LSAC restoring canceled scores for test-takers who registered for March or April 2020 LSAT

From LSAC:

We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the COVID-19 situation.

As you know, the COVID-19 outbreak forced cancellation of the March LSAT. The April LSAT in North America may also be canceled or postponed. We will continue to follow the guidance of public health authorities and will announce a final decision about the April test no later than April 10, so that April registrants have the opportunity to plan accordingly.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 situation, LSAC is working to provide testing alternatives for candidates, including candidates who need a score for admission this fall. We are looking at a number of options, including adding another test date in the late spring, secure remote-proctored testing, the possibility of in-person testing in smaller groups with appropriate social distancing and other safety measures, and more. We will continue to provide frequent updates on these efforts.

I wanted to make you aware of another step we are taking to help candidates get a reportable score in order to apply to law school during this difficult time. Any candidate who registered for the March 2020 or April 2020 LSAT, and who has a canceled score from a previous LSAT, will now have the opportunity to review their canceled score and restore that canceled score to their record if they choose.

Our records indicate that more than 3,000 of the candidates who registered for the March and April LSAT administrations have a previously canceled score. Many of these individuals do not currently have a non-canceled score, so allowing them to review and restore their canceled score could be an important step in enabling them to complete their application process for admission this fall.

Participation is completely optional, but given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 emergency, we are strongly encouraging all candidates who had registered for the March and April LSATs to take advantage of this opportunity if they have a previously canceled score. We appreciate everything you are doing to support candidates during this time, and hope that you will encourage eligible candidates with whom you are in touch to take advantage of this opportunity as quickly as possible given where we are in the admission cycle.

We will be providing March and April registrants with their canceled scores over the next few days via confidential email. For candidates who choose to restore a previously canceled score, we will update their files within 2-3 business days, and new reports will be provided to any schools to which they have applied during this cycle.

This “Review and Restore” opportunity could help a significant number of candidates, but we know it won’t address the needs of everyone. We will continue our work to provide a variety of testing alternatives for the next several months. We also applaud the efforts of so many of our member law schools who have extended application deadlines and taken other steps to provide greater flexibility for candidates.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can also find the answers to commonly asked questions at our COVID-19 information page on LSAC.org.

LSAT prep advice: quick tips on how/where to study

First of all, JUST TURN OFF YOUR PHONE AND GO TO THE LIBRARY! :)))) Just kidding. But only kinda. Here are some actual tips: * Set aside specific times of day to study. * Do your studying out of the house. * Don't bring a laptop. * Turn your phone off or put it on airplane mode. * Eat before you leave, so that you'll be able to spend as much time there as possible. * Bring earplugs, or get an mp3 of white noise and loop it. Starbucks is a typical go-to location... but it can get crowded. Someone recently suggested Dunkin Donuts and Burger King because they have lots of space. True, they might be pretty empty, but they often also smell like the food they sell. You don't want to be hungered/disgusted by the food (depending upon your preferences), while you're studying. Places that cater to office-worker lunch crowds are often quiet in the evening and the smell of their food may be less likely to overtake the entire restaurant. (I'm talking about places like Panera Bread, Cosi, etc.) Since they're chains, they probably won't care if you sit there for hours and hours. Also, their food is decent, so you can eat without leaving if you get hungry. I'm not familiar with good study spots in every city in the world (yet!), but I do have some tips for anyone studying in NYC: * The Sony Wonder Public Space in Midtown East (quiet in the evenings and is open late)  * The Rose Reading Room at the main branch of the New York Public Library in Bryant Park (surprisingly quiet, but limited hours) * The main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (also where I meet with in-person students!) In general, if you live in a decent-sized city, look into indoor public spaces - they're usually busy during weekday lunchtime but very quiet in the evening. If you want some tips on how to fit studying into your day, you're in luck. I've put together some tips on..... How to fit 2-3 hours of studying into your day ----> Reach out and let me know if you have any tips on good study locations, or if you have any other questions about anything at all. I read every message myself. Very truly yours, LSAT Studyin' Steve Recommended Resources: 1. A Comprehensive Guide to the Law School Personal Statement This guide provides tips on conceptualizing, planning, writing, and editing the law school personal statement. 2. Law School Admissions Guide I've written a concise guide to the law school admission process with tips on completing every aspect of your applications from start to finish. It's a small price to pay for a whole lot of guidance, and it's short enough that you'll actually read the whole thing. 3. Law School Admissions Cheat Sheet Quick-reference guide for the law school personal statement, the "Why X?" essay, and the law school résumé. (You can also get it with the LSAT Cheat Sheets.)

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Do Law Schools Average LSAT Scores?

Law schools do NOT average multiple LSAT scores. It's one of the biggest myths I still hear from students even though law schools have not been averaging multiple scores since 2006. It was back in 2006 when the American Bar Association changed their policy from averaging multiple scores. Now, they only require law schools to submit their students' highest scores of their students - and that's what US News and World Report uses for their ever-important rankings. (And it's funny because nobody reads the US News for anything else, but they suddenly think they're the most important source when it comes to rankings.) Other places do rankings too. And one of the biggest things you want to look for rankings on is employment outcomes, not their highest average LSAT scores. But anyway, I digress. The point is that law schools don't average multiple scores anymore. They have not done so since 2006 and any school that tells you they're averaging multiple scores is lying to you. And I don't really know why they're lying to you. But I think it's because they want to seem more holistic - but they have no incentive to average multiple scores. They care a lot about the rankings. It's part of why they keep working to solicit as many applications as they possibly can. That's why they now want to open it up to the GRE and get rid of the LSAT requirement entirely, which is totally absurd, but that's a topic for another conversation. The point is that they are not averaging multiple scores. So you have no reason to worry about getting a score that is slightly below what you were hoping for, even if it was five or 10 points lower than what you were hoping for. You can retake. It would not be the end of the world for you. Relatedly, the only time that you should cancel is if something went horribly, horribly wrong. Like the person next to you vomited on you, or there was a marching band outside, or the fire alarm went off, or the proctor didn't even give you proper time per section. Those are cases where you should cancel, LSAC will likely give you a free retake. But ultimately, re-taking, not a big deal. And it's not really worth canceling. If you don't want to take it when you're already scheduled for it and it's coming up very soon, then you could withdraw. That is an option for you. And if the LSAT is more than a couple of weeks away for you, you could postpone your test date, and I think they charge you a lesser fee or let you just pay a small difference to change to the next test date instead. And that's nice. You get a little bit less of your money. If you withdraw, they keep all your money, but either way, not, it's only a small drop in the big scheme of what your law school tuition will be. So I wouldn't worry too much about the fee.
For more, I've got an entire playlist focused on LSAT Test Day prep here -----> and several articles on LSAT Test Day prep here ----->

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June vs July/August 2020 LSATs

If you're aiming for the June 2020 LSAT but still feeling pressured, why rush it?

Instead, you could aim for the July or August 2020 LSATs (which seem relatively more likely to happen) and still apply at the beginning of the cycle in the fall.

And if you're just starting out, don't worry too much about how you're doing on any section - it can seem like an incomprehensible foreign language at first, but you can learn it with time.

For more: I put together a free series of simple videos on Logical Reasoning that can help.

LSAT Coronavirus Update: How LSAC is Affected (and what to do)

LSAC will almost certainly cancel the April LSAT -- the virus is expected to peak in mid-April. LSAC said they will decide before that, but you should switch your registration as soon as possible to secure the best possible test center because once LSAC cancels April, many people will switch to the June and July LSAT. If you want the best and most conveniently located test center (those toughest to get), do it now.

Sidenote: when they canceled the March LSAT, they auto-registered everybody to the April LSAT.

Be aware that the LSAC is allowing you to change your test date with no fee. Many are quarantined and many cannot travel as they previously could. June may also be canceled. LSAC says they are hopeful about the April and June LSAT, but we'll see what happens.

LSAC also said they are aggressively exploring new options to test the LSAT such as remote testing. They might explore testing in smaller, more frequent administrations.  They will probably do that for those who have only expired scores or scores that aren't great, and scores that were canceled. They might also actually let you apply with an expired or canceled score because many people simply cannot retake the LSAT right now. They might allow those people to participate in pilot testing, allowing them to take the LSAT online.

Of course, there are a number of potential issues with giving the LSAT online like tech glitches, Internet connectivity issues, and cheating. If the LSAT writing session is any indication, these could certainly be factors that prevent or slow an online LSAT administration. The Digital LSAT writing sample has not gone that smoothly. There have been lots of issues like when you are interrupted and thought to be cheating.

LSAC is also working with law schools to extend deadlines, which the schools certainly feel is needed. Many people can apply right now even if they don't have the score they want. This will vary from school to school, so I suggest contacting each school for details with regard to extending deadlines. No one really knows how long the coronavirus will last; the situation is worsening, and LSAC is following along with the rest of us. They're not making any specific promises right now, but they are doing their best.

In the meantime, stay safe, stay home, and hopefully, this thing will resolve sooner rather than later.

MEGA-list of LSAT logical fallacies

Came across an awesome Logical Fallacy Explainer a while ago: http://www.yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ I shared it a few months back, but just in case you missed it, I wanted to give it some more attention. Here's what it is: A basic, well-designed overview of 24 common logical fallacies, each on a separate page. Whenever you see someone make a fallacy (on Facebook, for example), you can send them the appropriate link. Obviously, this site isn't tailored to the LSAT in particular, but if you're new to flaws, or you need a refresher, you might find it helpful. The guy who made the site gives funny examples of each fallacy, and it's also in one place, infographic-style. There's also a PDF of all the site's content, so you can print it on a standard printer. ***Now, just how useful is this for the LSAT?*** LSAT answer choices don't always refer to specific flaws calling them by name like "Ad Hominem." So there are two steps to solving flaw questions: Step 1:) Understand the flaw Step 2:) Spot LSAC's *description* of the flaw in the answer choices. Some questions describe flaws in the abstract, but, most do speak in terms of the stimulus topic - they'll say things like: the arguments fails to consider...(something specific to the topic of that argument) The key is to realize that even when they talk in terms related to argument, they're often refer to a classic flaw. So, no matter what, it's useful to be familiar with the basic, textbook flaws. This will help you recognize such flaws when they appear, even if the language is in terms of the argument, rather than in the abstract. I took the next step and matched these flaws to actual LSAT questions, so if you want to see what they look like in practice on the LSAT, here you go! Big List of Logical Reasoning Flaws in LSAT Questions Til next time, Flaw-Spottin' 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. Logical Reasoning Explanations The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These don't just fall back on "out of scope," but actually tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer. 3. Logical Reasoning Cheat Sheet 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.

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Coronavirus LSAT Prep: Studying During Quarantine

Take advantage of this time when everything is shut down and you can't really go anywhere.  This is your opportunity to buckle down and focus on mastering this exam. If you've got nothing but time, get the PrepTests available on LSAC's site in the Digital LSAT format. You can practice exactly like it's game day from home.

Everything you need is online so all the excuses are gone. If there's nothing else keeping you busy, or you have more free time than usual, sit down and focus. Block off the time in your schedule day by day, week by week, for the next two and a half months till June. Have it all plotted out so there's no ambiguity about what to be doing every single day.

My LSAT study plans will help you do it. They lay out exactly what to do every single day over the course of your prep. I talk about moving from building the foundation to the preparing for Test Day itself. And accuracy comes only after you've got pacing and endurance: pacing is individual timed 35-minute sections while endurance is for those full-length five-section exams so build up slowly, but use my plans to have the road map laid out for you.

If you're scoring low, you haven't built the foundation fully yet. And, in that case, I wouldn't focus on pacing and endurance yet. If you're still in the 130s, there's a lot of groundwork to lay down in terms of gaining basic familiarity with all the different sections and question types.

So slow down, build the foundation (spend at least a month or two on that), and then move into the other phases. June might not be enough time, but ultimately, whether you do June or July or August or October, it doesn't really matter. If you want this bad enough, you'll put in the time that you need to reach your goal.

LSAT Test Day - Getting Ready + the Morning Of

Have your gallon-size Ziploc bag ready to go. Have your pencils, erasers, energy bars, your banana, your 20-ounce water bottle, your admission ticket, your photo, your government ID with your full name, that is also the same exact name that is on your admission ticket. 

If it varies even slightly, you could have a problem. So figure that out before the morning of. If there's an issue, email LSAC at lsacinfo@lsac.org

Print out your admission ticket - don't wait until the morning of when you realize your printer's out of ink or you don't have a printer. This is something you could deal with now.

On LSAT Test Day, you're going to want to arrive at your test center early. I wouldn't recommend talking with anyone else because you never know what other people will say, and sometimes strangers are crazy and stressed.

If you encounter someone you'd rather not speak with, say something like, “I'm trying to meditate and focus in my own space right now. Let's chat afterwards.” Then just be in your own zone and meditate. Do your practice problems. Go take a walk. As long as you know where the test center is, you can always circle back just a couple minutes beforehand.

They're going to have you spend take some time to confirm your basic biographical details like your name, address, and the rules. Consider this your moment of zen, and try to relax. At least this isn't the scored stuff.

One last thing - don't drink too much water or coffee before it starts. You don't want to have to go to the bathroom during the test. And make sure you go to the bathroom before you walk in there because you'll likely be nervous (which is to be expected) and not want to go again until the break.

For more, I've got an entire playlist focused on LSAT Test Day prep here -----> and several articles on LSAT Test Day prep here ----->

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Should you take "Intro to Logic" for LSAT prep?

Should you take "Intro to Logic" for LSAT prep? Most of the LSAT is informal logic - and the formal logic part is mainly basic stuff like contrapositives. I know you're scared. Especially if you scored something like 141 (or worse) on your first practice test. A cold LSAT diagnostic doesn't mean much.

Logic (especially Logic Games) can seem like a foreign language at first. Without any training, you probably wouldn't do too well on a diagnostic in Aramaic (assuming you don't speak it already). Same goes for the LSAT. I'd recommend doing some serious prep before taking a serious measurement of where you stand. There's no reason you can't eventually end up in the 160/170 range. But there's never ANY reason to take your typical "Introduction to Logic" class in college. Most of the formal logic these classes teach goes WAY beyond what you'll see on the LSAT. The Latin phrases (like "modus tollens") will only clutter your brain, and the formal diagramming academics use is a waste of time on the LSAT, given its time constraints. "But what should I major in for law school?" Whatever you want! You can major in just about anything and go to law school. People look at charts and graphs...

and walk away thinking they should major in philosophy (or even physics) because people who major in those areas do great on the LSAT. Question is: does majoring in a particular subject LEAD people to score better on the LSAT, or.... are science geeks and philosophers the kind of people who are ALREADY likely to do well on the LSAT, before they even chose those majors. Maybe it's a combination of the two. (Tons of correlation-causation issues here, for those paying attention.) Personally, physics isn't my cup of tea, and most philosophy is way too dense for me to get through, anyway. In my opinion, understanding the LSAT is actually MUCH easier than either of those subjects, and if you stick with actual LSAT books and courses, you'll be making a much more productive use of time and effort :) Forever yours, LSAT Studyin' Steve P.S. I know some of you just want to familiarize yourselves with the LSAT without getting into LSAT-specific materials yet, so if you just want to lightly dip your toes into the shark-infested LSAT waters, here are some general non-LSAT books on logical reasoning: * A Rulebook for Arguments * Logic Made Easy * Informal Logic 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.

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Predicting Your LSAT Score

How many tests should you take to have a good idea of what your performance on test day would be approximately like? So I'll answer it by starting with a different question is, how many tests should you take overall, timed? You should take at least 10 timed exams before test day.

But if you're in the final week before your exam, I'm not saying take 10 exams in a week. (Just take one or two instead.)

If you want to know where you currently stand, what your current LSAT aptitude is, and where you would most likely score on test day if you took the exam right now, what you want to do is you want to take the average of your most recent five exams (assuming you've taken them in a fairly recent period of time). 

So, let's say, maybe over the past 2-3 weeks, you've taken five exams (and these are five sections, not four). You take the average of those five exams. That's a pretty good indication of where you currently stand.

Now, LSAC has what they call a score band, which means that, let's say someone's scored a 170. This person's range is approximately 167 to 173, which is a 6-point range. So that person could one day get a 167, the next day get a 173, and LSAC would say the LSAT is perfectly valid, and this is just within our normal realm of score variation. And that comes back to the question of why scores fluctuate.

They fluctuate because each exam only has 100-to-101 questions approximately, but the LSAT tests more than 101 concepts (and they come up in a variety of ways). There are game types that come up once every 10 exams. There are logical reasoning arguments, i.e. methods of reasoning, that only come up once every dozen exams, and there are reading comp topics that come up only once, ever.

So if you respond particularly well or poorly to one of those things and it shows up on your exam, then your score will vary accordingly. If you get a circle game and you hate circle games, maybe that's your 167. If your exam does not contain a circle game and it contains your favorite reading comp topic ever, then you might get a 173, but you're still the same person. And you're probably feeling sharper some days than others.

Based on how you slept and what you ate the night before, whether the person next to you was distracting or not, all of those things make a difference. That's why we need an average. That's why we need a large data set from which to make an estimate. If you did great three days ago and your exam tomorrow goes poorly, that doesn't mean that Test Day will go poorly for you.

For more, I've got an entire playlist focused on LSAT Test Day prep here -----> and several articles on LSAT Test Day prep here ----->

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LSAT Coronavirus Pandemic Relief (and Study Schedule)

From now until the coronavirus pandemic is over, I'm giving away day-by-day LSAT study schedules to anyone who makes a donation for the equivalent amount (or more) to one of the following organizations or similar:

-Meals on Wheels

-No Kid Hungry

-Restaurant Workers Community Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund

-One Fair Wage

-National Domestic Workers Alliance


How to get your LSAT study schedule:
1. Make a donation to any coronavirus relief organization of $19.97 or $24.97 (or more!) depending on which schedule you'd like.

2. Forward me the email receipt from your donation, and let me know the schedule you'd like.

3. Sit back and wait for me to email you the schedule.

You can support an important cause and get a ton of guidance for your LSAT prep at the same time.