second dinner at Subway. For some reason going to night classes makes me hungry and I want to eat dinner again. Went home and played some video games just to chill. It's been a looooonng day.



Thursday

-7:30 Start learning about premises and conclusions and the key words that tip them off. This is good stuff.
-9:00 Still trying to figure out how to brew the perfect pot of coffee with this new damned coffee maker.
-9:15 Started studying for the bus law exam this afternoon.
-12:00 Went to class. Test sucked. I want to go to law school and my worst subject is business law. Irony…
-1:30 Went a friends apartment to visit for a while. Ended up taking my motorcycle out for a spin. Nothing like 125 mph to get your mind off all your troubles
-7:36 Walked in the door and about to learn more about premises and conclusions I reckon.
-9:30 Time to play some games before bed
-10:30 Night Night! Bite the bed bugs before they bite you


Friday

-7:00 Up and at 'em! (Whatever that means) Books tossed in backpack
-8:00 Made it to class early and read for about 45 minutes.
-10:00 Weekend begins!!!! But a quick detour to McDonalds for breakfast
-2:20ish On the back porch looking over the lake studying
-3:00 Ugh my mind can’t take it anymore in enough with LSAT study


Saturday

-9:30 wake up, don’t mess with books at all
-4:30 start getting dressed for the symphony only to find nothing that matches fits. Jacket for suit fits, but pants don’t. Brown button-up fits but slacks don’t. Khakis fit, but Blue button up won’t button at the neck. I’ll cover it up with a tie!
-5:45 Pick up date - LSAT has now went from priority status to LSAT-huh?.
-2:00 a.m. Lights out


Sunday
-9:30 coffee…..please…..
-5:00 I finally remember, oh yeah! I want to get into law school some day! Study for about 30 minutes.

It's times like this I feel very guilty. I am hard on myself because I feel like every moment I’m awake that I am not doing anything I could be working an LSAT problem or I could be reading. I need to find a balance.

11:00 Bed time….here comes Monday and time to do it all over again!


Photo by captkodak

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June LSAT Score Release Dates

The June 2010 LSAT scores / results are scheduled to be released via email by Monday, June 28, 2010. However, the scores usually come out a bit earlier.

Let's look at the trend over the past several years (updated - click to enlarge):

"But at what time specifically? I need to know when to constantly refresh my email / LSAC account!"

In batches over the course of several hours. Likely starting late in the day (Eastern Time).

No one knows how the batches are organized, if at all.

The batches do not seem to be organized in any of these ways:

alphabetical/regional/high-to-low scores/low-to-high scores/test center #, etc.

Wish everyone all the best!

***

Also see:

February LSAT Score Release Dates
October LSAT Score Release Dates
December LSAT Score Release Dates

See other LSAT score release dates posts.

***

While you're waiting for your score, get busy with my admissions-related blog posts.

Also see, Should You to Cancel Your LSAT Score?

Feel free to leave comments and vent at the injustice of having to wait so long for what is rightfully yours.

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LSAT Test Day Tips Summary

Get lots of sleep, eat a good breakfast, do something to warm up before walking into the test center (like a photocopy of a favorite logic game or two, or a few LR questions), and don't count on the proctor to give you a 5-minute warning.

Final tip for the super-neurotic:

Take your final practice test with your shoes covered in dog poo. That way, if you step in it on the way to your test center, but you don't have time to clean it off, you won't be affected by the smell.



(That was a joke, people. Relax!)

See all LSAT Test Day Tips.

Have fun!

(I don't speak, read, or write Chinese. However, judging from that photo's tags on Flickr, I believe we're looking at the door of an LSAT test center in Beijing - Peking University.)

Photo by qiaomeng / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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LSAT Test Day Luck

Personally, I don't believe in luck any more than I believe in the Tooth Fairy or Hanukkah Harry.

I believe you make your own luck.

That being said, a good luck charm or two probably couldn't hurt.

Other than filling your pocket with marshmallows from a box of Lucky Charms, what are you doing to improve your luck on Test Day when it comes to the stuff outside your control?

***

Judging from the below ad, it looks like Lucky Charms have come a long way since 1964.

The newer ones might help more on Test Day than I initially thought:














Photo by jbcurio / CC BY 2.0
Photo by call-to-adventure / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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PrepTest 59: Logic Game #4 Explanation, Cities

LSAT PrepTest 59 (December 2009 LSAT), Game 4, is a difficult linear game.

Below, I've written a complete explanation of this game, including the setup, diagrams, and questions.

If you haven't completed this PrepTest yet, save this blog post for later. You'll want to do this PrepTest as a full-length timed exam in the final week before you take the LSAT.

If you're taking the LSAT next week and you've already taken PrepTest 59, open your exam to this game and follow along. Otherwise, come back to this blog post in a few months or so.

Also see: Explanations for Recent LSAT Logic Games

***

This is an especially difficult linear game due to the fact that V and L can be in either order, as can M and T.

The rules themselves do not lead to any major inference.

Here's an initial diagram that's very basic:











If you like, you can insert the simple inference that T cannot be 6th and L cannot be 1st:











Most people stop there and move directly on to the questions.

However, games usually have something more that you can do.

The following is the approach I take. It's not for everyone. You have to be able to think and sketch quickly. However, I believe it's the best way to approach this game.

By diagramming every possible scenario, or even a few main diagrams under which every valid scenario must fall, you ensure that you don't miss anything as you're going through the questions.

In other words, you ensure that you're going down every possible road.

In this blog post, I'll lay out how I draw every possible scenario, little by little, then use it to blaze through the questions like Wile E. Coyote.

***

I use the V/L _ _ L/V rule to create my main diagrams because V is also involved in the rule that V and W must touch and because L is involved in the rule that T is before L.

I could've used the M/T _ _ T/M rule since T is also involved in the rule that T is before L.

However, I find a rule that imposes immediacy (in other words, a rule that forces certain variables to touch) to be more limiting. V and L are each involved in another rule (and the other rules they're involved in are not the exact same rule - they're involved in different rules).

On the other hand, only one of T and M involved in T before L rule ("T", of course).

As such, using L/V _ _ V/L is more powerful in creating multiple main diagrams because these variables relate well to the other variables. Their presence in particular spaces impacts the greatest number of variables. Using T and M as our starting point would not impact the other variables as much.

I start with the V/L _ _ L/V rule by creating 3 diagrams:

V on 1, L on 4
V on 2, L on 5
V on 3, L on 6

There's no more room to create diagrams with V before L with 2 spaces between them, so I then create 3 diagrams with:

L on 1, V on 4
L on 2, V on 5
L on 3, V on 6

This gives us:

















Yes, I know it looks crazy, but this is what I do. And it works.

"But wait!", you say. L can't go on 1.

Right you are. That diagram is invalid, so we can cross it off for good. Now there are only 5 main diagrams.

While we're at it, we can start applying the rule that V and W have to touch. In most of the diagrams, W could appear on either side of V, but not while V is on 1 or 6. As such, I put down W in the diagrams where it's limited to one specific space.

In the top diagram, where we put V on 1 and L on 4, W has to go on 2. T will have to go on 3, since T has to go before L.

Since T and M also have to be spaced apart with exactly 2 variables between them, M will have to go on 7, leaving N to go on 6. This diagram is now full.

Of course, I've also placed W on 5 in the bottom diagram. Focusing on the T before L rule does not automatically limit T to a specific space at the moment, so that's all for now.

All of this so far gives us the following:























Continuing, I focus on the bottom diagram since it is the most limited diagram not yet filled in. (I know it's limited because spaces 5 and 6 are determined already.)

T and M must have exactly 2 spaces between them, so they will have to go on spaces 1 and 4. Since T must go before L, T will go on 1, and M will go on 4. This leaves N to go on 2.

We now have the following:
























Now, the 5th diagram, the one directly above the one we just filled in.

L's on 2, so T's on 1, which forces M to be on 4. W and V have to touch, so W will go on 6. This leaves N to go on 3.

We now have:























Only 2 diagrams left, but there's an issue:

We don't know whether W comes before or after V in each of those diagrams. So we can break this open by creating 2 extra versions of each of those diagrams. This allows us to place W before V on one version of each diagram. We'll place W after V on the other version of each diagram...like so:















We can now approach the 4 remaining diagrams just like the others.

Notice that previously I've been placing N last since there are no rules about it. I'll continue to do the same. Since aside from N, the only variables I have are T and M, and there's a rule about them, I'll use them.

Given the nature of the rule involving T and M, I'm going to look for spaces that have exactly 2 slots between them.

Starting with the remaining diagram on the top-left (where W's on 1), I'm going to put T on 3 and M on 7. I can't put M on 3 and T on 7 because T must always go before L (another rule).

Therefore, N must go on 4, and this diagram is done:















On the top-right diagram (where W's on 3), T and M will have to go on 1 and 4, and they're interchangeable since both of those slots are before L.

It doesn't matter whether T goes on 1 or 4 - either way, it'll be before L.

N will go on 7, giving us:















On the bottom-left diagram (where W's on 2), T and M will go on 1 and 4. Again, they're interchangeable. N will go on 5:















Finally, in the bottom-right diagram (the only one remaining undone), T and M will go on 2 and 5, interchangeably. T will be before L whether it goes on 2 or 5. The only available space for N is on 1:















I'm lettering the diagrams for easy reference as I go through the questions. I obviously wouldn't do that on Test Day!














Now, the questions:

Question 17
There are two acceptable ways to approach this common opening question.

You can:

1. Take one rule at a time and apply it to all 5 choices, eliminate any violators, then take the next rule and do the exact same thing until you've exhausted all the rules and have the correct answer.

2. Check each choice against our complete list of possibilities.

Both ways are fine. In this particular situation, I like the 2nd option since the possibilities we have are pretty clear-cut and relatively simple. By this, I mean the diagrams don't contain too many slashes - only the 3 cases where T and M alternate like so: T/M _ _ M/T. This occurs in diagrams B2, C1, and C2.

I'd start by checking choice A, which starts with TVW. Only diagram B2 contains that possibility for the first 3 spaces, so I check the rest of Choice A to see if the rest of it complies with B2. It does, so we're finished. Circle A and move on. No need to go through the other choices.


Question 18
Since we have every possibility listed, we can easily eliminate wrong answers.

A) T's not always 1st. We have A, B1, and C2 to disprove it. Eliminated.
B) M's not always 4th. A, B1, B2, C1, and C2 don't have to have M 4th. Eliminated.
C) T's not always before M. Any of B2, C1, and C2 would be sufficient to disprove this choice. Eliminated.
D) N and V don't always touch. In fact, they never do. Eliminated.
E) By elimination, it must be our answer. Looking at it, are N and W 2 spaces apart? Yes, they are in every single one of our comprehensive list of scenarios. This is the answer.


Question 19
Now, they're asking us what would completely determine the layout of variables.

A) L on 5 occurs in both B1 and B2, so it can't be the answer. (Even if it had only occurred in B2, it wouldn't be the answer because B2 contains 2 possibilities.) Eliminated.

B) M on 6 occurs in both A and B1. Eliminated.

C) N on 5 occurs in both A and C1. Eliminated.

D) V on 1 occurs only in possibility A, where there are no slashes or ambiguities. Correct answer.


On Test Day, you should circle D on move on, but I'll explain E anyway:

E) W on 2 occurs in A and in C1. Eliminated.


Question 20
We want a complete list of places where W occurs. Let your eyes scan vertically across diagrams on each space, moving from space 1 to space 6 as you check through all the diagrams.

We have W on space:

1 in diagram B1
2 in diagrams A and C1
3 in diagram B2
4 in diagram C2
5 in diagram E5
6 in diagram D

Thus, choice E is our answer.


Question 21
If M is in the first year...this refers to diagrams B2 and C1.

A) W on 3 occurs in B2. Eliminated.
B) V on 3 occurs in C1. Eliminated.
C) T on 4 could occur in both. Eliminated.
D) N on 5 occurs in C1. Eliminated.
E) By elimination, it must be the answer. Looking at it, L on 5 occurs in neither. It's our answer.


Question 22

A) L on 1 does not occur in any diagram. Eliminated.
B) N on 2 occurs in diagram E. Pick B and move on.

The others never occur in any diagram either.


Question 23
In all 5 choices, they're asking which of the following pairs of variables could be consecutive (could touch).

A) L and N touch in all but 1 of the diagrams. You only need to find one case where they touch in order to eliminate this choice, of course, but they touch in A, B1, B2, C1, D, and E. Eliminated.

B) L and W never touch in any diagram. It's our answer, so pick it and move on.

However, I'll go through the other choices anyway, for learning purposes.

C) N and T touch in B1, C1, C2, and E. Eliminated.

D) T and V touch in B1, B2, C1, and C2. Eliminated.

E) T and W touch in A and B2. Eliminated.

Photo by sunsurfr / CC BY NC-SA

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LSAT Diary: Married MBA Student and HR Manager

This LSAT Diary is from Chrissie, a 30-year-old married HR Manager and part-time MBA student. She scored a 165 on the February 2010 LSAT using a version of my 3-month LSAT study schedule and my recommended books.

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please fill out this survey.

Chrissie's LSAT Diary:

The idea of law school popped into my head one night as I sat in an employment law class while pursuing my MBA. Being an HR (human resources) professional, this particular class naturally piqued my interest as I use many of the basic tenets of labor law in my daily work tasks. However, as this class unfolded, I truly discovered a hidden passion for legal writing and research. After several conversations with my husband about my future career options, I decided to begin the path towards law school. Needless to say, this journey was unexpected especially since just two years prior I had assumed that my final academic stop would be my master’s degree.

After my husband and I decided that our new family path included me being a full-time law student, I now had the responsibility of making this goal a reality. As silly as it may sound one of the first things I did to help myself realize the reality of this goal was to simply begin articulating my new plans to my friends, co-workers and family. By stating this new goal out loud I felt it now truly made me accountable for my actions.

I was fortunate to have prepared for the GMAT just one and half years prior therefore I was somewhat familiar with the dedication and focus that would be needed to prepare for the LSAT. Based on some feedback I received from previous LSAT takers I knew that I could be successful on the LSAT without having to make a big investment in a formal preparation course. I therefore decided that I would prepare on my own. I began scouring the internet for a study guide and that is when I discovered the LSAT Blog.

I decided to follow the 3-month plan after taking a short diagnostic test and realizing that Logic Games appeared to be as difficult as rumored and therefore knowing that I would need a large amount of time to properly prepare. Prior to jumping into the schedule, I went to my local library and reviewed variou guides, simply to get a foundation of what the LSAT was about and to ease my way into more difficult material.

It took me about one and half weeks to go through these various books and what I discovered is that none of them had good tips or even formulated a solid structure to build upon. Also, in my personal opinion, I felt that Kaplan’s formulated LSAT questions were particularly horrendous. After this short break-in period, I moved on to the books recommended by the LSAT Blog and in an attempt to save some money, I purchased used books or simply borrowed them from my local library. The investment in the books is still rather large but nothing compared to a formal course.

During the 3-month prep period, I was also working full-time and completing my MBA in the evenings. Needless to say, my available hours for LSAT study were limited. After two weeks of struggling to stay on target I had to take a hard look at what I could realistically do in a week. I realized that what I needed to do was formulate a daily, weekly and monthly schedule which would help me set aside a certain amount of hours per week.

This was not an easy task considering my other commitments and what I discovered is that my only true available hours were between 4am and 6am, which was less than ideal but if I wanted to get in study time during the workweek I had to get used to waking up “with the crickets”. I also had to sit down with my family and friends and explain the intensity of this 90-day journey and communicate that I may not be available for social functions during this period. Fortunately I have a very supportive family and an amazing husband that understood how serious this venture was and all of them respected my temporary boundaries.

I did not necessarily follow the LSAT Blog's schedule chronologically, rather I adjusted it to fit my individual learning weaknesses. I also printed out all the extra review material posted on this blog, such as the list of vocabulary, the “must-review” questions, and the list of “most difficult" questions. I worked through absolutely everything suggested. I also purchased all PrepTests from 46-58, which I found to be a tremendous help. I did not purchase older tests simply because I did not have time to review any additional material.

The more LSAC-published tests I covered, the more I realized that there are distinct patterns to the LSAT. Do not get me wrong - there are no repeated questions, but there are definitely certain topics, wording, and formatting that the LSAC likes to repeat, which is good news for us test-takers! In addition to what was outlined on the blog, I also made my own flashcards with any tips I deemed worthy, which I reviewed while at the gym or while on my lunch break. I also had great success with voice recording material. I would listen to my recorded review notes while running errands and before going to sleep to help maximize my study and review time.

Do not be fooled - I had little to no social life during this 90-day period and I studied every free moment I could put aside. Also going against some published advice, some weekends I would study ten hours straight with just a few meal breaks in-between. It was not an easy schedule, but I knew I needed to be extremely focused and disciplined if I wanted a shot at law school in the fall. Since I was taking the last test of the application season I truly felt the pressure to do it “right” the first time.

In hindsight, the one thing I wish I had started sooner was stringently timing myself. I did not start this until the last five weeks of preparation, simply because I just didn’t want to face this particular constraint but what I realized is that as I worked through the nerves of forcing myself to pre-test under actual test day constraints the more at ease I became with the timing. Therefore, the sooner you begin timing yourself, the sooner you will realize how to work more efficiently which will only help you on test day!

Another suggestion I have, is to not lose sight of the overall application process. It takes time to gather letters of recommendation, attend information sessions, scout scholarships, and to write standout personal statements so be sure to schedule time for all of these tasks so you can apply once the LSAT scores are published without further delay!

Lastly, other books I reviewed and found extremely helpful, were Perfect Personal Statements and How to Get into the Top Law Schools, both of which have great information on writing essays, application "watch-outs" and interview tips. Achieving a solid LSAT score is possible as long as you train for the test like an athlete would train for a competition, consider it a marathon for the mind so put those running shoes on ASAP! In the end I was able to achieve an LSAT score that met the requirements to get into the schools I desired in my area (Tier 2 and Tier 3 schools) and I confident you can do the same.

General Information:

Undergraduate GPA: 3.31

Graduate GPA: 4.00

LSAT Score: 165

P.S. I have been accepted into all the schools I applied to, totaling five. I have also received scholarship offers from four out of the five schools ranging from 50% to 80% of the annual tuition. Be confident and be prepared and you can do the same!

Photo by paperbackwriter

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