Law School Admissions Workshops Online

I've previously interviewed law school admission consultant Ann Levine about The Law School Admission Game, her book on law school admissions. Ann's also shared some general law school admission advice on LSAT Blog in the past.

Ann recently announced she's hosting a series of "webinars" called “Learning the Rules of the Law School Admission Game.” (For the eldery/non-tech-savvy among you, webinars are like seminars or workshops, but over the web). Ann's webinars aren't free, but they're not a fortune, either.

If you're applying to law school in Fall 2011, these webinars look like a great opportunity to learn a bit more about the process, to ask your admissions-related questions, and to ask Ann to elaborate on anything in her book, The Law School Admission Game.

Photo by 41626461@N06 / CC BY-ND 2.0

4-Month LSAT Study Plan / Schedule

Also see the 4-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Premium Day-By-Day Version.

4 months is PLENTY of time if you stick with a regular, but moderate, schedule. I've reviewed all books and PrepTests mentioned below in my best LSAT prep books recommendations post.

This schedule is intense. Follow it only if you're studying for the LSAT full-time, or if you're able to study for several hours each weekend. You might have work/school/life obligations that make this impossible. If that's the case, skip some of the "re-do" and "review" weeks, and complete the rest at a more relaxed pace.

Month 1:

Review my relevant articles on Logic Games and complete this list of Logic Games from PrepTests 52-61 ordered by difficulty during the first 4 weeks.

Week 1: Complete Pure Sequencing, Basic Linear, and Advanced Linear games. Review each game that gives you trouble.

Week 2: Complete Grouping: In-Out / Selection, Grouping: Splitting, and Grouping: Matching games. Review each game that gives you trouble.

Week 3: Complete Combination games. Review each game that gives you trouble. Then complete any Logic Games in older exams of the types that give you difficulty. Complete a few sections of Logic Games under timed conditions, and read A Rulebook For Arguments.

Week 4: Review my articles on Logical Reasoning before completing LSAT questions of each type in PrepTests 52-61 using the LSAT Logical Reasoning spreadsheet (untimed). Complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.


Month 2:
Week 5: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games.

Week 6: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.

Week 7: Continue Logical Reasoning work from Week 4 with additional question-types and complete a few timed sections of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning.

Week 8: Review my articles on Reading Comprehension and complete several sections of Reading Comp from PrepTests 52-61 (untimed). Complete a few sections of Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension under timed conditions.


Month 3:
Week 9: Catch-up and review week. Re-do the Linear / Sequencing games from PrepTests 52-61, then re-do the Grouping and Combination games from PrepTests 52-61. Try to solve them more quickly and make new inferences.

Week 10: Complete the 3 tests in LSAC's SuperPrep (timed) and review the explanations. Although the explanations are technical, it's good to learn how the test-makers think. Identify weak areas.

Week 11: Re-read my articles on Logic Games and Logical Reasoning about question-types still giving you trouble. Use my Logic Games categorizations and/or Logical Reasoning spreadsheet to do question-types in older exams that still give you difficulty. Complete a recent LSAT PrepTest under timed conditions. Review.

Week 12: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests under timed conditions.

Month 4:
Week 13: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Review each exam on alternating days.

For the remaining weeks, use these free Logic Games Explanations, these video explanations, and these other LSAT explanations after completing the relevant exam.

Week 14: Complete another 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 15: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. Consider using one section to create a 6-section exam for extra practice. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 16: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate experimental sections. (Again, consider using one section to create a 6-section exam). More thoughts on how to simulate the experimental section in this this article. Review each exam on alternating days.

Finally, rock the LSAT on Test Day.

***

Also check out my other sample LSAT study schedules and plans.

LSAT Grouped by Logic Game Type Book

For those of you who intend to complete every LSAT Logic Game ever published, there's a book for you. It's called:

Grouped by Game Type: LSAT Analytical Reasoning: The Complete Collection of Actual, Official Logic Games from PrepTests 1-20

This book is incredibly useful for two major reasons (which the title makes obvious):

Reason #1: Grouped by Game Type compiles all the games from PrepTests 1-20 for you in one book, saving you the trouble of getting all the separate books you'd need if you wanted every Logic Game from these exams. 10 Actual, Official, LSAT PrepTests only contains 7, 9-16, and 18. It lacks PrepTests 1-6, 8, and 17. You can still get those, though. (19 and 20 are in 10 More Actual Official LSAT PrepTests.)

Reason #2: Grouped by Game Type organizes Logic Games by the type of Logic Game, rather than putting them in order by PrepTest (as the traditional books of PrepTests from LSAC do). It divides them into different "chapters" based upon the type of Logic Game. This makes sense because these exams are so old (June 1991 - October 1996) that you'll want to take them in pieces, rather than as full timed exams.

***

While this book is a great concept, there are two minor (and related) reasons that may mean this book isn't for you:

Reason #1: Some types of Logic Games in these older exams are on the less-relevant side. I'm particularly talking about the games included in Chapter 5 (Diagram Games) and 6 (Pattern Games). If your time is limited, you may be better off focusing on newer Logic Games because the types of Logic Games included on the LSAT have evolved a bit over time.

Reason #2: The book categorizes some Logic Games that have no ordering or ranking component under the category of Linear: Assignment. In my opinion, these particular games should be under the category of Grouping: Matching. Additionally, it includes some Linear games with a vertical setup under Linear: Stacked, where it also includes Advanced Linear games. To be fair, however, some of the older Logic Games are on the wacky side, so it's a bit difficult to categorize them. Overall, the book does a good job, so this isn't that big a deal.


***

I'm listing the chapters of the book below so you can see what types of categories the book uses. While it doesn't perfectly follow the way I categorize Logic Games, and it sometimes uses different terms, it's fairly close. Don't worry too much about the differences in terminology, though, because the book's brief introduction explains how the Logic Games are categorized.

Chapters:
1. Introduction

2. Linear Games
-Ordering
-Circle
-Assignment
-Stacked

3. Grouping Games
-Selection
-Division
-Matching

4. Linear/Grouping Hybrid Games

5. Diagram Games
-Given
-Spatial

6. Pattern Games

7. Index and Answer Keys


***

Who should use this book:

Most test-takers won't find this book absolutely necessary. However, anyone who intends to complete every LSAT Logic Game ever published will find this book worthwhile and convenient.

***

Also see the Grouped by Question Type Book and Grouped by Reading Passage Type Book.

LSAT Grouped by Question Type Book

For those of you who intend to complete every LSAT Logical Reasoning question ever published, there's a book for you. It's called:

Grouped by Question Type: LSAT Logical Reasoning: The Complete Collection of Actual, Official Logical Reasoning Questions from PrepTests 1-20

This book is useful for two major reasons (which the title makes obvious):

Reason #1: Grouped by Question Type compiles all the Logical Reasoning questions from PrepTests 1-20 for you in one book, saving you the trouble of getting all the separate books you'd need if you wanted every Logical Reasoning Question from these exams. 10 Actual, Official, LSAT PrepTests only contains 7, 9-16, and 18. It lacks PrepTests 1-6, 8, and 17. You can still get those, but it's a bit of a pain. (19 and 20 are in 10 More Actual Official LSAT PrepTests.)

Reason #2: Grouped by Question Type organizes Logical Reasoning questions by the type of question, rather than putting them in order by PrepTest (as the traditional books of PrepTests from LSAC do). It divides them into different "chapters" based upon the type of Logical Reasoning question. This makes sense because these exams are so old (June 1991 - October 1996) that you'll want to take them in pieces, rather than as full timed exams. In my study schedules (for example, the 3-month study schedule), I recommend working through Logical Reasoning questions by type using the LSAT Logical Reasoning spreadsheet. This book saves you the trouble of constantly flipping between exams.

***

While this book is a great concept, there's one reason it might not be for you - the Logical Reasoning questions are from the oldest PrepTests. If you only have a few months remaining before your exam, you might want to stick with Logical Reasoning questions from more recent PrepTests.

***

I'm listing the chapters of the book below so you can see how the questions are categorized. You may be used to categorizing things slightly differently, but I personally like how this book breaks them down. Don't worry too much about the differences in categorization, though, because the book's brief introduction explains how the Logical Reasoning questions are categorized.

Chapters:
1. Introduction

2. Arguments
-Method of Reasoning
-Main Conclusion
-Matching Patterns of Reasoning

3. Flaws in Arguments
Argument Flaw
Matching Argument Flaw

4. What Can Be Concluded From The Information Provided
-Must Be True
-Must Be False
-Most Strongly Supported
-Point At Issue

5. Understanding The Impact of Additional Information
-Weaken
-Strengthen
-Evaluate the Argument

6. Assumptions
-Sufficient Assumption
-Necessary Assumption

7. Principle

8. Resolve

9. Index and Answer Key

***
Who should use this book:

Most test-takers won't find this book absolutely necessary. However, people who intend to complete every LSAT Logical Reasoning question ever published will find this book worthwhile and convenient.

***
Also see the Grouped by Game Type Book and Grouped by Reading Passage Type Book.

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

LSAT Test Center Inclement Weather Closings Due To Snow

UPDATE: I have created a new blog post about this for those taking the February 2013 LSAT.

The blog post applies to some test-takers taking the February 6, 2010 LSAT. If you're in an area potentially affected by snow or other "inclement weather," keep an eye on LSAC's website and check your email regularly.

(Note: Inclement weather is a major reason that LSAC does not release February LSAT exams - they're saving them for future make-up test administrations.)

As of Saturday 9:00AM EST, the following test centers were closed according to LSAC's website:

IMPORTANT! Inclement Weather Closings

The following LSAT centers are closed for the February 6, 2010 exam due to inclement weather:

Delaware

* Center 1330 - University of Delaware, Newark, DE
* Center 1331 - Delaware State University, Dover DE

Indiana

* Center 4761 - Indiana University - Purdue University (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN

Kentucky

* Center 5910 - Gateway Community and Technical College, Edgewood, KY

Maryland

* Center 1364 - Towson University, Towson, MD
* Center 1366 - University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
* Center 1369 - University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD
* Center 1371 - University of Maryland-College Park, College Park, MD
* Center 1372 - University of Maryland (Overflow)-College Park, College Park, MD
* Center 1377 - Bowie State University, Bowie, MD
* Center 1381 - Towson University, Towson, MD (overflow)
* Center 1382 - Towson University, Towson, MD (overflow)
* Center 1386 - Montgomery College, Rockville, MD
* Center 1392 - McDaniel College, Westminster, MD
* Center 1393 - Hagerstown Community College, Hagerstown, MD
* Center 1394 - Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD

New Jersey

* Center 1001 - Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
* Center 1004 - Rutgers - The State University, New Brunswick, NJ
* Center 1007 - Richard Stockton College of NJ, Pomona, NJ
* Center 1011 - Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ
* Center 1012 - Rutgers University – Camden, Camden, NJ
* Center 1027 - Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ
* Center 1039 - Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ

New York

* Center 3617 - South Shore High School, Brooklyn, NY
* Center 3633 - Wagner College, Staten Island, NY

North Carolina

* Center 5309 - University of North Carolina/Asheville, Asheville, NC
* Center 5311 - University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
* Center 5321 - Appalachian STATE University, Boone, NC

Ohio

* Center 4500 - Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH
* Center 4501 - University of Akron, Akron, OH
* Center 4502 - University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
* Center 4505 - Ohio State University, Columbus OH
* Center 4509 – Miami University, Oxford, OH
* Center 4511 - Youngstown University, Youngstown, OH
* Center 4520 - Wright State University, Dayton, OH
* Center 4528 - Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH

Pennsylvania

* Center 2004 - Lincoln University, Lincoln, University, PA
* Center 2006 - Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
* Center 2009 – University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
* Center 2011 – Pennsylvania State University, University park, PA
* Center 2012 - Villanova University, Villanova, PA
* Center 2014 - Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA
* Center 2017 - Cheyney University, Cheyney, PA
* Center 2019 - Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA
* Center 2020 - Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
* Center 2025 - Millersville University, Millersville, PA
* Center 2035 - Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, PA
* Center 2401 - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
* Center 2403 - Holy Family College, Philadelphia, PA
* Center 2408 - Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
* Center 2409 - Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
* Center 2506 - LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA

Virginia

* Center 1580 - University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
* Center 1582 - Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA
* Center 1584 - University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, VA
* Center 1585 - College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
* Center 1587 - Hampton University, Hampton, VA
* Center 1588 - Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
* Center 1589 - Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA
* Center 1594 - Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden Sydney, VA
* Center 1597 - University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA
* Center 1598 - Northern Virginia Community College, Springfield, VA
* Center 1609 - Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA

West Virginia

* Center 1882 - West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
* Center 1885 - Mountain State University, Beckley, WV

Washington, DC

* Center 1550 - American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC
* Center 1556 - Howard University, Washington, DC
* Center 1568 - University of DC School of Law, Washington, DC
* Center 1569 - Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

Canada

* Center 0975 - Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NF CANADA

Please continue to check this website alert for any additional test center closings due to inclement weather. LSAC will contact you via email as soon as possible (most likely the week after the test date) regarding other options, including a make-up test.

For the December 5, 2009 LSAT exam, when some test centers were closed due to inclement weather, affected test-takers received the following email:

Dear Candidates:

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) will not be administered on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 8:30 am at ________, test center # ____, because of inclement weather. The Law School Admission Council will make arrangements for a make-up test. Our goal is for this to occur within the next two weeks. Keep your admission ticket. We will contact you via e-mail with further information.

If you have any questions, please contact LSAC 215-968.1001 or by email at LSACinfo@LSAC.org.

LSAC regrets any inconvenience caused by this change.

Thank you,

Test Administration Department
Law School Admission Council

Photo by bakingproject / CC BY-NC 2.0

February 2010 LSAT Scores / Results Dates

The February 2010 LSAT scores / results are scheduled to be released via email by March 1, 2010. However, LSAC generally releases February LSAT scores the Friday before.

Let's look at the trend over the past several years (updated - click to enlarge):

(Contrary to expectations, Feb 2010 scores were released Saturday, Feb 27, 2010. This may be due to the East Coast snowstorm that closed LSAC's offices on Friday 2/26.)

"But at what time specifically? I need to know when to constantly refresh my email / LSAC account!"

In batches over the course of several hours. Likely starting late in the day (Eastern Time).

No one knows how the batches are organized, if at all.

The batches do not seem to be organized in any of these ways:

alphabetical/regional/high-to-low scores/low-to-high scores/test center #, etc.

Wish everyone all the best!

***

Also see:

June LSAT Score Release Dates
October LSAT Score Release Dates
December LSAT Score Release Dates

See other LSAT score release dates posts.

***

While you're waiting for your score, get busy with my admissions-related blog posts.

Also see, Should You to Cancel Your LSAT Score?

Feel free to leave comments and vent at the injustice of having to wait so long for what is rightfully yours.


Finally, here's Victory Baby, in case you prefer him to the other one for your Facebook profile photo or something:

February Vs. June LSAT | Which Is Better?

Law schools consider applications on a rolling admissions basis. The earlier you apply in the admissions cycle, the easier it is to gain acceptance. The cycle begins in September.

For top law schools, it's especially important to apply early in the cycle because admission to these schools is particularly competitive.

February is towards the end of the cycle. Many top law schools (such as Columbia, Harvard, NYU, and Stanford) don't even accept February LSAT scores for that cycle.

(This means you can't take the LSAT in February 2010 and apply to start at those law schools in the fall of 2010. However, you can take the February 2010 LSAT and use that score to apply to start at those law schools in Fall 2011.)

Even some law schools that aren't typically considered "top law schools" have application deadlines that are before February LSAT scores are released. This means, of course, those schools don't take February LSAT scores (for that cycle), either.

Given enough prep time (and the right kind of prep), most people are capable of scoring decently on the LSAT. However, a month or two generally isn't enough time to adequately prepare.

If you're not feeling ready for the LSAT now, you'll likely do better on the LSAT if you wait. Taking it in June or October will give you enough time to work through some version of my LSAT study schedules. You've probably started working through some of the materials mentioned there for February, but perhaps you haven't gotten past Logic Games - there's still Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and several recent full-length practice exams that you should complete before taking the exam. It simply can't all be done in a couple of weeks.

Some top law schools (such as Columbia and NYU) take the average of multiple scores, rather than only the highest. Fordham does not disclose whether it takes the average of multiple scores.

Even if the law schools you're considering explicitly state that they take the highest LSAT score (and most do only take the highest when computing your LSAT and GPA), they'll still see your other scores. Ideally, you'll only take the LSAT once and get it right the first time.Try not to take the LSAT until you're as certain as possible that you're fully prepared.

Bottom line: if you're not feeling ready to take it in February, I recommend you bite the bullet and wait a year, and take the LSAT in June rather than in February. A higher LSAT score means you'll get into better law schools and/or, potentially, more scholarship money. 1 year could be well worth the wait.

If you're only shooting for less competitive schools, it won't matter as much. However, there's some debate as to whether it's worth going to less competitive (i.e. 4th-tier) law schools at all. See Anna Ivey vs. Ann Levine on this issue.

Photo by lifeontheedge

LSAT Logical Reasoning Vocabulary Words

UPDATE: If you want even more help with LSAT vocabulary than the words below (and don't want to have to memorize hundreds and hundreds of words), check out the LSAT Vocabulary Builder: Words You Need to Know.


You probably know the meanings of most words in the Logical Reasoning section.

However, if you know what all the words mean, the arguments will be much easier to understand.

I've compiled a list of common, but difficult, vocabulary words just from glancing through 4-5 sections of Logical Reasoning (and throwing in some words that you absolutely must know), so this list is obviously not intended to be comprehensive.

Because the LSAT is not intended to be a vocabulary test, you probably know most of the below words already.

However, take a quick glance through this list and make sure you know them all.

Don't spend a great deal of time focusing on vocabulary in your preparation. However, when you see a word you don't understand, look it up. Just as the same concepts and types of arguments appear on multiple exams, the same words and phrases also appear on multiple exams.

Keep in mind that the LSAT sometimes uses one of a word's less-common meanings

For example:

The LSAT often uses the word "phenomenon" to mean "event" rather than "something unusual."

The LSAT often uses the word "advance" to mean "to promote an argument" rather than "to literally move something forward."



Words directly related to arguments

Antecedent
Assertion
Assumption
Claim
Consequent
Contention
Correlation
Counterexample
Flaw
Inference
Necessary
Paradox
Premise
Principle
Proposition
Rebuttal
Subsidiary
Subsequent
Sufficient


Verbs

Accumulate
Advance
Advocate
Afford
Aggravate
Attribute
Betray
Circumvent
Compel
Conform
Constitute
Derive
Endorse
Ensure
Entail
Eschew
Equivocate
Guarantee
Imply
Impose
Indicate
Hold
Hypothesize
Justify
Oblige
Posit
Preclude
Predispose
Presuppose
Prevaricate
Qualify
Refute
Sustain
Undermine
Verify


Adverbs

Correspondingly
Intrinsically
Invariably
Manifestly
Purportedly
Solely
Strenuously


Adjectives

Aggregate
Altruistic
Ambiguous
Ample
Categorical
Coherent / Incoherent
Compatible / Incompatible
Confirming / Disconfirming
Consistent / Inconsistent
Cryptic
Crucial
Eccentric
Extant
Foreseeable
Imperturbable
Improbable
Indigenous
Indispensable
Mundane
Principal
Primary
Prominent
Questionable
Sedentary
Temporal
Unequivocal
Unwarranted
Unique
Valid / Invalid
Viable
Vulnerable (to criticism)


Nouns

Anomaly
Condition
Contingency
Extent
Generalization
Hearsay
Impediment
Impetus
Inflation
Irony
Jurisprudence
Liability
Phenomenon
Placebo
Proportion
Pundit
Skeptic
Trial


Either or / Neither nor


Contrast
Principal vs. Principle
Extant vs. Extent

***

Also see: LSAT Logic Games Vocabulary Words and Phrases

Photo by solbronumberone / CC BY-SA 2.0

Average Number Of Hours You'll Be There On LSAT Test Day

The LSAT is a long exam, totaling just over 4 hours from start to finish, if everything goes according to plan.

Here's how I arrived at that number:

Getting started (housekeeping stuff):
Listening to rules
Bubbling-in name and address
Filling out "Certifying Statement" in cursive (stating you won't cheat):

Total: 30 minutes


4 scored 35-minute sections:
2 Logical Reasoning
1 Logic Games
1 Reading Comprehension

Total: 140 minutes - 2 hours, 20 minutes


2 unscored 35-minute sections:
1 Experimental (could be any of the 3 scored types above and any of the 1st 5 sections)
Writing Sample (taken after the 5 regular parts of the LSAT - LG, LR, and RC)

Total: 70 minutes - 1 hour, 10 minutes


Break between 3rd and 4th sections:
10-15 minutes

(Note: There is no break between sections 1-3, and no break between sections 4 and 5. Sections 1-3 are all back-to-back, and sections 4 and 5 are back-to-back.)


Altogether, this is about 4 hours and 15 minutes.

(Your mileage may vary - sometimes the proctors don't know what they're doing, can't find the booklets, etc. If this happens, you might be there much longer.)

Even if everything goes according to plan, this is still a long time, especially for smokers and other drug users.

It can be difficult to get through such a long period without a fix, especially when the first section begins at 9AM (February, September/October, and December). The June exam is the only one that begins at 1PM.

Here's LSAC's policy on bringing cigarettes, gum, nicotine patches, and coffee to the test center.

Photo by molinarius / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Are Cigarettes, Coffee, and Gum Allowed on LSAT Test Day?

I recently asked LSAC which of the following items are allowed in the test center on Test Day:

-Cigarettes
-Regular Gum
-Nicotine Gum
-Nicotine Patches
-Coffee

I expected to get a "no" on bringing all of these items, but I was pleasantly surprised to receive the following response:

Test takers may bring into the test room only a clear plastic zip lock bag, maximum size one gallon (3.79 liter), which must be stored under the chair and may be accessed only during the break. So, these items can be in your zip lock bag, but you would not have access to the items during the test. You can keep your coffee in plastic container (20 oz./591 ml maximum size) that you would also keep in your zip lock bag and would not have access to during the test.

The first sentence of the LSAC representative's response appears to be directly copy-pasted from LSAC's Day of the Test article (under "Items Allowed in the Test Room").

However, the rest of the LSAC rep's response above contradicts the remainder of the following paragraph on LSAC's website:

The ziplock bag may contain only the following items: LSAT Admission Ticket stub; valid ID; wallet; keys; analog (nondigital) wristwatch; medical or hygiene products; #2 or HB wooden pencils, highlighter, erasers, pencil sharpener (no mechanical pencils); tissues; and beverage in plastic container or juice box (20 oz./591 ml maximum size) and snack for break only.

This paragraph doesn't mention cigarettes, gum, nicotine patches, or coffee (assuming most people don't typically pour coffee into a plastic container or juice box).

Now, I suppose that cigarettes and coffee could be considered medical if you would suffer severe withdrawals without them, but good luck finding a doctor to write you a note.

Obviously, gum, coffee, and cigarettes won't do you much good if you can't actually use them at all during the exam or during the break. However, enforcement of the rules varies significantly.

The following is just my common-sense speculation, so don't hold me to it, but...

Cigarettes
While you almost definitely won't be permitted to smoke during the exam, there's a decent chance you'll be able to smoke during the break (just be sure to ask the proctor before you leave the room).

Gum
In a separate email to me, LSAC said, "[Y[ou may not want to chew gum because it may be annoying to other test takers." However, you'll probably be able to chew gum during the exam unless another test-taker complains.

Nicotine Patch
In a separate email to me, LSAC said, "You can wear the nicotine patch." However, it's probably best to put on your nicotine patch before walking inside the test center.

Coffee
You might even be able to drink coffee during the exam itself.

I doubt you really need to pour your coffee into a plastic container and keep it in a ziplock bag.

A regular coffee cup will probably be fine.

***
Also see Why Not To Use Adderall and NoDoz to Study for the LSAT.

Photo by sheehanpaul

LSAT Analog Watch / Timer for Test Day

LSAC's Test Day FAQ mentions that LSAC doesn't allow digital watches or timers on the exam. Whether or not this makes sense, it means you can use an analog watch or just go without.

Most test-takers feel more comfortable having some kind of watch.

Using a regular watch means:

1. you need to turn the minute hand back to 12 before each section

OR

2. you need to do math to determine how much time you have left in a given section

Neither option is ideal.

#1 isn't a great option because you'll typically have only 3 to 30 seconds between sections (excluding the break, of course). This time is best spent recuperating, clearing your mind, and preparing yourself for the next section - NOT fiddling with a tiny watch dial.

#2 isn't a great option because it would force you to add/subtract whenever you want to know how much time you have remaining. This energy and time are best spent answering questions.

So where does this leave you?

There is a watch out there that satisfies LSAC's security requirements without either of the disadvantages I outlined above.

Here is a watch that has a rotating bezel, so you can easily see how much time you have left.

(The bezel is the thing with the markings that go around the watch's face.)

Before each section, just turn the "0" part of the bezel to wherever the minute hand is. When the minute hand hits 30 on the bezel, you have 5 minutes left. At this point, it might be a good idea to bubble in your answers if you haven't already. When the minute hand hits 35 on the bezel, your proctor will likely announce that time's up (if he/she hasn't already).

Whichever watch you use, make sure you're comfortable using it during at least a few timed practice exams.