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How LSAC Creates the LSAT
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Digital LSAT prep advice (from US News article)
From a US News article on LSAT prep:
Experts suggest preparing specifically for the new digital format of the LSAT. "To prepare for the Digital LSAT, get a tablet (or borrow one) and get used to reading dense text on a screen rather than paper," wrote Steve Schwartz, an independent LSAT tutor and author of an LSAT Blog, in an email. "Treat your books like screens, i.e., don't write on them, since you won't be able to write on the tablet screen itself."
On Retaking the LSAT
A single point or two more on the LSAT can lead to THOUSANDS of dollars in scholarship money or getting into a better law school, so it's worth retaking if you think you can do better next time around.
Live Online LSAT Master Class Students on the Importance of Reviewing
One of my Live Online LSAT Master Class students on the importance of reviewing:
Hey steve! I ended up doing 2 practice tests a week and doing the review method you detailed for most of them for a total of 8 tests. I was 8 for 8 above 160 with my max score being a 168! I was happy with my progress. When I took the June lsat, I think there was an element of test-day anxiety that kicked in, but i was really prepared to handle it. I answered all the questions, leaving no game or passage unanswered, which I think was a major hurdle considering my anxiety was definitely affecting my focus. By that, I mean that, although I didn’t ‘burn out’ or get tired and tried hard throughout, I noticed that it was hard for me to understand some questions as thoroughly as I could on a practice test. Some were so bad that picking up some random details in the stim was was all I could do without compromising too much time, but even so, I had become so familiar with the different question types that it was very very simple for me to locate a probable necessary assumption or rule out a tricky answer on a conclusion question. Definitely think that reviewing was a major benefit because seeing about a thousand questions and handling them in depth provided me with that intuitive feel for timing and recognizing patterns. Overall impressions from my 9 month lsat journey? Drilling in is important to learn concepts and trying thing out can help, but the real understanding grows from the osmosis-like absorption of the material over and over and over until it’s second nature.
I’m super stoked to move past the lsat and go to law school!! My dream school is GSU and, since I’m used to getting in the score range where pretty much every applicant gets in with my gpa and maybe even below, so I would be kind of surprised (and devastated) to find that I scored substantially lower.
I think re-introducing me to the review stuff was definitely a 500 dollar piece of advice. Thanks a bunch!!!
Hey steve! I ended up doing 2 practice tests a week and doing the review method you detailed for most of them for a total of 8 tests. I was 8 for 8 above 160 with my max score being a 168! I was happy with my progress. When I took the June lsat, I think there was an element of test-day anxiety that kicked in, but i was really prepared to handle it. I answered all the questions, leaving no game or passage unanswered, which I think was a major hurdle considering my anxiety was definitely affecting my focus. By that, I mean that, although I didn’t ‘burn out’ or get tired and tried hard throughout, I noticed that it was hard for me to understand some questions as thoroughly as I could on a practice test. Some were so bad that picking up some random details in the stim was was all I could do without compromising too much time, but even so, I had become so familiar with the different question types that it was very very simple for me to locate a probable necessary assumption or rule out a tricky answer on a conclusion question. Definitely think that reviewing was a major benefit because seeing about a thousand questions and handling them in depth provided me with that intuitive feel for timing and recognizing patterns. Overall impressions from my 9 month lsat journey? Drilling in is important to learn concepts and trying thing out can help, but the real understanding grows from the osmosis-like absorption of the material over and over and over until it’s second nature.
I’m super stoked to move past the lsat and go to law school!! My dream school is GSU and, since I’m used to getting in the score range where pretty much every applicant gets in with my gpa and maybe even below, so I would be kind of surprised (and devastated) to find that I scored substantially lower.
I think re-introducing me to the review stuff was definitely a 500 dollar piece of advice. Thanks a bunch!!!
What the LSAT *used* to look like pre-1991
A Compendium of LSAT and LSAC-Sponsored Item Types, 1948- 1994 - PDF:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED469242.pdf
Yeah, they are pretty wild! no pre-1991 full-length tests publicly available. But if you find any, let me know!
you might get lucky with out-of-print on amazon - you could also try other used book sites. But with nearly 100 released exams in the current format, you don't *need* to go beyond, unless you're just curious.
Law School Admissions + Rankings
From a US News article on law school rankings:
"For a student looking to go to a corporate law firm, [rankings are] very important. Many firms disproportionately recruit from certain law schools and are significantly more likely to consider a résumé from a [top-14] school than others," says Steve Schwartz, an LSAT tutor and author of the LSAT Blog.
"However, for applicants looking to practice in other areas such as human rights law, become sole practitioners, or use their law degree simply to augment their already-existing business or in conjunction with another graduate degree, the law schools ranking and national reputation may not mean as much."
"However, for applicants looking to practice in other areas such as human rights law, become sole practitioners, or use their law degree simply to augment their already-existing business or in conjunction with another graduate degree, the law schools ranking and national reputation may not mean as much."
Digital LSAT scratch paper: LSAC
You'll get a booklet w/ 14 pages of scratch paper.
'LSAC (via email): “The paper will be 8.5’ by 11” and it will be unlined. Test takers will only receive one booklet of scratch paper.”
I've heard the scratch paper booklet will be anywhere from 14-16 pages, but there's been some confusion about whether LSAC will give you additional booklets if you need. This email indicates they *won't*.
And for those wondering, the scratch paper
I think it's more than enough paper. (Funny thing, though. I mentioned it in one of my YouTube videos and somebody made a big deal about how it was *only* 14 pages. Compared to the space you used to get, I think it's a lot!) My intuition is that after years of deliberation about moving to a computer-based administration, they've suddenly rushed things (perhaps due to GRE competition?)
As a result, there are many details being left unaddressed until the last possible moment (we're now a month before the July LSAT already!)
And, as with many things, moving to the Digital LSAT format may be more work for LSAC than they expected...
(Re: Digital LSAT Reading Comp, You have to scroll or click arrows b/c there's not enough space to display the entire passage at once (with or without questions). I actually did a Digital LSAT video walkthrough here ---->
Benefits - you do save time on bubbling. And the flagging tool is helpful.)
LSAT Score Cancellations
"What's the LSAT score at which you don't advise students cancel?"
It's different for every student and depends on goals. Normally I'recommend against canceling unless something went horribly wrong.
If you're not totally satisfied with your score, retake, try to do better, and see what you can do differently this time around.
If you haven't done everything you can - i.e. if there's material/resources you haven't used that you think could help you, now's the time to go nuclear and pull out all the stops!
You've got 1-2 months between LSAT test dates, which is enough time to make a big difference, especially if you're not starting from scratch.
One cancelled score isn't a big deal, but you do want to limit the # of cancellations and overall takes. Better to postpone if you don't think you'll be ready. From the UCLA Law School Admissions Dean ---->
If you're not totally satisfied with your score, retake, try to do better, and see what you can do differently this time around.
If you haven't done everything you can - i.e. if there's material/resources you haven't used that you think could help you, now's the time to go nuclear and pull out all the stops!
You've got 1-2 months between LSAT test dates, which is enough time to make a big difference, especially if you're not starting from scratch. One cancelled score isn't a big deal, but you do want to limit the # of cancellations and overall takes. Better to postpone if you don't think you'll be ready. From the UCLA Law School Admissions Dean ---->
Figuring Out the LSAT Experimental Section
Re: figuring out the LSAT experimental section
Normally, we can figure it out pretty easily after the test.
It's not as if experimental sections are *necessarily* weirder. The overall difficulty just might not be exactly what LSAC is looking to do. And they want to know that no group is uniquely disadvantaged by a particular question.
It might sound a little harsh, but I'm going to give it to you straight:
Students are notoriously bad at determining the experimental section in the heat of the moment with all the stress and adrenaline of the real thing.
You only have so much mental capacity at one time - and what you should be doing is focusing on solving the questions, not figuring out if it's *real* or not.
Also keep in mind that LSAC is VERY good at writing LSAT questions - they're not experimenting on whether the questions are valid or not. It's much more about seeing if students will perform on them as expected.
LSAT Sufficient Assumption vs Necessary Assumption Questions
From an LSAT Master Class I recently taught on Logical Reasoning:
Digital LSAT Writing Sample, LSAC, & LSAT Scores
LSAC will give your LSAT score to law schools even if you haven't done the writing sample yet.
But still don't wait too long to do it!
***
From LSAC:
Dear Candidate –
As you know, starting in June 2019, we separated the writing portion of the LSAT from the multiple-choice portion. After five months of experience with the writing portion (“LSAT Writing”), many of the benefits we expected – including a shorter test day and the ability for candidates to provide their writing sample in a more natural setting at a convenient time and place of their choosing – have come to fruition. But we have also heard from a number of member schools that they are interested in receiving applicant scores as soon as they are available, even as candidates are still completing LSAT Writing.
Therefore, to help candidates and schools move expeditiously through the admission process, we will be releasing scores for the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT to you and to the law schools to which you apply (or have applied), as soon as scores are available, even if you have not yet completed your writing sample. This change applies to anyone who took or will take the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT in this testing cycle which began June 2019 and ends in April 2020.
This change does not mean that legal writing is any less important. Many law schools require a writing sample as an integral part of their admission decision, and therefore, you should take the writing sample immediately and to meet schools’ application deadlines. Writing samples will be shared with you and schools as soon as they are completed. LSAC includes the fee for the writing sample as part of the LSAT fee to encourage this prompt action. In case you are not applying in the current cycle, please note you have a maximum of a year to take LSAT Writing without an additional fee; after that it is a separate fee unless you take the entire LSAT again...
Laurie Pugliese
Senior Vice President for Candidate Services
Law School Admission Council
