LSAT Logic of a Spam Email Scam

In this LSAT Blog post, I analyze two similar emails as if they were Logical Reasoning arguments. Both ended up in my spam folder (with good reason).

Here's the first, edited for brevity:

It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me, Please forgive this unusual manner to contact you, but this particular letter/email is of exceptional and private nature, as by virtue of my position in Hang Seng Bank - Hong Kong.

i have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. I will need you to assist me in executing a business project from our bank worth US$25.5 Million.

Here's the second, edited for brevity:

There is a sum of $19,500,000.00 in my bank Hang Seng Bank, Hong Kong. There were no beneficiaries stated concerning these funds which means no one would ever come to claim it. That is why I ask that we work together.

I solicit for your assistance in effecting this transaction. I intend to give 30% of the total funds as compensation for your assistance. I will notify you on the full transaction and details of the transaction on receipt of your response if interested, And I shall send you the details and necessary procedures with which to make the transfer.

I was excited about the first email until I got the second. The chances of getting two similar, yet unusual, proposals a day apart seemed highly unlikely, suggesting a scam.

(Ok, I'm getting serious now. As much as I want to believe that you're just reading this blog for fun, you're probably reading it for help with your LSAT prep.)


Comparing the emails
After receiving both emails, I decided to compare the two since they make similar arguments.

Go back and read both, considering the strength of each argument as you read. Which makes a better case? Which email's argument is better-supported?

Basically, think about each email as if it were a Logical Reasoning stimulus.

First email

-The first part:

It is understandable that you might be a little bit apprehensive because you do not know me, Please forgive this unusual manner to contact you

This functions as a counterpremise. The spammer begins by acknowledging a weakness in the argument. Spammers understand most people are skeptical of anything in their spam mail folders. By pointing this out, the sender hopes to appear more legitimate. By pointing out that this is "unusual," the spammer tries to make us think that he isn't sending these kinds of emails all the time.


-The second part:

this particular letter/email is of exceptional and private nature, as by virtue of my vantage position in Hang Seng Bank - Hong Kong.

The spammer begins to give evidence as to why he is sending this email. It's "exceptional" and "private." The fact that he has a position at the bank makes us more likely to believe the third part.


-The third part:

i have a lucrative business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. I will need you to assist me in executing a business project from our bank worth US$25.5 Million.

The first sentence here isn't too important - it's basically just a background/filler sentence meant to get us interested. However, the second part pushes the envelope. Saying "I will need you to assist me" struck me as an unsupported conclusion. The author (spammer) offers no evidence as to why he needs me in particular. What special qualifications do I hold? Why can't the spammer carry out this "business project" on his own?

One principle that would justify this argument is:

If someone has a "vantage position" in a bank, then he will be incapable of executing a business project on his own and will require the assistance of the LSAT tutor who runs LSAT Blog to carry out said business project.

Second email

-The first part:

There is a sum of $19,500,000.00 in my bank Hang Seng Bank, Hong Kong. There were no beneficiaries stated concerning these funds which means no one would ever come to claim it. That is why I ask that we work together.

By itself, the first sentence is background. However, when combined with the 30% figure mentioned later in the stimulus, this becomes a reason (evidence) for me to work with the spammer.

We can rephrase second sentence to read, "Because there were no beneficiaries...no one would ever come to claim it."

"No beneficiaries" serves as evidence for the subconclusion that "no one would ever come to claim it." Then, "no one would ever come to claim it" serves as evidence for the main conclusion that we should work together.


-The second part:

I solicit for your assistance in effecting this transaction.

This is the conclusion. It's a restatement of the previous sentence asking we work together. Just like real LSAT Logical Reasoning stimuli and Reading Comp passages, sometimes the author is redundant.


-The third part:

I intend to give 30% of the total funds as compensation for your assistance. I will notify you on the full transaction and details of the transaction on receipt of your response if interested, And I shall send you the details and necessary procedures with which to make the transfer.

The 30% figure is giving a reason to engage in the deal, but the rest is just housekeeping (organizational) stuff. Nothing special.

***
So, which email makes a better argument?

First email
I like that it used a counterpremise. It helped to ease my concerns.

The fact that the spammer has a position in the bank seems pretty promising.

However, this spammer made a serious unsupported claim that he needed me specifically to carry out the project. The spammer didn't provide any evidence to support this.

Second email
I enjoyed the evidence -> subconclusion -> main conclusion format. It was very smooth and logical, and a lot clearer than some Logical Reasoning stimuli.

I also liked that this spammer didn't make any big unsupported conclusions. However, I was disappointed that this scam only involved $19.5 million, of which I'd get a measly 30%.

The 1st email involved $25.5 million. Although that one didn't say what percentage I'd get, it's got me expecting a larger sum for my participation in any international banking scams.


The Verdict

I've decided not to participate in either scam, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled.

I'm sending both spammers a link to this blog post in the hopes it'll help them make better arguments the future.

(If you need to reach the spammers, email #1 is from jonchochan@hangseng.com, and email #2 is from songlile@jw.liyang.gov.cn)


See fun facts about the spam industry.

***

Please join me in thanking the spammers for the supplying raw material for this week's blog post.

Photo by foolswisdom / CC BY-NC 2.0

LSAT Diary: Balance LSAT Prep, College, and Dead-End Job

This LSAT Diary is from Ian, a 31-year-old assembly-line worker.

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please email me at LSATUnplugged@gmail.com. (You can be in LSAT Diaries whether you've taken the exam already or not.)

Leave Ian some encouragement below in the comments!

Ian's LSAT Diary:

Monday

-6:00 am ALARM goes off
-6:09 snooze
-6:18 snooze
-6:27 see above
-6:36 too cold to get out of bed to study for LSAT so I start working on 25 logical reasoning problems.
-7:10 I got only 16 of 25 correct. I review my answers and see where I made my mistakes.

Although, I understand where I went wrong, I still can’t help but feel extremely frustrated. When I first started prepping for the LSAT, the logic games by far gave me the most trouble so I took them head on and was able to significantly improve how well I scored on them. These logical reasoning problems seem different to me. It’s as if I’m on a plateau. No matter how many I do, or how many I review that I missed I’m not improving. With the logic games I could definitely sense a breakthrough in my progress but with these its almost as if I’m going backwards.

-7:45 I get out of bed after reading over the problems and get ready for school.
-9:00 Finance class starts and I learn I made a 114 on the last test. Again, frustration wells up in me. How can I excel in college and do so poorly on prepping for the LSAT?
-10:30 I’m back home from school and it is study time for me. I have a mid-term exam tomorrow night, plus a major paper due Wednesday night.

I checked the mail and got a letter from my employer. They laid me off last August and wanted to let me know they intended to recall me back to work this month. Great! I’m signed up for 18 hours of college, I’m studying for the LSAT and my place of employment for the past 11 years decides they want to rehire me just for the summer months (due to the poor economy of the past 19 months I’ve only worked 4 months).

If I go back, it means I may have to drop classes and reduce my study time for the LSAT. If I quit my job it means I loose my unemployment benefits AND any benefits I could receive from my employer, such as tuition reimbursement.

All of this causes me to question my goals and desires. Do I want to go to law school bad enough? Will the benefits outweigh everything I’m giving up? Will I be able to score well enough on the LSAT to be accepted to a respected law school, even though the logical reasoning is killing me.

I think about all of this and then I think about working on the assembly line for 8-16 hours a day. I HATE IT. I hate being a slave to that line. I hate doing the same thing over and over. I hate that it is a dead-end job. I hate that I have only worked 4 of 19 months because no one is buying air conditioners.

Most of all I hate that that kind of work is the highest-paying type of work I’m qualified to do until I graduate college. It’s a dead end job, and I’m 31. I made poor decisions in my youth and now I’m paying for them. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but these are the choices I made and I have to adapt and work to over come them. It’s supposed to make me a better person right? I know it has made me a better college student.

Stuff like this runs through my mind all day, sometimes in the background, sometimes in the forefront. It doesn’t matter if I’m studying, in class, or hanging with friends. I even think about it when I’m riding my motorcycle 120 mph trying to relax. I look forward to a time in the future when I can remember this period of time and laugh about it, and when I see someone in my current position I can encourage them.


Tuesday

-8:00 wake up and start working through 25 logical reasoning problems. I only got 13 of 25 right. SOOOOOO frustrating! I read through all the solutions and understood all the right answers. I still haven’t found a common thread in any of these problems that causes me to miss them.
-9:30 wrapped up my LSAT study and started studying for an organization of management test I have tonight.
-12:30 I got ready for school and went to my business law class. Ugh…I have a test Thursday. Got tickets to the symphony and a hot date Saturday night!
-2:00 I came home and continued to study for my test tonight.
-5:30 Headed back up to the university for Organization of Management class
-6:00-8:40 Tested and listened to a lecture. That should be illegal! Why would any teacher lecture after giving a test? My brain is fried.
-9:00 I go to a friends house to chill and hang out
-6:30 (Wednesday morning) I come home after staying up all night


Wednesday

-6:30-8:00 Sleep! ZZZZZzzzzzz…….
-9:00 Finance class
-10:00 come home and started writing a paper for marketing class that I should have done last week.
-2:00 Finished paper and I take a nap
-4:30 Go get some dinner and get ready to go to marketing class
-5:30 OMG My LSAT books arrived! The postal worker left my books on the back porch.
-6-8:40 Marketing class
-9:00- Got second dinner at Subway. For some reason going to night classes makes me hungry and I want to eat dinner again. Went home and played some video games just to chill. It's been a looooonng day.



Thursday

-7:30 Start learning about premises and conclusions and the key words that tip them off. This is good stuff.
-9:00 Still trying to figure out how to brew the perfect pot of coffee with this new damned coffee maker.
-9:15 Started studying for the bus law exam this afternoon.
-12:00 Went to class. Test sucked. I want to go to law school and my worst subject is business law. Irony…
-1:30 Went a friends apartment to visit for a while. Ended up taking my motorcycle out for a spin. Nothing like 125 mph to get your mind off all your troubles
-7:36 Walked in the door and about to learn more about premises and conclusions I reckon.
-9:30 Time to play some games before bed
-10:30 Night Night! Bite the bed bugs before they bite you


Friday

-7:00 Up and at 'em! (Whatever that means) Books tossed in backpack
-8:00 Made it to class early and read for about 45 minutes.
-10:00 Weekend begins!!!! But a quick detour to McDonalds for breakfast
-2:20ish On the back porch looking over the lake studying
-3:00 Ugh my mind can’t take it anymore in enough with LSAT study


Saturday

-9:30 wake up, don’t mess with books at all
-4:30 start getting dressed for the symphony only to find nothing that matches fits. Jacket for suit fits, but pants don’t. Brown button-up fits but slacks don’t. Khakis fit, but Blue button up won’t button at the neck. I’ll cover it up with a tie!
-5:45 Pick up date - LSAT has now went from priority status to LSAT-huh?.
-2:00 a.m. Lights out


Sunday
-9:30 coffee…..please…..
-5:00 I finally remember, oh yeah! I want to get into law school some day! Study for about 30 minutes.

It's times like this I feel very guilty. I am hard on myself because I feel like every moment I’m awake that I am not doing anything I could be working an LSAT problem or I could be reading. I need to find a balance.

11:00 Bed time….here comes Monday and time to do it all over again!


Photo by captkodak

June LSAT Score Release Dates

The June 2010 LSAT scores / results are scheduled to be released via email by Monday, June 28, 2010. However, the scores usually come out a bit earlier.

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

"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:

February 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.

LSAT Test Day Tips Summary

Get lots of sleep, eat a good breakfast, do something to warm up before walking into the test center (like a photocopy of a favorite logic game or two, or a few LR questions), and don't count on the proctor to give you a 5-minute warning.

Final tip for the super-neurotic:

Take your final practice test with your shoes covered in dog poo. That way, if you step in it on the way to your test center, but you don't have time to clean it off, you won't be affected by the smell.



(That was a joke, people. Relax!)

See all LSAT Test Day Tips.

Have fun!

(I don't speak, read, or write Chinese. However, judging from that photo's tags on Flickr, I believe we're looking at the door of an LSAT test center in Beijing - Peking University.)

Photo by qiaomeng / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

LSAT Test Day Luck

Personally, I don't believe in luck any more than I believe in the Tooth Fairy or Hanukkah Harry.

I believe you make your own luck.

That being said, a good luck charm or two probably couldn't hurt.

Other than filling your pocket with marshmallows from a box of Lucky Charms, what are you doing to improve your luck on Test Day when it comes to the stuff outside your control?

***

Judging from the below ad, it looks like Lucky Charms have come a long way since 1964.

The newer ones might help more on Test Day than I initially thought:














Photo by jbcurio / CC BY 2.0
Photo by call-to-adventure / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

PrepTest 59: Logic Game #4 Explanation, Cities

LSAT PrepTest 59 (December 2009 LSAT), Game 4, is a difficult linear game.

Below, I've written a complete explanation of this game, including the setup, diagrams, and questions.

If you haven't completed this PrepTest yet, save this blog post for later. You'll want to do this PrepTest as a full-length timed exam in the final week before you take the LSAT.

If you're taking the LSAT next week and you've already taken PrepTest 59, open your exam to this game and follow along. Otherwise, come back to this blog post in a few months or so.

Also see: Explanations for Recent LSAT Logic Games

***

This is an especially difficult linear game due to the fact that V and L can be in either order, as can M and T.

The rules themselves do not lead to any major inference.

Here's an initial diagram that's very basic:











If you like, you can insert the simple inference that T cannot be 6th and L cannot be 1st:











Most people stop there and move directly on to the questions.

However, games usually have something more that you can do.

The following is the approach I take. It's not for everyone. You have to be able to think and sketch quickly. However, I believe it's the best way to approach this game.

By diagramming every possible scenario, or even a few main diagrams under which every valid scenario must fall, you ensure that you don't miss anything as you're going through the questions.

In other words, you ensure that you're going down every possible road.

In this blog post, I'll lay out how I draw every possible scenario, little by little, then use it to blaze through the questions like Wile E. Coyote.

***

I use the V/L _ _ L/V rule to create my main diagrams because V is also involved in the rule that V and W must touch and because L is involved in the rule that T is before L.

I could've used the M/T _ _ T/M rule since T is also involved in the rule that T is before L.

However, I find a rule that imposes immediacy (in other words, a rule that forces certain variables to touch) to be more limiting. V and L are each involved in another rule (and the other rules they're involved in are not the exact same rule - they're involved in different rules).

On the other hand, only one of T and M involved in T before L rule ("T", of course).

As such, using L/V _ _ V/L is more powerful in creating multiple main diagrams because these variables relate well to the other variables. Their presence in particular spaces impacts the greatest number of variables. Using T and M as our starting point would not impact the other variables as much.

I start with the V/L _ _ L/V rule by creating 3 diagrams:

V on 1, L on 4
V on 2, L on 5
V on 3, L on 6

There's no more room to create diagrams with V before L with 2 spaces between them, so I then create 3 diagrams with:

L on 1, V on 4
L on 2, V on 5
L on 3, V on 6

This gives us:

















Yes, I know it looks crazy, but this is what I do. And it works.

"But wait!", you say. L can't go on 1.

Right you are. That diagram is invalid, so we can cross it off for good. Now there are only 5 main diagrams.

While we're at it, we can start applying the rule that V and W have to touch. In most of the diagrams, W could appear on either side of V, but not while V is on 1 or 6. As such, I put down W in the diagrams where it's limited to one specific space.

In the top diagram, where we put V on 1 and L on 4, W has to go on 2. T will have to go on 3, since T has to go before L.

Since T and M also have to be spaced apart with exactly 2 variables between them, M will have to go on 7, leaving N to go on 6. This diagram is now full.

Of course, I've also placed W on 5 in the bottom diagram. Focusing on the T before L rule does not automatically limit T to a specific space at the moment, so that's all for now.

All of this so far gives us the following:























Continuing, I focus on the bottom diagram since it is the most limited diagram not yet filled in. (I know it's limited because spaces 5 and 6 are determined already.)

T and M must have exactly 2 spaces between them, so they will have to go on spaces 1 and 4. Since T must go before L, T will go on 1, and M will go on 4. This leaves N to go on 2.

We now have the following:
























Now, the 5th diagram, the one directly above the one we just filled in.

L's on 2, so T's on 1, which forces M to be on 4. W and V have to touch, so W will go on 6. This leaves N to go on 3.

We now have:























Only 2 diagrams left, but there's an issue:

We don't know whether W comes before or after V in each of those diagrams. So we can break this open by creating 2 extra versions of each of those diagrams. This allows us to place W before V on one version of each diagram. We'll place W after V on the other version of each diagram...like so:















We can now approach the 4 remaining diagrams just like the others.

Notice that previously I've been placing N last since there are no rules about it. I'll continue to do the same. Since aside from N, the only variables I have are T and M, and there's a rule about them, I'll use them.

Given the nature of the rule involving T and M, I'm going to look for spaces that have exactly 2 slots between them.

Starting with the remaining diagram on the top-left (where W's on 1), I'm going to put T on 3 and M on 7. I can't put M on 3 and T on 7 because T must always go before L (another rule).

Therefore, N must go on 4, and this diagram is done:















On the top-right diagram (where W's on 3), T and M will have to go on 1 and 4, and they're interchangeable since both of those slots are before L.

It doesn't matter whether T goes on 1 or 4 - either way, it'll be before L.

N will go on 7, giving us:















On the bottom-left diagram (where W's on 2), T and M will go on 1 and 4. Again, they're interchangeable. N will go on 5:















Finally, in the bottom-right diagram (the only one remaining undone), T and M will go on 2 and 5, interchangeably. T will be before L whether it goes on 2 or 5. The only available space for N is on 1:















I'm lettering the diagrams for easy reference as I go through the questions. I obviously wouldn't do that on Test Day!














Now, the questions:

Question 17
There are two acceptable ways to approach this common opening question.

You can:

1. Take one rule at a time and apply it to all 5 choices, eliminate any violators, then take the next rule and do the exact same thing until you've exhausted all the rules and have the correct answer.

2. Check each choice against our complete list of possibilities.

Both ways are fine. In this particular situation, I like the 2nd option since the possibilities we have are pretty clear-cut and relatively simple. By this, I mean the diagrams don't contain too many slashes - only the 3 cases where T and M alternate like so: T/M _ _ M/T. This occurs in diagrams B2, C1, and C2.

I'd start by checking choice A, which starts with TVW. Only diagram B2 contains that possibility for the first 3 spaces, so I check the rest of Choice A to see if the rest of it complies with B2. It does, so we're finished. Circle A and move on. No need to go through the other choices.


Question 18
Since we have every possibility listed, we can easily eliminate wrong answers.

A) T's not always 1st. We have A, B1, and C2 to disprove it. Eliminated.
B) M's not always 4th. A, B1, B2, C1, and C2 don't have to have M 4th. Eliminated.
C) T's not always before M. Any of B2, C1, and C2 would be sufficient to disprove this choice. Eliminated.
D) N and V don't always touch. In fact, they never do. Eliminated.
E) By elimination, it must be our answer. Looking at it, are N and W 2 spaces apart? Yes, they are in every single one of our comprehensive list of scenarios. This is the answer.


Question 19
Now, they're asking us what would completely determine the layout of variables.

A) L on 5 occurs in both B1 and B2, so it can't be the answer. (Even if it had only occurred in B2, it wouldn't be the answer because B2 contains 2 possibilities.) Eliminated.

B) M on 6 occurs in both A and B1. Eliminated.

C) N on 5 occurs in both A and C1. Eliminated.

D) V on 1 occurs only in possibility A, where there are no slashes or ambiguities. Correct answer.


On Test Day, you should circle D on move on, but I'll explain E anyway:

E) W on 2 occurs in A and in C1. Eliminated.


Question 20
We want a complete list of places where W occurs. Let your eyes scan vertically across diagrams on each space, moving from space 1 to space 6 as you check through all the diagrams.

We have W on space:

1 in diagram B1
2 in diagrams A and C1
3 in diagram B2
4 in diagram C2
5 in diagram E5
6 in diagram D

Thus, choice E is our answer.


Question 21
If M is in the first year...this refers to diagrams B2 and C1.

A) W on 3 occurs in B2. Eliminated.
B) V on 3 occurs in C1. Eliminated.
C) T on 4 could occur in both. Eliminated.
D) N on 5 occurs in C1. Eliminated.
E) By elimination, it must be the answer. Looking at it, L on 5 occurs in neither. It's our answer.


Question 22

A) L on 1 does not occur in any diagram. Eliminated.
B) N on 2 occurs in diagram E. Pick B and move on.

The others never occur in any diagram either.


Question 23
In all 5 choices, they're asking which of the following pairs of variables could be consecutive (could touch).

A) L and N touch in all but 1 of the diagrams. You only need to find one case where they touch in order to eliminate this choice, of course, but they touch in A, B1, B2, C1, D, and E. Eliminated.

B) L and W never touch in any diagram. It's our answer, so pick it and move on.

However, I'll go through the other choices anyway, for learning purposes.

C) N and T touch in B1, C1, C2, and E. Eliminated.

D) T and V touch in B1, B2, C1, and C2. Eliminated.

E) T and W touch in A and B2. Eliminated.

Photo by sunsurfr / CC BY NC-SA

LSAT Diary: Married MBA Student and HR Manager

This LSAT Diary is from Chrissie, a 30-year-old married HR Manager and part-time MBA student. She improved from a starting score of 149 to a 165 on the February LSAT using my 3-month LSAT study schedule and books.

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please email me at LSATUnplugged@gmail.com. (You can be in LSAT Diaries whether you've taken the exam already or not.)

Chrissie's LSAT Diary:

The idea of law school popped into my head one night as I sat in an employment law class while pursuing my MBA. Being an HR (human resources) professional, this particular class naturally piqued my interest as I use many of the basic tenets of labor law in my daily work tasks. However, as this class unfolded, I truly discovered a hidden passion for legal writing and research. After several conversations with my husband about my future career options, I decided to begin the path towards law school. Needless to say, this journey was unexpected especially since just two years prior I had assumed that my final academic stop would be my master’s degree.

After my husband and I decided that our new family path included me being a full-time law student, I now had the responsibility of making this goal a reality. As silly as it may sound one of the first things I did to help myself realize the reality of this goal was to simply begin articulating my new plans to my friends, co-workers and family. By stating this new goal out loud I felt it now truly made me accountable for my actions.

I was fortunate to have prepared for the GMAT just one and half years prior therefore I was somewhat familiar with the dedication and focus that would be needed to prepare for the LSAT. Based on some feedback I received from previous LSAT takers I knew that I could be successful on the LSAT without having to make a big investment in a formal preparation course. I therefore decided that I would prepare on my own. I began scouring the internet for a study guide and that is when I discovered the LSAT Blog.

I decided to follow the 3-month plan after taking a short diagnostic test and realizing that Logic Games appeared to be as difficult as rumored and therefore knowing that I would need a large amount of time to properly prepare. Prior to jumping into the schedule, I went to my local library and reviewed variou guides, simply to get a foundation of what the LSAT was about and to ease my way into more difficult material.

It took me about one and half weeks to go through these various books and what I discovered is that none of them had good tips or even formulated a solid structure to build upon. Also, in my personal opinion, I felt that Kaplan’s formulated LSAT questions were particularly horrendous. After this short break-in period, I moved on to the books recommended by the LSAT Blog and in an attempt to save some money, I purchased used books or simply borrowed them from my local library. The investment in the books is still rather large but nothing compared to a formal course.

During the 3-month prep period, I was also working full-time and completing my MBA in the evenings. Needless to say, my available hours for LSAT study were limited. After two weeks of struggling to stay on target I had to take a hard look at what I could realistically do in a week. I realized that what I needed to do was formulate a daily, weekly and monthly schedule which would help me set aside a certain amount of hours per week.

This was not an easy task considering my other commitments and what I discovered is that my only true available hours were between 4am and 6am, which was less than ideal but if I wanted to get in study time during the workweek I had to get used to waking up “with the crickets”. I also had to sit down with my family and friends and explain the intensity of this 90-day journey and communicate that I may not be available for social functions during this period. Fortunately I have a very supportive family and an amazing husband that understood how serious this venture was and all of them respected my temporary boundaries.

I did not necessarily follow the LSAT Blog's schedule chronologically, rather I adjusted it to fit my individual learning weaknesses. I also printed out all the extra review material posted on this blog, such as the list of vocabulary, the “must-review” questions, and the list of “most difficult" questions. I worked through absolutely everything suggested. I also purchased all recent PrepTests, which I found to be a tremendous help. I did not purchase older tests simply because I did not have time to review any additional material.

The more LSAC-published tests I covered, the more I realized that there are distinct patterns to the LSAT. Do not get me wrong - there are no repeated questions, but there are definitely certain topics, wording, and formatting that the LSAC likes to repeat, which is good news for us test-takers! In addition to what was outlined on the blog, I also made my own flashcards with any tips I deemed worthy, which I reviewed while at the gym or while on my lunch break. I also had great success with voice recording material. I would listen to my recorded review notes while running errands and before going to sleep to help maximize my study and review time.

Do not be fooled - I had little to no social life during this 90-day period and I studied every free moment I could put aside. Also going against some published advice, some weekends I would study ten hours straight with just a few meal breaks in-between. It was not an easy schedule, but I knew I needed to be extremely focused and disciplined if I wanted a shot at law school in the fall. Since I was taking the last test of the application season I truly felt the pressure to do it “right” the first time.

In hindsight, the one thing I wish I had started sooner was stringently timing myself. I did not start this until the last five weeks of preparation, simply because I just didn’t want to face this particular constraint but what I realized is that as I worked through the nerves of forcing myself to pre-test under actual test day constraints, the more at ease I became with the timing. The sooner you begin timing yourself, the sooner you will realize how to work more efficiently which will only help you on test day!

Another suggestion I have, is to not lose sight of the overall application process. It takes time to gather letters of recommendation, attend information sessions, scout scholarships, and to write standout personal statements so be sure to schedule time for all of these tasks so you can apply once the LSAT scores are published without further delay!

Lastly, other books I reviewed and found extremely helpful, were Perfect Personal Statements and How to Get into the Top Law Schools, both of which have great information on writing essays, application "watch-outs" and interview tips. Achieving a solid LSAT score is possible as long as you train for the test like an athlete would train for a competition, consider it a marathon for the mind so put those running shoes on ASAP! In the end I was able to achieve an LSAT score that met the requirements to get into the schools I desired in my area (Tier 2 and Tier 3 schools) and I confident you can do the same.

General Information:

Undergraduate GPA: 3.31

Graduate GPA: 4.00

LSAT Score: 165

P.S. I have been accepted into all the schools I applied to, totaling five. I have also received scholarship offers from four out of the five schools ranging from 50% to 80% of the annual tuition. Be confident and be prepared and you can do the same!

Photo by paperbackwriter

Is LSAT Studying in the Early Morning Good?

Studying for the LSAT when you first wake up is not a good idea. It doesn't matter whether you wake up in the morning or afternoon.

Why? Because your brain needs time to get out of sleep mode. It's called sleep inertia.

One of my LSAT students emailed me with the following:

I was trying to take your most recent advice to heart: study 2-3 hours a day. One way to do this is to get up early and practice in the morning before work/school.

Any researcher of sleep physiology will tell you that your brain is not fully awake and capable of operating at its optimum capacity until 90 minutes after you have awoken.

More important than the actual preparation is your test day "readiness", one aspect of which is your clarity of thinking. Getting on a schedule where you are used to being up and "fully awake" in the sense described above would be important for your actual performance.

Some of your students most likely are used to sleeping from 12-1-2 am to 7:30-8 am. It would be a terrible mistake to keep this schedule the day, week, even fortnight before the test date. Establishing a schedule that allows your brain to be fully awake at 8 am on LSAT test day will be an important contribution to your performance.

Of course, that last part doesn't apply to all you June test-takers because the June exam starts in the afternoon.

However, even if you're taking the June exam, this still means you shouldn't study when you first wake up in the morning.

Here's an example of research supporting this:

Grogginess, Disorientation On Awakening More Debilitating Than Sleep Deprivation

Excerpts:

The study showed test subjects had diminished short-term memory, counting skills and cognitive abilities during the groggy period upon awakening known as sleep inertia...

For a short period, at least, the effects of sleep inertia may be as bad as or worse than being legally drunk...

The most severe effects of sleep inertia generally dissipated within the first 10 minutes, although its effects are often detectable for up to two hours...

Another study referenced in that link indicates:

[C]ortical areas of the brain like the prefrontal cortex take longer to come "on-line" following sleep than other areas of the brain...The prefrontal cortex is thought to be responsible for problem solving, emotion and complex thought."

So, if you wake up at 7AM, you're probably not going to operate at 100% until close to 9AM. While most of the effects of sleep inertia go away pretty quickly, it's the prefrontal cortex that you really need for your studying.

Problem solving and complex thought sound like LSAT-related tasks to me.

When you first wake up, do other stuff before you start your LSAT studying. Eat breakfast, shower, exercise, check email, etc.

If you do your LSAT studying as soon as you wake up, you're likely to do less than your best. The LSAT can be frustrating enough without sleep inertia - don't make things harder than they have to be.

Photo by fofurasfelinas / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

LSAT Computer Test, Cheating, and Theft

LSAC has thought about computerizing the LSAT for several years. In May 1999, LSAC published a study titled, "Item Theft in a Continuous Testing Environment: What is the Extent of the Danger?" (PDF)

In this study, LSAC and ETS consider "the possibility of organized, large-scale item theft" by "professional thieves" as a result of turning the LSAT into a computerized exam.

(Sadly, they weren't talking about an Ocean's Eleven-style heist or even about hacking. I'll high-five anyone with the skills to make an LSAT version of that trailer, though.)

If the LSAT were computerized, it'd probably be offered on most weekdays, like the GMAT and GRE.

Since it wouldn't be practical to write hundreds of unique exams each year, questions would be recycled. This group of questions is called an "item pool" by standardized test nerds (psychometricians). "Items" are test questions.

Your average "thief" is someone of average ability who remembers a few test questions and passes them along to friends. This has some impact on future test-takers' performance.

However, if "professional thieves" took the exam for the purpose of memorizing test questions and passing them on to future test-takers, this would have a more significant impact. (In the early 1990s, Kaplan employees took the GRE for the sole purpose of memorizing test questions - also see LA Times. It seems they were doing it to embarrass ETS rather than to give their own students an edge.)

In order to counteract these kinds of shenanigans, it's likely that if the LSAT were ever computerized, there would be several different pools of questions. Each one would be large enough so any benefit gained from memorizing previously-administered questions would be minimal-to-none. Besides, the topics of Logical Reasoning questions repeat so often that they tend to blur together in your mind unless you've done the question a few times.

For more details on what LSAC scientists do in their spare time when it comes to simulations about question-stealing, read the LSAC study (PDF). If you skip the mathematical parts, it's actually kind of entertaining.

You can also read more about LSAC's research on computerized testing of the LSAT. The executive summaries are probably enough to get the gist of each article. (After clicking that link, go to "Research" and click on "Computerized Testing Reports.")

Here are two more:

A Bayesian Method for the Detection of Item Preknowledge in CAT (Computer-Adaptive Testing)

Computerized Adaptive Testing Simulations Using Real Test Taker Responses

***
According to this 2003 LSAC internship posting, "LSAC is now actively studying computerized testing."

That's right. LSAC has a summer internship program. Here's this year's posting (page 6):

Law School Admission Council (LSAC)
Newtown, Pennsylvania
Number of Positions: One
Type of Student: Doctoral, preferably at dissertation stage
Deadline: March 15, 2010
The summer intern is given the opportunity to carry
out independent research under the mentorship of
LSAC research staff.
Contact: Lynda Reese, Associate Director of
Psychometric Research, Law School Admission
Council, Box 40, 662 Penn St., Newtown, PA
18940; (215) 968-1369; (215) 504-1408 (fax);
LReese@LSAC.org

Sadly, you have to be a doctoral student, so most of us aren't eligible to get the internship for the sole purpose of getting a sneak peak at the June 2010 LSAT (and the deadline's passed, anyway). If you're the lucky intern, though, let us know what it's like in the belly of the beast.

Photo by extraketchup / CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by grimages / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Should You Download LSAT PrepTests via PDFs and Torrents?

or...Torrents and PDFs Downloaded Illegally vs. LSAT Books Purchased Legally

In this blog post, I go over the pros and cons of illegally downloading LSAT PrepTest PDFs and torrents vs. purchasing LSAT PrepTests legally.

Recently, a student asked me if there was any reason not to download PDFs or torrents of LSAT PrepTests.

The short answer - while it seem a bit cheaper to download and print them, it's better to buy legitimate hard copies of your exams for 3 major reasons:

1. You'll be able to resell them when you're done.
2. You'll save a lot of time, effort, and money that would've been spent printing them.
3. Due to copyright law, it's illegal to download PrepTests.


Money:

PDFs and Torrents
-You pay less ($0) for your LSAT books initially, but there's still the cost of ink and paper. That really adds up, and you'll have a tough time reselling printouts after you take the LSAT.

LSAT Books
-Sure, it might run a few hundred dollars or so, but ou can easily resell your LSAT books when you're done with them (especially if you write in pencil, which you should anyway). While you do have to lay out the money for the books initially, you can make most of it back when you resell them.

PDFs and Torrents: 0.5
LSAT Books: 0.5



Time and Effort:

PDFs and Torrents
-You may have to learn how to use fancy computer programs. Then, you have to go to the trouble to find all those files and wait for everything to download. After that's done, you have to print everything out. Depending upon how many exams you use, that could easily become thousands of pages.

(The average PrepTest is approximately 45 pages. 45 pages x 30 exams is 1350 pages. If you complete more than 30 exams, or if you print multiple copies, you're using a LOT of ink and paper.)

LSAT Books
Everything is perfectly pre-packaged for you. You just order your LSAT books and they magically appear at your doorstep soon after.

PDFs and Torrents: 0
LSAT Books: 1



Legality:

PDFs and Torrents
-Illegal. LSAC materials are copyrighted, which means it's illegal to transmit unauthorized digital copies of them. LSAC is very protective of their intellectual property, and they don't like it when people download or distribute copies of PrepTests without paying for them.

LSAT Books
-Legal. LSAC publishes dozens of previously administered exams that you can purchase and later resell to recoup much of the initial cost.

PDFs and Torrents: 0
LSAT Books: 1


Verdict:

PDFs and Torrents: 0.5
LSAT Books: 2.5

***

P.S. LSAC has made an LSAT PrepTest available for free download on its website (the June 2007 LSAT - PDF).

Photo by libraryman

LSAT Diary: Logic Games, I Will Be Kicking Your Ass

This LSAT Diary is from Rebecca, who's ready to destroy the LSAT.

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please email me at LSATUnplugged@gmail.com. (You can be in LSAT Diaries whether you've taken the exam already or not.)

Leave Rebecca some encouragement below in the comments!

Here's Rebecca's LSAT Diary:

So here I am, a thirty-something, just over a week away from my birthday. While others my age might be planning exotic getaways for their birthdays or maybe just a weekend trip to Vegas, I am plotting my five month mêlée with the LSAT. It is true that most people my age that are interested in law already have their degrees and have been practicing attorneys for many years now, but hey, I am certainly not most people.

To start, I didn’t even graduate college with my Bachelor’s degree until just after my 29th birthday. That was a challenge in its own right. After graduation, I contemplated what I wanted to do with my life and several years later, I found myself still contemplating. And then, I finally received my wakeup call à la a diagnosis of ADHD, Anxiety & Depression. Ouch! Well, at least my downward spiral roused my fighting spirit. I am crazy, hear me roar!

I decided to take on the challenge of the LSAT because I had considered taking it a few years back. That is, until I bought an LSAT prep book, opened it and was like…ugh, this shit is freakin’ hard. But I am fairly confident now that law school is the right path for me, so here I go.

I actually started studying for the LSAT at the beginning of March. I enrolled in one of those national prep courses. Although, I have found it helpful, I need a lot more time if I want to reach my, oh so lofty, goal of a 172. No, that isn’t a typo... hey, I did say I was crazy.

The first two practice tests I took, I scored 151 on both, followed by a 154 and 153. But considering I only once have been able to complete an entire section (without just random bubbling) I think I might have a shot if I can improve my speed and focus. Regardless, I would definitely say that I have a lot of studying ahead of me!

I decided to start my second attempt at mastering the LSAT, by writing each of the sections a little note just to let them know what they can expect from me in the upcoming months. I didn’t want them to be caught off guard when I come at them with my pencils a’ blazing. All black Ticonderoga #2 pencils. I bought them because black pencils scream whoop ass, just like my new attitude about conquering the LSAT.


Dear Logic Games,

You, by yourself, were no doubt the main reason I chose not to take the LSAT back in 2005. You confused me, scared me and made me feel inferior. You may still kick my ass right now, but I guarantee by the end of August, I will be kicking your ass and taking names. You have nowhere to hide, as the answers are a matter of indisputable facts. There can be no deceit. You may be clever, but I will be fierce in learning your ways and you will be no match for me on LSAT day.


Dear Reading Comprehension,

You are a tricky devil for me. You seem so straight forward and obvious, but yet I still stumble on simplicities such as your main points. You use these foreign sounding words to make me feel stupid and you lull me to sleep with your long passages. By the time I reach your end, I barely recall your beginning. I do not fear you though. I will work hard on my vocabulary and build my endurance to withstand whatever you throw my way. I look forward to your passages on molecular biology and neuroscience. BRING IT ON!


Dear Logical Reasoning,

You are my ally on this crazy test. You are the bulk of the questions and I feel that in the upcoming months we will forge a strong bond. It is true that you sometimes slow me down with your strange and, let’s face it, downright awkwardly worded arguments. (That is just my opinion, don’t take it personally). But, I feel like I get you…for the most part. I think we just need to spend more time together. By the end of September, we will be BFFs…I can just tell.


The Plan:

I plan to work on the different sections concurrently to avoid boredom and rust, but I will have a main focus for each month:

May – Logic Games

June – Logical Reasoning

July – Reading Comprehension

August – Logic Games

September – Logical Reasoning

In addition, I also want to supplement my studies by improving my vocabulary and reading more about the fundamentals of logic. It is a pretty lofty study plan with working full time and fulfilling personal obligations, but hey, I have no social life so I think it is doable.

The goal for this week is to start reworking all of the logic games that I have worked on over the last two months. I also want to complete three of the four games in a timed section with no more than one wrong. If I get one more easy Logic Games question wrong in a timed section because I am not paying attention…


TUESDAY
Let the games begin. Logic games that is!

Okay, so I spent a good part of tonight formulating my attack plan and writing the first part of my LSAT diary, so there wasn’t much time for actual study. Did I mention I have a terrible procrastination problem? Anyhow, I did manage to rework about four games of simple ordering. I am still slow as molasses, but I am getting almost all of them right.


WEDNESDAY
My work managed to follow me home today and so I didn’t get a chance to work on any logic games considering at midnight I was still working. So frustrating…


THURSDAY
Back to the games. I am just continuing to rework the games that I have already done. I want to make sure I save enough material that I have not seen yet, so that I can work on work on new games in August to have a more reliable gauge of my progress. Continued on simple ordering and started simple grouping. Worked through six games.


FRIDAY
I snuck in a couple games while I was at work. When I got home I worked on some reading comp sections to break it up. I did a timed section and only made it through 21 questions. If only the LSAT were 40 minute timed sections... I continued on reading comp by redoing six passages that I had done poorly on the first time around and I tried to analyze the error of my ways.


SATURDAY
After spending four hours in my LSAT class today, there was not much energy left to work anymore. We reviewed a lot on the different types of logical reasoning questions and the strategy for each in class. I did work on about three logic games when I got home in anticipation of the timed section I am taking tomorrow.


SUNDAY
Sadness. I took a timed games section today in class. Good news: I got every question I attempted correct. Bad news: I only attempted 13 questions. I made the fatal error of not recognizing that I started with the most difficult game of the section until I was too far in. Not a good strategy for the girl that can spend 15 minutes on a simple ordering game.

I felt the tears & frustration brewing. So, of course, I went shopping and spent $800 on a road bicycle. How the heck did that happen? Anyhow, after taking my frustrations out on my credit card, I went home and started working on more games, determined to redeem my poor performance. Bad idea! I ended up spending over 30 minutes on one game and literally gave up and looked at the answer to the question I couldn’t figure out. I need a margarita!


MONDAY
After realizing I wasn’t going to meet my goal for the week and having such a frustrating Sunday, I decided to skip the LSAT studies for tonight. Probably not a good idea, but…I did it anyhow.


Lessons learned this week:
-In games, a higher number means a larger number…always!
-Slow down on symbolizing the rules, otherwise I will screw them up!!!
-If I can’t figure out the answer to a question, review my symbols for the conditional statements because odds are I messed at least one of them up.
-Keep at the games EVERY single day. There is always time for at least one game.

Photo by locationscout / CC BY-SA 2.0