Kaplan LSAT Mastery Practice Book

The Kaplan LSAT Mastery Practice Book is one of several books that Kaplan provides only to students who take its courses. This book is not available in bookstores.

While I'm not a fan of Kaplan's retail books, the Mastery Practice book is pretty useful. Like Grouped by Game Type (review) and Grouped by Question Type (review), it takes hundreds of questions from several LSAT PrepTests and organizes them by question-type rather than by PrepTest number. Since I've just published reviews of the "Grouped" books, it makes sense to compare them to Mastery Practice, which has been around longer.

The following is a comparison of Mastery Practice with Grouped by Game Type and Grouped by Question Type.

PrepTests Used
Grouped by Game Type and Grouped by Question Type include every question from PrepTests 1-20 and only use those questions. This allows you to be comprehensive in your studying - you'll know exactly which questions you've done.

The Mastery Practice book is all over the place. It uses a seemingly random set of questions from most of the PrepTests from 5-41. This makes it difficult to keep track of which questions you've done. On the plus side, this means that you can use this book to complete some newer questions.

Grouped: 1
Mastery Practice: 0


Categorization of Logic Games Questions
Grouped by Game Type generally does a good job. See my review of it for more info.

Mastery Practice lumps together Pure Sequencing, Basic Linear, Advanced Linear, and a Circular Linearity game all under the same category of "Sequencing" with no differentiation. I like how it categorizes "Matching" games. However, it includes Selection/In-Out, Splitting, and some Matching games all under the category of "Grouping" games without any differentiation. It includes some Combination games along with Advanced Linear games under Hybrids.

Grouped: 1
Mastery Practice: 0


Categorization of Logical Reasoning Questions
Grouped by Question Type does an excellent job categorizing Logical Reasoning questions by type. See my review of it for more info.

Because Mastery Practice is produced by Kaplan, its categorization of LR questions is lacking, particularly with regard to "Assumption" questions and "Most Strongly Supported" questions.

Grouped: 1
Mastery Practice: 0


Ordering of Questions by Difficulty
Grouped by Game Type and Grouped by Question Type do not place questions in any order of difficulty within their chapters. Instead, they're placed in chronological order within each section.

Mastery Practice also places questions in chronological order within each section. However, it first breaks the questions down into 4 categories of progressive difficulty (1-star, 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star within each section). It's a great concept, and the difficulty ratings are generally pretty solid and useful. (However, keep in mind that certain questions that Kaplan/Kaplan students consider difficult may not be as difficult when you apply non-Kaplan techniques.)

Grouped: 0
Mastery Practice: 1


Explanations
Grouped by Game Type and Grouped by Question Type do not include any explanations.

Mastery Practice includes explanations for every question contained in this book. However, good explanations take a long time to write, and Kaplan doesn't generally invest the time to make their explanations very good. Sometimes they're helpful, sometimes they're not, and sometimes they say things that are just plain wrong. Other times, they just dismiss the wrong answer choices as being "out of scope."

Grouped: 0.5
(Explanations are often a crutch anyway. Try to figure things out on your own.)

Mastery Practice: 0.5
(Maybe an explanation will help every now and then, but you can just ignore the explanations if you don't want to use them.)


Price
Grouped by Game Type is $31.50 on Amazon, $35 retail
Grouped by Question Type is $49.50 on Amazon, $55 retail

Mastery Practice is only available through 3rd-party sellers (generally students who took the course), so there's no concrete retail price. Copies of Mastery Practice are currently $18 - $99 on Amazon.

Grouped: 0.75
(The books are reasonably-priced, considering the amount of time they save you.)

Mastery Practice: 1
(You can often find perfect-condition copies for less than the price of the Grouped books if you take a few minutes to look through various listings.)


Grouped vs. Mastery
Grouped by Game Type and Grouped by Question Type: 4.25/5
Mastery Practice: 2.5/5


Verdict:
Grouped books: Definitely worth ordering if you want to go through PrepTests 1-20.

Mastery Practice: Worth ordering if you want a book with some Logical Reasoning questions in PrepTests 21-41 organized by type. Just make sure you buy a copy with little-to-no writing.


***
Number of pages in each book
Grouped by Game Type: 124 pages
Grouped by Question Type: 359 pages
Mastery Practice: 969 pages

***

PS: All mentions of Mastery Practice are about the 2009 edition. Other editions of this book differ in size and content.

PPS: Mastery Practice also contains a few dozen Reading Comprehension passages broken into the following categories (and arranged in progressive order of difficulty), along with explanations:

Humanities
Law
Natural Science
Social Science

Test Day Stress and Anxiety? | Tips, Links, and mp3

I recently wrote a bit on preparing for Test Day in LSAT Test Center Problems | How To Prepare For The Worst, and I've written several other articles with Test Day Tips in the past.

However, reader Wei W. requested some tips on dealing with Test Day stress. The fact that she posted her comment at 3AM Eastern indicates that she might already be losing sleep over this (or just that she lives in another part of the world).

Just in case it's the former, I've decided to grant Wei's wish and do an article on this. I'm not a psychologist, and I'd rather not join the oft-sketchy self-help industry or peddle CDs with the sound of waves crashing, so I've compiled several links on the topic of Test Day stress and anxiety.

The following resources are not LSAT-specific and contain some generic advice. However, since test anxiety is not an LSAT-specific issue, you may find some nuggets of wisdom within the following links.

I hope to feature some LSAT-specific advice about these issues on LSAT Blog in the near future, but in the meantime, I'd love to hear your tips on dealing with test-related stress and anxiety. Please share them!

The LSAT, Meditation, Concentration, and Focus

Test and performance anxiety

Information about Test Anxiety

Test anxiety / relaxation podcasts (mp3s)

Test Anxiety, University of Buffalo

Understanding and Overcoming Test Anxiety

How to Keep Calm During Tests (PDF)

Reducing Test Anxiety (PDF)

***

Also see the free LSAT proctor mp3 for something that can reduce Test Day stress.

Photo by brymo

Law School Admission Game | Interview

Law school admission consultant Ann Levine just came out with The Law School Admission Game. I recently interviewed Ann about her new book. Our discussion follows.

1. You have special tips for students applying to law schools that are far away from where they currently live. You suggest that they give specific reasons why they would want to move across the country for law school, such as family members or a fiancé.

I agree that it's important to convince each school of one's seriousness about attending if accepted. How can students work these details into their essays while maintaining the essay's flow?

Sometimes it’s easy to express sincere interest in a school within a personal statement. For example, it can be persuasive when showing an applicant is drawn to a certain area of law (hard to study maritime law in Iowa, for example) or wanting to continue volunteer work with respect to gay rights and what better way to be on the forefront of the political war in California than to be in San Francisco during law school, etc. Reasons for attending a certain school (or being in a certain location) actually fit in nicely with many personal statement topics, but I do understand it can be hard to avoid the seemingly inevitable “Why X Law School” concluding paragraph. Other options would be including this information in an addendum or in a separate letter to the law school. For example, it can be worked in with an addendum explaining inconsistent undergraduate grades. “I learned that I perform better academically when surrounded by a support system. My brother and his wife live in Boston and I would save money during law school by living with them. As a result, I would not have to work during law school as I did during college and my grades would therefore not be hampered by my financial obligations.” The important thing is that the reason be sincere and persuasive, rather than a platitude. Telling a law school “New York is the hub of the financial world and an exciting city” is a waste of space and not going to get you anywhere.


2. You write that students can increase the number and amount of scholarship offers by telling one law school about a competing school's scholarship offer. What are some ways to increase financial aid without an initial scholarship in the first place?

First, I want to clarify the difference between “scholarship” and “financial aid.” Financial aid includes loans. If an admitted student does not have any scholarship offers, she could still mention another school would be cheaper to attend because she could live at home or because it’s a public school. There are also private scholarship sources (not restricted to a particular school) for resourceful students.


3. In your book, you mention that you're often viewed as the champion of applicants shooting for 4th-tier "regional law schools." When I interviewed admission consultant Anna Ivey, she suggested these law schools aren't worth the investment of time and money. How would you respond?

Oh, I have responded to Anna’s opinions on this subject! I have a lot of respect for Anna but this is one point on which we agree to disagree. I stand by my response (originally posted in September 2007 on my blog).

If someone is going to law school for the sole purpose of going to BigLaw, then Anna’s theory carries quite a bit of weight in normal economic circumstances. However, in today’s world, BigLaw is no longer a security blanket with a promise of $160k right out of school. These firms are turning away people they’ve hired and firing associates! It could actually be argued that the economic impact of the current recession will be worse on law students at Top-14 schools because many of them were depending on these high paying jobs and may be unwilling to consider (or might appear overqualified for) jobs that graduates of lower ranked schools might accept.

Putting that aside, I stand by the following: the value of a legal education directly relates to the effort a law student puts in – not just to grades and law review, but to networking and marketing. I interviewed Kevin Houchin, Esq., author of “Fuel the Spark: 5 Guiding Values for Success in Law School and Beyond” on BlogTalkRadio.com. We spent a lot of time talking about the “Other 90%” – those not planning to go to BigLaw – and how they can build careers while still in law school. There are so many examples of people who succeed in life and in law without a “brand name” law school – I would never say to someone that only a certain kind of legal education is worthwhile. The key is to be smart about the debt you’re taking on and having reasonable salary expectations. It’s very possible to build connections and a brand for yourself while still a law student. Finding a job/career might take a little more creativity now that BigLaw jobs are drying up; self-motivated students face no limits on what they might earn after law school.


4. At 168 pages, your book is shorter than many other law school admission books. For example, I've reviewed How to Get Into the Top Law Schools by Richard Montauk, which is over 600 pages. What do you think are some of the advantages that applicants gain from a more concise book?

Brevity is underrated! I love to take a client’s 4 page personal statement and turn it into one that’s 500 words –and it’s usually stronger as a result. I actually say in my book, “Cutting a personal statement to size shouldn’t mean sacrificing content; it should require you to really think about your message and what is essential to include for you to prove that message.” I think the same applies to law school admission guidebooks.

It should be noted that I include no sample personal statements in my book – they are great page fillers, but I don’t believe in giving people personal statement examples. I want each personal statement to be unique, and so many law school admission books include really trite and unimpressive personal statements. Instead, I share an entire chapter of specific “do’s and don’ts” regarding personal statements. I also include four “Case Studies” of applicant profiles and suggestions of how each could use the personal statement as an opportunity to highlight a particular strength or overcome a weakness or concern a law school admission officer might have based on his background. Instead of showing people essays that don’t apply to their lives, such as the “I overcame a brain injury” and “I spent all day talking to Homeless Mary at the shelter” I wanted to show the backgrounds of four potential applicants that almost everyone can relate to and provide several ideas for effective personal statement topics in each case.

For example, here’s the first case study in the book (from page 93):

I am three years out of college and I’ve held a few jobs. I worked as a mortgage broker’s assistant, then as a publishing assistant, then sold classified ads for an online magazine. What do I write my personal statement about?

For those of you a few years out of college who have held 2-3 jobs that weren’t promotions within the same company or industry, then applying to law school can appear insincere. It can look like you’re floundering and still trying to find yourself. When objectively analyzing your resume, consider the impact of this trend and consider ways to overcome it, perhaps by emphasizing a volunteer position or thinking about ways the jobs actually have more in common with each other than meets the eye, or considering how each ob has actually allowed you to come closer to the conclusion that law school is the right next step for you. You might also consider this theme by sharing a story from your personal life about the impact a lawyer had on your family’s situation, even if the impact was negative.

In your review of Mr. Montauk’s book, you actually said much of it would only apply to applicants seeking admission to a Top-10 school. My book is concise but the advice within it is intended to apply to all law school applicants, no matter their aspirations. It’s about how to best present yourself – whoever YOU are – and you don’t present different versions of yourself to different schools based on that school’s ranking. Besides, one person’s reach school might be Columbia, but another person’s reach school might be CUNY – both applicants benefit from the advice in my book.

Top Law Schools Guide PDF

Many of you applying to law school intend to work for a law firm after graduating. The question you should ask is, "what do law firm recruiters think about each law school?"

Obviously, law school rankings are one consideration. However, law school rankings are only a tiny part of the picture. Your law school selection process should be far more detailed.

Luckily, there's a free resource at your disposal to tell you exactly what law firm recruiters think.

Check out the 2014 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America’s Top 50 Law Schools (PDF). This weighty and well-researched book has a ton of info about what each law school is actually like. If this info interests law firm recruiters, it should probably interest you, too.

This book of law school profiles is useful even if you don't want to work at a firm, and it's free.

Law School Selection and Prep Advice | Interview

I recently interviewed Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq., author of Law School Revealed, via email. Our discussion follows.

1. You write that one benefit of waiting before attending law school is that you can gain exposure to the legal field to determine whether or not you truly like the law. However, don't most paralegals do mind-numbing busywork? If that's the case, won't the majority of paralegal applicants be discouraged through this exposure, even if this dislike of the law is unfounded? As a follow-up, what kind of meaningful and substantive experience can applicants get prior to law school?

Actually, paralegals serve a valuable function at many firms and often perform substantive legal tasks, such as legal research, writing, drafting, investigation, interviewing, and assisting attorneys with trial preparation. Those substantive tasks can introduce a future law student to legal concepts, process, and terminology, which can be helpful when trying to navigate, survive, and succeed during the first year of law school.

I believe that either a full-time position at a law firm or other legal employer or a part-time or volunteer position can provide prospective law students with valuable experience. Again, the benefit of working or volunteering in a legal setting isn't just limited to substantive or practical knowledge: students can gain insight into different legal environments by working or volunteering in a legal position, which in turn can help them determine whether the law really is the right fit for them.

Having worked in the field before and during law school helped solidify my desire to become a lawyer. It also opened my eyes to the wide variety of career paths one can choose with a law degree, which is such a versatile and valuable degree.


2. You describe legal writing as being much different than undergrad-style writing. How does it differ, and what types of books/websites can prospective law students use to practice this writing style prior to law school?

In my opinion, successful legal writing has the following characteristics: clarity and precision; thorough and polished analysis; a clear identification and statement of the issue or thesis being addressed; good organization and flow; and overall readability, including attention to proofreading and editing. Those characteristics don't differ all that much from other forms of good writing. What is different is the method. Legal writing requires students and lawyers alike to master a very precise analytical formula (whether using IRAC or one of its "sister" methods like TRAC or CRAC,) where the writer: states the (I)ssue; conveys his or her knowledge of the applicable (R)ule of law; (A)nalyzes the problem by applying the rule of law to the facts; and (C)oncludes on the call of the question and the issue. (Note: In the TRAC method, the writer states a thesis rather than a legal issue/question; in CRAC, the writer begins by stating a conclusion.) Because lawyers, judges, and legal professionals use this same method of analysis in practice, it is essential that law students learn it in school. Writing is the lawyer's craft--so, polishing one's analytical and writing skills as a law student is extremely important.


3. You devote a few pages to law school prep courses. What topics do law school prep courses cover, who (if anyone) "needs" one, and what books/websites would you recommend for someone who wants to self-study rather than take one?

Law school prep courses can serve as a valuable overview of what students can expect during the first year in law school. For example, I profiled the Law Preview course, which offers an overview of the subjects students will study, such as Torts and Contracts, as well as an overview of legal writing, study skills, case briefing, and outlining. I think most students benefit from a law school prep course, particularly those who know little about legal education and what to expect during the first year.

For those who choose to self-study, I recommend that they learn how to properly read and brief a case (I devote a large part of an entire chapter to this skill in my book) as well as put together a law school course outline (likewise.) There are a couple of books I recommend on honing legal writing skills: The Lawyer's Craft by Glaser, Lieberman, Ruescher, and Boepple Su, and Just Writing by Enquist and Oates. I also recommend that you visit the National Jurist and PreLaw Magazine.

Along with three other law professor colleagues, I am putting together a comprehensive yet concise set of study materials for first-year law students. Please read our 1L BootCamp and Bar Exam BootCamp blogs for tips and advice on academic success in law school and on the bar exam, along with information about product release dates.

Finally, be sure to visit your prospective law schools' websites for information on academic support, study skills, and recommended resources. Many schools provide invaluable help and links to resources online. Remember: the administrators at your law school are there to help you -- use their help wisely!


4. What factors are important to consider when choosing a law school?

In my book, I pinpoint the following factors as the most important to consider when choosing a law school:

The school’s reputation with legal employers and the general legal community. A law degree will do you no good if you can’t find a job after graduation; so before you pick a school, consider the school’s reputation among lawyers, law firms, and other legal employers.

Alumni employment rates, bar pass rates, and career satisfaction. How well the school’s graduates do and how happy they report to be in their careers can be good indicators for what may await you if you graduate from the school. You can find some employment data through the National Association for Legal Professionals, to which many law schools report their statistics.

Rankings. Several sources rate U.S. law schools annually: the U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 Law Schools [Ed: See today's post on the new US News law school rankings - SS] and Ultimate Guide to Law Schools, and the ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, to name a few. Focusing solely on the rankings may mean that you fail to consider other factors and end up at the school that may be the right ranking, but the wrong fit. Still, to some extent, a law school’s ranking, reputation, and job placement rates are all connected.

Location. Even if you think you couldn’t care less about where you spend the next three years as a law student, you should give your law school’s location some serious thought.

Faculty accessibility. Many law schools have a great reputation and are ranked high on the lists, yet their faculty may not be as accessible to students as faculty at other schools—simply because the faculty may be pulled in many different directions.

Cost. Most people can’t afford to pay the (often six-figure) price tag for law school in cash. So, at some point, you have to consider what law school will cost you, how you plan to finance your legal education, and how and when you can expect to see a return on your investment.

Admission requirements. You may have your sights set on a particular school, but if you can’t get in, you won’t go there.


5. Anything else you'd like to add?

Law school for me was an extremely rewarding experience. Though law school often gets a bad reputation as a stressful, competitive experience where you'll barely survive, you can thrive and succeed as a law student. Be sure you approach law school for the right reason: because you've done your research and determined that the law degree is the right path for you, not because you're lured by money or someone else is pushing you to go to law school. Also be sure to make the most of your law school experience: participate in activities, explore clinical and practical programs, consider internships and externships, look into academic concentrations, and check out opportunities for international legal study. Law schools today offer an incredible variety of exciting programs. Make your legal education your own!


Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq. is the author of more than 300 published articles and six books on legal topics, including Law School Revealed (Jist Publishing, 2009) and Your First Year as a Lawyer Revealed (Jist Publishing, forthcoming in 2010.) She is an adjunct professor of legal writing and analysis and the incoming Director of Academic Support at the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover.

Logic Made Easy by Bennett | Interview

I recently interviewed Dr. Deborah Bennett, author of Logic Made Easy, via email. Our discussion follows.

1. How did you first become interested in logic, and why do many people find it difficult?

I first became interested in logic as a child, when my father used to bring logic puzzles to the dinner table. The whole family discussed them and tried to solve them. To this day, my brother, sister and I still love puzzles.

I believe that many people find logic difficult for several reasons. First, untangling a puzzle or argument like those found on the LSAT requires tenacity. Indeed, most people give up. Whereas some of us think it is fun, most people stop listening or reading the details, throwing up their hands in frustration. Secondly, being logical requires understanding a vocabulary in a certain way, and by certain rules. Yet, those rules do not necessarily follow the ordinary rules of language that we grew up learning and hear and use every day.


2. In your book, you clearly lay out several laws of logic and common fallacies that the LSAT tests. Did you write Logic Made Easy with LSAT preparation in mind?

I did not write Logic Made Easy with the LSAT in mind, but I did have the law in mind as one of those professions in which an understanding of logic was crucial. Attorneys need to be logical in reading and interpreting legal issues, but they may also have to educate a jury in logic when arguing a point.


3. Do we really need to be logical all the time? Can't machines do that for us?

In the same way that we don’t need to use standard English all of the time, we need not be logical all of the time. Our friends and family know us in ways that others don’t, and we communicate with them in ways that are comfortable for us. However, with the wider world it is important to think logically and speak logically. Machines can’t be logical for us. In fact, we need logic to program and run the machines.


4. Why are people so imprecise with language in ordinary conversation? How can we improve our logic in everyday life?

Many people are imprecise in their use of ordinary language. The rules of conversation allow for the listener to supply information. In fact, it is a compliment to the listener for the speaker to assume that not all information is necessary. If we are conversing, the more information I assume you know the more flattered you will be. At the other extreme, if I explain every detail necessary to be perfectly unambiguous you might be insulted that I am patronizing or pedantic—even talking down to you.

I believe that we can improve our logic in everyday life. We can improve our language and logic by thinking critically about everything we hear, read, write, and say. We should ask ourselves what language means and try not to read our own meaning into it. We should ask not only what a sentence says but also what the sentence does not say. By thinking about the logic of the language of others, our own language should become more precise.


Deborah Bennett is the author of Logic Made Easy: How to Know When Language Deceives You (W. W. Norton 2004) and Randomness (Harvard University Press 1998). She is a Professor of Mathematics at New Jersey City University and loves bridge, crossword puzzles, and Su Doku, as well as logic puzzles of all types. Dr. Bennett is happily married to actor/composer, Michael Hirsch.

LSAT Logic in Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, but he was also a logician. This post will examine just a few aspects of formal logic he raised in his work.

Alice in Wonderland
On Wikipedia.
Free ebook.

"[Y]ou should say what you mean,' the March Hare went on.
'I do,' Alice hastily replied; 'at least — at least I mean what I say — that's the same thing, you know.'
'Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. 'You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!'
'You might just as well say,' added the March Hare, 'that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!'
'You might just as well say,' added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, 'that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"!'"

In the excerpt above, Alice makes the fallacy of mistaken reversal / converse (equating "X then Y" with "Y then X").

"at least I mean what I say" (from Carroll) = "whatever I say, I mean" (my translation)

Mapped out in the "if/then" structure, this becomes "If I say it, then I mean it" = say -> mean.

This is not equivalent to "say what you mean," (from Carroll) = "whatever I mean, I say" (my translation)

Mapped out in the "if/then" structure, it becomes "If I mean it, then I say it" = mean -> say.

In the excerpt above, the Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse all point out the absurd results of this logical fallacy by switching the X and Y as Alice does.

"I say what I mean and I mean what I say" is overused in everyday life (perhaps as a result of "Alice in Wonderland"). For this reason, I'll demonstrate the mistaken reversal / converse with another example.

Example
The statement "I buy what I break" fits the classic china shop rule "If you break it, you buy it."

In "if/then" structure, this statement would read, "If I break it, then I will buy it." This means breaking it is a sufficient condition for buying it, but not the ONLY (or necessary) condition for buying it.

The mistaken reversal would be "If I buy it, then I broke it," which suggests breaking something is the ONLY condition under which you would buy something.

The bottom line: Despite Alice's seemingly normal behavior as our guide through Wonderland, the Tea Party's attendees have a better understanding of logic than Alice (in this example).

Word Ladder
Aside from writing children's books, Lewis Carroll invented a logic puzzle called the Word Ladder. In a Word Ladder, one word becomes another through several intermediate steps.

PrepTest 10, Section 2, Game 3 is a perfect example of a "Word Ladder."

In this game's setup, "'words' (real or nonsensical) consist of any combination of at least four letters of the English alphabet...[and] any 'sentence' consists of exactly five words." You create each new word when you delete, add, or replace one letter with another.

Although I can't publish the LSAT logic game's actual text here, a sentence in a word ladder might go something like:

clock -> click -> lick -> lice -> slice

In my made-up example, all 5 words happen to be real words, but word ladders don't always require this.

I'm fairly certain PrepTest 10 is the only one to contain a word ladder. However, this is no guarantee a word ladder won't come up again.

Free LSAT PrepTest PDFs Questions

There are dozens of official LSAT PrepTests. Very few people need, or want, to review all of them.

1 of these is a free LSAT PDF for download.

You can see a big list of all LSAT PrepTests by both number and date, as well as the books containing every LSAT PrepTest.

Also, please see my previous post with best LSAT prep books recommendations for more info on how to get these PrepTests.

The below contains some details on the various books containing older LSAT PrepTests.

Some of the older PrepTests are difficult to get, but you can get them in the books below.

Official LSAT TriplePrep, Volume 1 (out-of-print, available used) contains PrepTests 2 (October 1991), 4 (February 1992), and 5 (June 1992). Also try this and this to get it on Amazon.

Official LSAT TriplePrep, Volume 2 (out-of-print, available used) contains PrepTests 3 (December 1991), 6 (October 1992), and 7 (February 1993). Also try this, this, and this to get it on Amazon.

Official LSAT TriplePrep, Vol.3 (out-of-print, available used) contains PrepTests 8, 9, and 10.

Kaplan LSAT Endurance Practice book contains PrepTest 1 (June 1991) and PrepTest 8 (June 1993). PrepTest 8 is a separate exam in full (all 4 sections are back to back). However, PrepTest 1's 4 sections are spread throughout the book to serve as the "experimental section" for other exams in the book. (Just look at the end of each exam and it will tell you where the experimental is taken from - in 4 of the exams, it will be a section from PrepTest 1). This book is normally only available through the Kaplan LSAT course, but many copies in perfect condition are sold online by former students.

Grouped by Game Type contains every Logic Game in PrepTests 1-20.

Grouped by Question Type contains every Logical Reasoning question in PrepTests 1-20.

Grouped by Passage Type contains every Reading Comprehension Passage in PrepTests 1-20


Free Sample June 2007 PrepTest (PDF) = 1

Official LSAT PrepTest With Explanations (out of print - available used) = 1
Fun LSAT trivia: This is the stolen February 1997 LSAT exam.

The Official LSAT SuperPrep (PrepTests A, B, and C) = 3
This book contains the previously-undisclosed February 1996, February 1999, and February 2000 exams. It explains all answer choices.

Law School Admissions | Book Recommendations

Here are some books on law school admissions worth checking out.

A Comprehensive Guide to the Law School Personal Statement

This concise 30-page guide to the personal statement gives tips on conceptualizing, planning, writing, and editing the law school personal statement.



A Guide to Optional Essays and Addenda and A Guide to Law School Recommendations

Quick-reference guides on these crucial aspects of the law school application process.




Law School: Getting In, Getting Good, Getting the Gold

This excellent 374-page law school guide contains the thoughts of a lawyer/author on getting into law school and succeeding once you get there.




The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions

See my interview with Anna Ivey for more information.





The Law School Admission Game

See my interview with Ann Levine for more information.






How To Get Into The Top Law Schools

Comprehensive book that will help you with every aspect of the law school admissions process. It's full of useful tips about how to stand apart from the crowd and get yourself noticed. It includes several quotes from admissions officers at top schools, and it even has a chapter about how to decide if law school is right for you. It's 608 pages long!

Note: that this book is mainly written for students applying to the top schools, so some applicants may not find every chapter useful.



55 Successful Harvard Law School Application Essays: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get Into the Law School of Your Choice

Editors at the Harvard Crimson analyze accepted students' personal statements to show you why each student was accepted.

How to Study for a Retake (or...

What to Do When You Run Out of PrepTests)

Someone recently asked me, "What should you do if you have used a lot of your LSAT material already but need to retake?"

Here are 7 tips for anyone in this common situation:

1. Redo practice tests.

Even if you've done every PrepTest (you probably haven't), you won't remember every question. The purpose of doing practice tests is to analyze the logic of each argument or game, so make sure you actually think through each question, even if you know you've done it before. Soon enough, the right answers to each question will seem obvious even if you've never seen the question before.


2. Avoid fake practice tests like the plague.

They're full of errors and not similar enough to real PrepTests. You're better off redoing old PrepTests than spending time with bad materials. Check out my LSAT retake study schedules (scroll down) for tips on how to prepare for your retake.


3. Analyze your current performance on practice tests.

Save every PrepTest answer sheet from the first time. After a few months, retake these PrepTests and compare your performance between the 1st and 2nd times. If you answered the same question incorrectly both times, spend several minutes figuring out the reason.

Keep track of all your mistakes by making a big list with the PrepTest #, Section #, and Question #. Make two columns: one for every serious mistake and one for every stupid mistake. Don't ignore stupid mistakes - they cost as many points as serious ones, and you can decrease the number of stupid mistakes you make.


4. Create strategies based on patterns in your performance.

Figure out the reason you consistently answer certain types of questions incorrectly. Even if you say you won't make the same mistake again, this alone won't prevent you from doing it the 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, or 5th) time.


5. Explain LSAT questions to a friend.

This will help you gain a fresh and concrete understanding of the arguments.


6. Create your own LSAT-style Logic Games.

This jazzes things up and indulges your creative side. More importantly, it allows you to understand their structure. Spend a lot of time creating the incorrect answers. LSAC has a consistent strategy for making wrong answers - each one is wrong for a specific reason.

By making your own Logic Games, you will begin to understand these reasons. Consider writing your own Logical Reasoning questions, too.

(Send in your LSAT-style Logic Games! I'll publish them here.)


7. Try for perfection on each PrepTest.

Allow yourself to puzzle over every question you answer incorrectly. Make sure that you fully understand why the correct answer is correct and why that tempting, but incorrect, answer choice is incorrect.

***

Also see my LSAT Retake Study Schedules.

Best LSAT Prep Books | Book Recommendations

UPDATE: *See this list of Best LSAT Prep Books. That's what I'm updating, not the list below.*

*See LSAT study schedules to find out how to use these.*

The Newest LSAT PrepTests
by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)

The test has significantly changed in the last decade, so make sure you get several of the newer exams.

Use: throughout your exam prep.



The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests
by LSAC (identical older edition)

This book includes PrepTests 29-38. You'll need to get a copy of this to adequately prepare.

Use: during your exam preparation.

(Check out my unofficial LSAT Logic Games questions, which accompany the Logic Games included in this book.)



10 More Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests
by LSAC (identical older edition)

This book includes PrepTests 19-28.

Use: during your exam preparation.



10 Actual Official LSAT PrepTests
by LSAC (identical older edition)

This book includes most of the PrepTests from 7-18. It's only worth your time to do these if you've begun your prep early enough that you will have plenty of time to complete the newer PrepTests also.

Remember: These PrepTests are from 12/1992 - 9/1995. There's no need to worry if you find some of the Logic Games tricky. These game types hardly ever surface on newer exams.

Use (if at all): at the beginning of your preparation to help you get used to the LSAT.


The Oldest LSAT PrepTests
by LSAC

LSAT PrepTests 1-6 (June 1991 - October 1992), 8 (June 1993), and 17 (December 1995) are out-of-print, but available on Amazon.com

Use: if you'll have time to complete the more recent exams as well.



The Official LSAT SuperPrep
by LSAC (identical older edition, except for tiny difference noted below)

This book includes a couple of exams you won't see anywhere else: 2/1996, 2/1999, and 2/2000. However, the book's biggest selling point is the fact that it includes complete explanations of each exam. It's important to know how the test-makers think.

Use: Read the introductory section covering each section of the exam prior to attempting questions of each type in the first few months of your prep. The introductory section is pages 1-62 (in newer edition) or pages 1-54 (in older edition).

(That 8-page difference consists of a comparative reading passage you won't find anywhere else, as well as a detailed explanation of it. This is the only difference between the editions that I spotted.)

Save the 3 exams in the book (and the explanations of each) for later in your preparation. The explanations are rather technical, so you may benefit more from them after working through my Logic Games and Logical Reasoning plans.

However, if SuperPrep's introductory section is smooth sailing for you and you feel like LSAC's writing style doesn't confuse you, then feel free to work through the three exams (and read their explanations) in the same manner that I recommend working through Next 10 in my 3-month sample study schedule.



The Official LSAT Handbook






LSAT Grouped by Logic Game Type


LSAT Grouped by Question Type


Kaplan LSAT Mastery Practice


June 2007 LSAT exam (PDF)
by LSAC

This is a free sample PrepTest. When you're making a study schedule, treat this exam as if it were PrepTest 51 1/2.


Sample LSAT Questions and Explanations (PDF)
by LSAC

From the folks who write the exam. Released in 2008.


About the LSAT
by LSAC

More sample questions and explanations, as well as a great overview of the exam.



A Rulebook for Arguments
by Anthony Weston

If you're only going to order one book for your LSAT prep aside from LSAT-specific books, make this it.

Weston will show you how to spot gaps in arguments and flawed reasoning. His book is clear, simple, and concise (104 pages). It serves as an excellent outline and how-to guide for the LSAT's Logical Reasoning section.

It's a great (and amusing) framework for LSAT-style thinking. It's really cheap (compared to the other books, anyway). Don't buy an older edition of this one to save money, though. The author has improved/added significant content for each new edition.

Use: Before you start studying for the LSAT, or before you start the Logical Reasoning section.


Logic Made Easy: How to Know When Language Deceives You
by Deborah Bennett (older edition)

Even though this book is not specifically written for LSAT prep, it includes many Logical Reasoning-style questions. It also discusses several common fallacies. Bennett is clearly familiar with the LSAT, which makes the book useful for LSAT prep. The book is clearly-written, contains basic examples, and it's concise.

Feel free to skip the chapters on the history of logic (and chapter 10 on truth tables) and focus on the everyday-life examples throughout the book instead. Be sure to check out the section on fallacies in Chapter 11, as well as the final chapter.

Also see my interview with Dr. Bennett on Logic Made Easy.

Use: Before you start studying for the LSAT, or before you start the Logical Reasoning section.


Informal Logic: A Pragmatic Approachby Douglas Walton (older edition)

Clearly demonstrates and explains several types of valid and invalid arguments. Walton loves reviewing logical fallacies, and he discusses several common ones that appear on the LSAT.

Use (if at all): Before you start studying or before you start the Logical Reasoning section.


Elementary Logic: Revised Edition
by William Quine (older edition)

It's only 144 pages, but it manages to cover several fundamental issues in logic, such as necessary and sufficient conditions. If you're interested, and you have enough time, look it up, but you don't need to.

Use (if at all): Before you start preparing or before you start the Logical Reasoning section.


How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method
by George Polya (older editions)

Basic suggestions for logical thinking and problem solving. Why use it? Because it provides a framework you can use to identify and analyze relationships between evidence and conclusion in a given argument. Wikipedia, this summary, and these questions should be enough.

Ask the following questions when you encounter each Logical Reasoning stimulus or Logic Game.

1. What info is provided/unknown? Does the evidence support the conclusion?
2. How does this stimulus/game differ from other ones you've seen?
3. Does restating the argument help? (Consider the contrapositive.)
4. Can you make any inferences from the given information?
5. What can you do with the inferences?

Another good summary.

Use (if at all): Before you start preparing or before you start the Logical Reasoning section.



LSAT Blog's Sudoku Puzzles for LSAT Prep

I've put together 208 easy-to-moderate sudoku puzzles, along with a brief introduction to sudoku. They're presented in increasing order of difficulty.

You can download and print out multiple copies of each puzzle.

Sudoku puzzles will sharpen your brain and prepare it for the Logic Games.

Use (if at all): Before you start studying or when you need a break.


***

See my LSAT Study Schedules for advice on using LSAT PrepTests effectively.