How NOT to Prepare for the LSAT

My friend Cal Newport asked me to do a post for his Study Hacks blog this week on How NOT to Prepare for the LSAT.

Check it out!

You'll also enjoy his post on Getting Things Done for College Students whether you're still in college or just a busy person.



2 comments:

  1. PolinaApril 15, 2009 at 12:30 PM

    Thanks for that post, it was a great starting point for me! I have decided to dabble in the LSATs (understatement of the century)- and these were great pointers to cut the bad habits before I even begin! I look forward to engaging in all of the posts, when my current exams are over, in prep from the Sept '09 LSATs.
    The advice for not taking the classes because they marginalize you to the 140/50 scorer makes sense. However, having never written the test before I wouldn't know if I was a 140 or a 175. I realize that the prep tests are a good starting point, but are they accurate enough to determine if you need the pricey classroom sessions and premium packages, or just some old school quality library time? Can you identify the average (just an idea) discrepancy between the prep scores and the actual test?

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  2. Steve SchwartzApril 15, 2009 at 12:40 PM

    Glad you enjoyed the post!

    PrepTests are fairly accurate. The main differences are that on test day:

    you'll have 5 sections, not 4 (the extra one's an experimental)
    you'll have the stress of knowing it's the real thing
    you'll have distractions (proctors, other test-takers, etc.)

    There's no one-size-fits-all answer to how much practice scores and actual ones differ. For many people, the real test day score is a few points lower than their best practice score. However, much of that is due to inadequately preparing for the above 3 differences. I've covered some LSAT test day tips on the blog.

    Try out a PrepTest or two (untimed) to determine approximately where you fall from 140-175.

    Follow the 5 1/2 month LSAT study schedule (just change the dates).

    Good luck!

    -Steve

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