LSAT Blog: LSAT Unplugged YouTube / Podcast

How my toughest LSAT students increased their scores (by a LOT)

I can talk all day about the importance of strategies like:

* focusing on structure of arguments and passages (not their content)

* budgeting time (i.e. speeding through easier questions so you have time for harder ones)

* diagramming (both when and when not to)

And I do.

But today, I want to show you what seven of my students did to achieve massive score increases (including the toughest cases):

Jared, a retaker who started with a random prep book:

"You get out of the LSAT what you put into it. Diligence and a high level of commitment are the keys to success on the LSAT. Steve advised me to look at ALL of the logical reasoning questions I’d gotten wrong and to analyze the ‘why’ behind each wrong/right answer choice. I did this for every wrong answer I’d gotten in the logical reasoning section, looking for patterns, and identifying areas of weakness...My scores skyrocketed up to the high 160s and into the hallowed realm of the coveted 170+ after this conversation."

Dan, a typical political science student-wannabe-lawyer:

"When I went back and looked at my previous exams I found that I was not spending enough time analyzing the rules and diagramming some important inferences...The result was a very vague understanding of the game as a whole, and left me occupied with each individual question for far too long. Once I began to properly diagram and analyze the game before moving onto the questions, I was able to knock off some of them in a matter of seconds."

Andy, a reformed slacker who had to retake:

"I revised my strategy for reviewing, circling the questions I really didn’t understand and coming back to them after a nap or a nice run. Mental breaks from problems allowed me to approach the question again from another perspective; whereas without it, I was still stuck in a particular train of thought."

Anne, a classic "splitter" - high GPA, low starting LSAT:

"I began to think like an LSAT writer, to get inside the head of the LSAT. I would start to pick up on nuances in wrong answer choices such as absolutes...or wrong answer choices that didn’t refer back to the sources cited in the argument...If you can start to have an eye for small things like this, something will click, and the LSAT will soon become a little bit simpler."

Allison, a retaker who studied while writing her senior thesis:

"The biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone prepping for the LSAT is to check your emotions. I placed a ton of pressure on myself early on, and felt extremely defeated early on in my study process, which only made things worse. Studying for the LSAT can be discouraging and anxiety-producing, but you have to keep some perspective, and trust that your work will begin to pay off."

Chrissie, a 30yo married HR manager and part-time MBA student:

"My success on test day came down to being comfortable with the time constraints...accepting my weaknesses and capitalizing on my strengths...Do not be dismayed by low numbers for weeks at a time, or low numbers in certain sections. It can all fall into place after a few months as you gain a holistic understanding of the test material."

Caroline, who struggled with stress and anxiety:

"If you are anything like me and are easily frazzled, take your PrepTests in somewhat distracting conditions (i.e. a library, coffee shop, etc.) with other people around. You may be unpleasantly surprised by a random distraction on test day and you want to be prepared so that you don’t need to retake like I did."

If you click through to read their full stories, you'll notice something:

They struggled at first, started with relatively low LSAT scores, and often got depressed about them...but then, after using my materials, they increased their scores a LOT (I'm talking 10-15 points or more).

I purposely test my materials on the toughest students because I want to be 100% sure they'll work for you and everyone else taking this test.

Even if you've never studied before - or you tried other strategies and prep companies before - or you're retaking. (And even if, like when I first started out, you got a diagnostic score that made you feel like an idiot.)

Most people studying for this test make the same mistake I did at first:

Taking test after test and hoping something will change.

But nothing does.

Because you've got to make the investment in yourself to build the fundamentals first. Only after you build a strong foundation can you APPLY the techniques to the questions and increase your score.

So, I hope you'll take the opportunity to join the courses (or at least use the books) I've created for you if you're not using them already. They'll help you no matter where you're at in your prep.

-Steve

P.S. Not only are my materials PROVEN to work, but I offer 100% money-back guarantees, so you have the chance to try them out, then decide if they're right for you.

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.

3. LSAT Cheat Sheets
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.

"I plan to do every single LSAT PrepTest"

Back when I was studying for the LSAT, I truly became obsessed with beating the test. I studied every LSAT book I could find and did every LSAT question ever released.

I was looking for patterns, the hidden connections that would suddenly make everything *CLICK.*

Kinda like the guy from A Beautiful Mind.

When I think about how awful the whole experience was, I know I would've gone about it MUCH differently if I could do it all over again.

And I DON'T mean trying to do as many practice tests as possible in a week.

But, when I got this email from LSAT Blog reader Diane, I saw a lot of myself in her:

I plan to follow your suggestion and do every single prep test. (I have privilege to study for LSAT full time- no job, no school, and I hope to use this chance to maximize my LSAT score, as it's my last option to compensate for my poor gpa standing.)

Anyways, in case like this- I am curious, how many hours should students like myself (English as second language, who doesn't have genius IQ- needs to put extra effort in studying to catch up with other competitive students, who is not a fast learner but hard worker) put into LSAT studying per day to achieve LSAT score 169-170?

I've been researching and found this forum where I saw students who only put like 3 month while attending school/working full time achieving over 170 even with completing only 30-35 prep tests. Are these students extreme cases? Or is LSAT that unchallenging.

*** MY RESPONSE ***

When you're thinking about my story, you've gotta remember that I only did every exam because:

A. There were fewer exams back then.

B. I was friggin' insane!!!

Maybe you're insane, too. I don't know.

But, still-

Dozens of exams have been released since then!

I don't suggest you do every single exam - that's just what I did....
when I went about things the WRONG way!

You don't even need to complete the majority of released LSAT exams in order to prep. Using just the most recent couple dozen gives you more than enough practice material.

As for how much to study...what is *enough*...

Doing 30-35 exams in 3 months sounds like it could be trying to do too much work in too short a time period, especially if they have other obligations. This leads to burnout. That's exactly what my LSAT study plans are meant to help you avoid.

Re: how much work YOU need to do per week, given that English is your second language, and you can study full-time, I'll tell you what I tell everybody:

It's impossible to say - everyone is different and I haven't worked with you personally. Do what you feel is necessary, but don't burn yourself out.

But if it were me....I'd make the LSAT my only focus.

As you know, it matters much more than any other factor in admissions. (And it usually takes more than 3 months to reach your fullest potential, whether you're studying full-time or not.)

You're lucky that you can study full-time because it means:

*** you can reduce odds of burnout by getting enough sleep, exercise, and relaxation ***

This is HUGE. Put in all the time you can - there's no magic number.

If I could do it over again while studying LSAT full-time, here's what I'd do now:

(This also works for anyone using my day-by-day study plans.)

*** Steve's Ideal (and Kinda Boring) Daily LSAT Routine ***

Wake up 6AM

Meditate

Drink coffee/tea

Workout

Breakfast

Study for a few hours

Lunch

Study for a few hours

Take care of errands, go for a walk

Dinner

See friends / relax

In bed by 10-11PM

******************************************

Not the most exciting - reminds me of warriors in the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta (well if you replace studying with training for battle)...

But it shows you can get studying done while still doing other stuff.

This does NOT involve going to the library for 12+ hours/day and doing nothing else for 3 months.

You can work out, exercise, see friends, relax, and get enough sleep, and still study 5-6 hours each day. (More than that isn't effective anyway.)

Yes, the LSAT is challenging (obviously).

It's just that 5-6 hours/day and 30-35 PrepTests is ENOUGH.

Question is:

What do you DO with those 5-6 hours and 30+ PrepTests?
Take test after test measuring your results?

Or review in detail, analyzing where you went wrong, and what to do differently next time?

Those of you using my LSAT prep materials already know the answer :)

And for those of you NOT lucky enough to study for the LSAT full-time, check out my article on:

How to Balance LSAT Prep with Work and School ---->

Very truly yours,

Spartan Steve

P.S. Reach out and let me know what your biggest LSAT problem is right now. (If enough people ask for something, it usually happens.)

LSAT logical fallacies: 3 quick links for today

Listen, it's fine if you wanna spend your time scrolling through Facebook reading random posts, watching GIFs, and clicking on, well, clickbait.

But, me, personally, I'm sick of all that sensationalism and nonsense.

Why?

Well, the biggest reason is that I wish people would stop committing so many logical fallacies!!!

I've actually had fantasies where I get to add this to the 10 Commandments:

So, if you're like me and want to look at something else for a bit, check out some of my favorite links on flaws, belief in God, and free speech.

Take a look and lemme know what you think.

-Skeptical Steve

P.S. That one about belief in God probably isn't what you think it is :P

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses
The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.

3. LSAT Checklists
All the little items and details students don't usually think of. They hold you accountable and help you make sure you're not missing anything.

how to study for the LSAT (timelines)

Got this email from my LSAT student Mark recently.

I just finished week 1 of the 4 month study schedule. I more than a little rusty and was wondering what you though would be the best approach to completing the logic games. Ive been able to figure them out, but it takes me around 10-12 minutes and occasionally having to reference to your study guide. Do you suggest I time myself now for under 8.45 or wait until I get more comfortable in understanding them?

My response:

I'd NEVER recommend timing individual games to 8:45, since that's only the AVERAGE amount of time you have for each game - some games can and should take less time, others will take longer for most people. Don't worry about timing for now.

Nice thing is,

The time you save on the easier games can be applied to the harder ones!

So, when you're timing yourself, time the full section as a whole.

*****************************************************************************************************

As a kind of follow-up to my last article about the day-by-day study plans, I wanted to take the time to answer some more general questions about LSAT studying - how to study, and, more importantly, when.

When should I start studying? Is 1-2 years before too early?

That's probably too early to start looking at LSAT-specific materials.

And starting too early could be bad if you burn out / get sick of it, use up practice tests too early, or if you're studying at the expense of your GPA.

So, enjoy your free time, keep up your GPA if you're still in college, and read dense LSAT-like material to get familiar with the type of thinking the LSAT requires.

You don't need to read anything LSAT-specific this early in the game, but I do recommend Walton's Informal Logic and similar books. Also, you might want to do sudoku and Dell/Penny Press logic puzzles on the side, just to prepare you for the kind of thinking that Logic Games require.

And try to enjoy your free time. There's only so much of it.

What if I want to spend a year?

A year's still a long time.

If you can study hardcore over a winter break....

you might want to take in February. This gives you time for a June retake if necessary, and you'd still be able to apply at the very beginning of the cycle that fall.

On the other hand, if you can study hardcore over the summer....

you might want to take in September/October, this gives you time for a December retake, and you can still apply that cycle.

(Applying early matters less than it used to, and law schools don't average multiple scores, so retaking is usually a good idea.)

Bottom line:
Try to make sure you have a lighter-than-average workload/courseload during the time you're studying for the LSAT.

If you can't reduce it, then why not spread out the work over a longer time period?

This way, you'll be able to spend less than 2-3 hours each day studying, and you won't feel like you're falling behind.

What about 3 months?

Sounds good in theory (who wouldn't want to be done sooner, right?)

Thing is, many people end up needing more than 3 months to get up to their goal score, so I wouldn't wait until only 3 months before test day to get started.

If any part of that 3 months involves:

* going away on vacation

* planning a major life event (like a wedding)

* a major illness

* a super-busy work schedule

you MIGHT need more time.

Some unexpected things (like illnesses or weddings) can come up, so while I TYPICALLY recommend a minimum of 3 months, 4 or 5 months may be even better.

Depends on:

- how busy you are

- how quickly you learn

- how much you want to improve

When should I start taking timed practice tests?

Taking several dozen tests without learning techniques first is far from the most effective way to go about your prep. I'd go so far as to say it's a sucky method.

You should learn techniques first, then practice.

So, spend the earlier part of your prep building a strong foundation and learning techniques, then spend the later part of your prep APPLYING that foundation and those techniques to full tests.

(You might also want to spend some time toward the end of your prep drilling question-types that give you trouble as you're moving through the timed tests.)

Anyway.....

Have other questions?

Just reach out and lemme know what's giving you the most trouble. Lots of LSAT things I can talk about all day, but I want to know what YOU need the most help with.

Til next time,

LSAT Steve

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT Courses

The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.

3. LSAT Cheat Sheets
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.

The 5 most common questions about LSAT study plans - answered

Weird thing about LSAT studying...

People are always worrying they've fallen behind because they can't follow their LSAT schedule EXACTLY.

It's ok.

Shit happens.

Work.

School.

Family.

LIFE!!!

It all gets in the way from time to time.

DON'T WORRY.

I want to share a little secret with you.

The best thing about the day-by-day schedule is how SPECIFIC it gets about what to do. The exact day-by-day breakdown ISN'T the most important thing (believe it or not).

Just try to get through everything in order.

So if you get busy during the week with work, school, life, etc....

It's ok.

Just do as much as you can, when you can. I built in plenty of some "off days," so the schedule is easy to modify.

What does the schedule cover?

It shows you EXACTLY what to do every day between now and test day for all sections - Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.

How's it laid-out?

Basically, it's a simple step-by-step checklist of what to do each week, broken down into individual days so you ALWAYS know what to do.

Which books do I need to use the schedule?

All you need are actual LSAT PrepTests (other books are optional).

So why do you talk about so many other books in the schedule???! I'm worried I'll have to buy a lot of books.

Some people look at all the books I mention and start worrying they'll have to buy them ALLLLL.

That's a total misunderstanding!!!

You actually don't need all, or even most, of those books to use the schedule.

I give you tips about how to use lots of different books because some people want to get lots of books, but I understand some people don't WANT to get lots of books.

That's ok.

And it's why I purposely made the schedules so all you REALLY need for them are LSAT PrepTests, and you can easily find affordable ones on Amazon.

You can benefit a TON from the schedule with nothing but PrepTests and articles on my site (which are completely free).

(If you can, though, I strongly recommend that you consider at least some of the other books, depending upon your particular needs.)

You talk about using newer PrepTests (82 and up, etc.), but I already have older ones. Can I use those instead?

Yeah, you can substitute other LSAT PrepTests for the ones I mention. But it would definitely be better to spend the 20 bucks and get at least ONE of the newer books of 10 if you don't already have 'em. The LSAT changes over time, so more recent exams are more relevant.

And it's DEFINITELY a good idea to complete the newest exams before you take the LSAT.

I have other questions.

I show you exactly what went into making the schedules (and why I made them) here ---->

But if you have any more-specific questions, just reach out and let me know.

Very truly yours,
Schedulin' Steve

P.S. Next time, I'll share some more general tips on how to structure your studying in general.

Recommended Resources:

1. LSAT CoursesThe best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. LSAT Day-By-Day Study Plans
Preparing for the LSAT is confusing. There are dozens of prep books and practice tests out there, and 1,000+ articles on my website alone. When, and how, should you use them all? These super-specific study plans give you a clear plan of attack.

3. LSAT Checklists
All the little items and details students don't usually think of. They hold you accountable and help you make sure you're not missing anything.

Want to increase your LSAT score? Get my free Easy LSAT Cheat Sheet today.