| |
| |
how to become a LSAT Logic Games Jedi
LSAT Prep Strategy - Socratic Review
You want to review the questions you had difficulty with in excruciating detail - whether you get them right. That is one of the biggest things you want to focus on if your exam is coming up very soon. You want to look at everything you get wrong. Every question where you were down to two and you were unsure, and everything that you got right but could have done more efficiently.
You want to look at all of those things. You want to look at what you answered incorrectly and WHY you answered it incorrectly. What trap did the test-makers lay for you? What trap of encouragement did they use to lure you, to pull you towards that wrong answer choice? What trap of discouragement did they use to push you away from the right answer choice?
Was it something in the answer choice, or was it something in the stimulus or the passage? If it was a particular topic or method of reasoning or wording, you want to look at that exact thing and you want to find other questions exhibiting that exact thing as well.
So if there's a method of reasoning involving numbers versus percentages or absolute terms versus relative terms, and that's what gives you trouble, you want to look at all of those questions that deal with that.
You want to go online and search for categorizations of similar questions. If it's a circle game or a pattern game, you want to go and do lots of circle games and pattern games. It's not enough to just look at the answer key and say, “Oh duh, I get it now.”
Obviously you don't get it just by looking at the correct answer, or you wouldn't be in this position now. You wouldn't have kept repeating the same mistakes over and over to the point where you've done, possible 10-20 exams by this point, combining timed and untimed, and you're still not where you want to be.
Obviously, you've got to change something about what you're doing. If you were already getting 175+, you wouldn't be reading this right now. So think about whether you're taking the exam the next few days from now or the next few weeks from now, or months, whatever it is.
What could you be doing differently? What is the work that you know you should be doing but aren't doing?
Sure, it's much *easier* to simply take exam after exam, score it, be happy or sad about your results, and then move on to the next one and say, “Oh, I get it,” whenever you look at the answer key.
But that's not enough. The people who do the best are reviewing in excruciating detail. They've got notebooks filled with their own analysis of what was difficult about the problem, why they got it wrong, and what they need to do differently. They're not spending time on message boards and social media.
They're not just doing exam after exam or reading / watching tons of explanations. Sure, all of that can help to some degree, but the *real work* is sitting with the practice exams on your own in a quiet environment where you can focus on your own thought process. That's where the magic happens.
You don't see too many people talking about this because they're too busy doing it. The people who are on message boards and forums complaining or talking about how great they're doing, they'e likely not doing that great because they're procrastinating rather than doing the actual work. The work is in your own analysis, and the reason that you're not doing that enough is because it's not fun.
And a sign that it's valuable is that it's not fun. A lot of the time, the toughest workouts are the ones that are excruciatingly difficult in the moment, but you also feel really good afterwards because you could take pride in knowing that you've done a great job. That you've given it your all and you get the results accordingly. So that's where I want you to focus between now and Test Day.
For more, I've got an entire playlist focused on LSAT Test Day prep here -----> and several articles on LSAT Test Day prep here ----->my weird finding about LSAT Logical Reasoning (with examples)
| |
Law School Admission Council Offers New Digital LSAT Prep Products (Press Release)
Expanded LSAT prep options support the diverse needs of law school aspirants
NEWTOWN, Pa., March 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law School Admission Council, administrator of the industry-leading Law School Admission Test, today announced the launch of two new Digital LSAT preparation products that will help law school candidates improve their skills and feel more confident as they take the LSAT and begin their journey toward a career in the field of law. These new products are part of the LSAC LawHub, a new online legal education portal providing educational content and other services to help support students along their law school enrollment journey and beyond.
The two new Digital LSAT preparation products are designed to complement the wide range of existing test prep tools and services, providing even more options to meet the individual needs and learning styles of today's students. Both digital products include self-paced and simulated test modes, a record of the student's practice test history, and instant calculation of practice test score reports. The new products are:
Official LSAT Prep℠, which is free and included when a student registers for a free LSAC account, offers two full practice tests using the authentic Digital LSAT test environment launched in 2019.
Official LSAT Prep Plus℠, which is available as a one-year subscription for $99, offers more than 60 practice tests in the authentic Digital LSAT test environment.
Students using either product can choose to share their practice test performance with any of LSAC's Official LSAT Content Licensees, such as commercial test preparation companies or one-on-one coaches.
"Now that the LSAT has moved to a digital format, these new digital tools will provide students the opportunity to practice in a similar test environment, develop their critical thinking skills, and identify areas for improvement," said Erik Krajnikovich, director of product development at LSAC. "We are offering both a free version and a more robust version at a very affordable cost to help ensure that every candidate, no matter their background or income level, can prepare for success on the LSAT, as the first step toward adding their voice to the world of law."
Students who qualify for an LSAT test fee waiver will automatically qualify for a free one-year subscription to Official LSAT Prep Plus, with more than 60 practice tests.
"LSAC is committed to helping create a legal system that mirrors the breadth and diversity of our society, and these new offerings will help advance that goal," said Annmarie Levins, LSAC's chief strategy officer. "Working with our member law schools, we see huge opportunities to innovate and improve every step of a student's legal education journey – from attracting more people to consider a career in the law and at an earlier age, to helping students get the support and preparation they need in high school and college, to expanding and diversifying the law school applicant pool, to enhancing the law school experience."
In addition to these new tools, LSAC will continue to offer other LSAT prep resources, including free Khan Academy Official LSAT Prep, which offers the equivalent of dozens of practice tests at no cost to students, and through a wide range of publishers and test prep companies that license test content. LSAC will also continue to offer select publications of preparation materials in alternative accessible formats for candidates who need them.
To learn more about LSAC's Official LSAT Prep and Official LSAT Prep Plus, or to register for one of these new options, visit lsac.org/lsat/lsat-prep.
About the Law School Admission Council
The Law School Admission Council is a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting quality, access, and equity in law and education worldwide by supporting individuals' enrollment journeys and providing preeminent assessment, data, and technology services. For more information about LSAC, please visit LSAC.org.
NEWTOWN, Pa., March 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law School Admission Council, administrator of the industry-leading Law School Admission Test, today announced the launch of two new Digital LSAT preparation products that will help law school candidates improve their skills and feel more confident as they take the LSAT and begin their journey toward a career in the field of law. These new products are part of the LSAC LawHub, a new online legal education portal providing educational content and other services to help support students along their law school enrollment journey and beyond.
The two new Digital LSAT preparation products are designed to complement the wide range of existing test prep tools and services, providing even more options to meet the individual needs and learning styles of today's students. Both digital products include self-paced and simulated test modes, a record of the student's practice test history, and instant calculation of practice test score reports. The new products are:
Official LSAT Prep℠, which is free and included when a student registers for a free LSAC account, offers two full practice tests using the authentic Digital LSAT test environment launched in 2019.
Official LSAT Prep Plus℠, which is available as a one-year subscription for $99, offers more than 60 practice tests in the authentic Digital LSAT test environment.
Students using either product can choose to share their practice test performance with any of LSAC's Official LSAT Content Licensees, such as commercial test preparation companies or one-on-one coaches.
"Now that the LSAT has moved to a digital format, these new digital tools will provide students the opportunity to practice in a similar test environment, develop their critical thinking skills, and identify areas for improvement," said Erik Krajnikovich, director of product development at LSAC. "We are offering both a free version and a more robust version at a very affordable cost to help ensure that every candidate, no matter their background or income level, can prepare for success on the LSAT, as the first step toward adding their voice to the world of law."
Students who qualify for an LSAT test fee waiver will automatically qualify for a free one-year subscription to Official LSAT Prep Plus, with more than 60 practice tests.
"LSAC is committed to helping create a legal system that mirrors the breadth and diversity of our society, and these new offerings will help advance that goal," said Annmarie Levins, LSAC's chief strategy officer. "Working with our member law schools, we see huge opportunities to innovate and improve every step of a student's legal education journey – from attracting more people to consider a career in the law and at an earlier age, to helping students get the support and preparation they need in high school and college, to expanding and diversifying the law school applicant pool, to enhancing the law school experience."
In addition to these new tools, LSAC will continue to offer other LSAT prep resources, including free Khan Academy Official LSAT Prep, which offers the equivalent of dozens of practice tests at no cost to students, and through a wide range of publishers and test prep companies that license test content. LSAC will also continue to offer select publications of preparation materials in alternative accessible formats for candidates who need them.
To learn more about LSAC's Official LSAT Prep and Official LSAT Prep Plus, or to register for one of these new options, visit lsac.org/lsat/lsat-prep.
About the Law School Admission Council
The Law School Admission Council is a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting quality, access, and equity in law and education worldwide by supporting individuals' enrollment journeys and providing preeminent assessment, data, and technology services. For more information about LSAC, please visit LSAC.org.
a surprising insight about LSAT Logical Reasoning
| |
LSAT Self-Limiting Beliefs
"What technique have you found most useful to overcome self-limiting beliefs?"
I have a lot of self-limiting beliefs, believe it or not. But I think we all do.
I've certainly created a lot of stuff, but I was actually a little nervous to do my first live online LSAT prep Q&A. I'd wanted to do something like this for quite a while before I actually did.
And you could say "that's stupid, why wouldn't you? It's easy. It's free. You've got people here who want to hear what you have to say. And you know your stuff."
But here's the thing. I'm not the most tech-savvy person. I've always been more on the humanities side of things, that's part of why I got into pre-law / LSAT-related stuff.
But it seems scary to try something new like that, in part because it's a new tech thing and in part because it's live. And I was talking with my coach about this.
You see, I have a coach and find it enormously helpful - he helps me see when I have blinders on and point out errors in my thinking that I couldn't spot for myself.
I discovered my self-limiting belief about doing live Q&As was that I was afraid it wouldn't go perfectly, and if it didn't go perfectly, then it would automatically have gone terribly - and it would be on record out there in the world for everybody to see.
Then I realized that it doesn't need to be perfect. The things I've created so far, they're great. They're useful. I would even go as far to say as it's pretty amazing, the resources I’ve created. I
I just don't say that to toot my own horn, but because I really have seen the results that my students get. You can go read them in the LSAT Diaries. I probably don't pay enough attention to those myself because I just move onto the next thing, and I'm focused on helping the next student, not the one who's already gotten the score increase.
But people find my stuff helpful. And so, I realized that even if my live online Q&As might not be perfect, they'd still be helpful and that would be good enough.
And if the first one didn't go well, there's always the next one. And I think that holds true for the LSAT also.
So my self-limiting belief, and it might be yours too, is worrying too much about what if things on the big day don't go as well as I want them to?
Of course, we want it to be perfect. What if it just goes good or okay? Turns out there's always the next one.
Just like there's always a chance for me to do another live Q&A, there's always the chance for you to take another LSAT exam. To retake.
So my request for you is, take this upcoming LSAT like it's not the real thing. Like it's not the end-all-be-all. Obviously it matters. You’ve put a lot of work in right now up to this point, and I certainly hope it goes well and I'm sure you do too, even more so.
But if it doesn't go well, you always have a next opportunity to do things better. So I would encourage you, keep that in the back of your mind. If this exam doesn't go great, there's always one a few months away or less even. So you could focus and reorient yourself towards that and aim to do better the next time.
LawHub / Official LSAT Prep Plus - Digital LSATs
LawHub / Official LSAT Prep Plus - Digital LSATs for $99/year from LSAC
NOTE: Unfortunately, section numbering is different in Official LSAT Prep Plus / LawHub PrepTests from the prep books - most prep materials (including my LSAT study schedules) refer to section numbers in the prep books.
In the LawHub PrepTests, Logic Games is always section 1, Logical Reasoning is sections 2 and 3, and Reading Comp is section 4 - in the prep books, it's randomized like it will be on Test Day. (If you’re having trouble finding a particular a Logical Reasoning question, make sure to check both LR sections.)
(If you’re having trouble finding a particular a Logical Reasoning question, make sure to check both LR sections. The first LR section in a PrepTest book is section 2 in LawHub, and the second LR section in a PrepTest book is section 3 in LawHub.)
I told LSAC about this issue, and they said they will make the sections consistent eventually, but they couldn't promise when.
Update (Oct 23, 2020): LSAC has added a version of the May 2020 LSAT-Flex, along with an LSAT-Flex version of PrepTest 73. They've also added the regular version of LSAT PrepTest 89 (November 2019 LSAT).
***
LSAC has made 71 LSAT PrepTests available on a subscription basis for only $99 / year. You can buy them through your LSAC account on their website.
This is a great value -- especially compared to buying the exams in books of 10 for about 20 bucks each. Being able to buy them from LSAC for less than $1.50 each is an incredible value.
Now, I said there are 71 exams currently available. But there are far more than 71 released exams. So which ones are you getting? Which ones aren't you getting and why?
With Official LSAT Prep Plus, you'll get PrepTests 19, 20, 22-88, June 2007, and Form 96 (aka LSAT SuperPrep 2, Test C2).
So this is a pretty great value. The other exams (1-18, 21, and 89+) aren't available because LSAC hasn't digitized these exams.
When I first became a licensee, LSAC provided me with the tests as low-resolution scanned PDFs.
These were old scans. There had not been any optical character recognition done on these exams. So, if you were to scan them and try to do OCR on them to put them in a cleaner format, it wouldn't work that well. LSAC themselves didn't even have them cleaned up in this way!
They're still taking the time to translate the mess around their files a little bit to put them in that new digital LSAT format.
Presumably, they'll add those to the subscription eventually. And when they do so, I suspect they won't raise the price. At $99 for an entire year, they're clearly trying to make this affordable.
You'll likely see 89+ and the oldest ones added to the subscription service with time.
But for now at least, you “only” have those 71 exams available, which is more than enough.
If you're not able to afford the fee and you have an LSAC fee waiver. The good news is that you will get automatic access to this subscription service for free.
If you were recently approved for a fee waiver, or if you received an LSAC fee waiver in the past two years, you'll get this for free.
This is pretty awesome because it's going to democratize access to prep. And I suspect that once word gets out about this, pretty much everybody studying for the LSAT will take this because cost isn't much of a barrier anymore.
$99 isn't nothing, but it's a drop in the bucket when you consider the cost of prep courses, coaching, tutoring, and law school tuition.
This is well worth the investment. And it's also cheaper than getting those books of 10 exams on Amazon for about 20 bucks each.
And you can use this on any tablet, the Microsoft Surface Go, iPad, Samsung, and you can also access it on a desktop as well, of course.
(Note: on desktop, you're missing out on the digital LSAT touchscreen experience, which is what you'll likely experience on Test Day, but you do get the online LSAT-Flex experience.)
If your LSAT test date is years away, if you're a freshman or sophomore in college and just dipping your toes in the water - or if you're not sure about taking the LSAT yet - you don't need to buy this subscription to get exams and the digital format.
LSAC is also going to offer free access to two exams in the digital format. , they will be exams 71 and 73. They're calling this the Official LSAT Prep Program available through your LSAC account.
The June 2007 LSAT, which has been the free sample PDF for a very long time, will still remain free for now. With time, LSAC will probably remove it as a free test because they're putting out more recent exams, PrepTests 71 and 73, which are the December 2013 LSAT and September 2014 LSAT, respectively.
I applaud LSAC for making a couple of exams available for free, and I applaud them for making 71 of them available at a relatively low cost as a subscription service. (And you still have the print books available for the foreseeable future. Although with time, sales of those books will decline.) For now, you can use the books, you can use Digital LSATs, whatever you prefer. And if you're taking the digital LSAT, you may want to do them in the digital format.
Official LSAT Prep Plus is now live and available now inside your LSAC account at lawhub.lsac.org (click on your name on the top-right).
There are some confusing things about PrepTests, especially when it comes to section numbering.
You can get LSAT PrepTest books on Amazon, and you can get also them as part of LawHub (aka Official LSAT Prep Plus).
From LSAC:
Official LSAT Prep ℠ – FREE familiarization tool including two full practice tests in the authentic Digital LSAT test environment.
Official LSAT Prep Plus ℠ – includes more than 60 full practice tests in the authentic Digital LSAT test environment, plus additional resources and reference guides. $99 for a one-year subscription.
This is a great value -- especially compared to buying the exams in books of 10 for about 20 bucks each. Being able to buy them from LSAC for less than $1.50 each is an incredible value.
Now, I said there are 71 exams currently available. But there are far more than 71 released exams. So which ones are you getting? Which ones aren't you getting and why?
With Official LSAT Prep Plus, you'll get PrepTests 19, 20, 22-88, June 2007, and Form 96 (aka LSAT SuperPrep 2, Test C2).
So this is a pretty great value. The other exams (1-18, 21, and 89+) aren't available because LSAC hasn't digitized these exams.
When I first became a licensee, LSAC provided me with the tests as low-resolution scanned PDFs.
These were old scans. There had not been any optical character recognition done on these exams. So, if you were to scan them and try to do OCR on them to put them in a cleaner format, it wouldn't work that well. LSAC themselves didn't even have them cleaned up in this way!
They're still taking the time to translate the mess around their files a little bit to put them in that new digital LSAT format.
Presumably, they'll add those to the subscription eventually. And when they do so, I suspect they won't raise the price. At $99 for an entire year, they're clearly trying to make this affordable.
You'll likely see 89+ and the oldest ones added to the subscription service with time.
But for now at least, you “only” have those 71 exams available, which is more than enough.
If you're not able to afford the fee and you have an LSAC fee waiver. The good news is that you will get automatic access to this subscription service for free.
If you were recently approved for a fee waiver, or if you received an LSAC fee waiver in the past two years, you'll get this for free.
This is pretty awesome because it's going to democratize access to prep. And I suspect that once word gets out about this, pretty much everybody studying for the LSAT will take this because cost isn't much of a barrier anymore.
$99 isn't nothing, but it's a drop in the bucket when you consider the cost of prep courses, coaching, tutoring, and law school tuition.
This is well worth the investment. And it's also cheaper than getting those books of 10 exams on Amazon for about 20 bucks each.
And you can use this on any tablet, the Microsoft Surface Go, iPad, Samsung, and you can also access it on a desktop as well, of course.
(Note: on desktop, you're missing out on the digital LSAT touchscreen experience, which is what you'll likely experience on Test Day, but you do get the online LSAT-Flex experience.)
If your LSAT test date is years away, if you're a freshman or sophomore in college and just dipping your toes in the water - or if you're not sure about taking the LSAT yet - you don't need to buy this subscription to get exams and the digital format.
LSAC is also going to offer free access to two exams in the digital format. , they will be exams 71 and 73. They're calling this the Official LSAT Prep Program available through your LSAC account.
The June 2007 LSAT, which has been the free sample PDF for a very long time, will still remain free for now. With time, LSAC will probably remove it as a free test because they're putting out more recent exams, PrepTests 71 and 73, which are the December 2013 LSAT and September 2014 LSAT, respectively.
I applaud LSAC for making a couple of exams available for free, and I applaud them for making 71 of them available at a relatively low cost as a subscription service. (And you still have the print books available for the foreseeable future. Although with time, sales of those books will decline.) For now, you can use the books, you can use Digital LSATs, whatever you prefer. And if you're taking the digital LSAT, you may want to do them in the digital format.
Official LSAT Prep Plus is now live and available now inside your LSAC account at lawhub.lsac.org (click on your name on the top-right).
There are some confusing things about PrepTests, especially when it comes to section numbering.
You can get LSAT PrepTest books on Amazon, and you can get also them as part of LawHub (aka Official LSAT Prep Plus).
Official LSAT Prep ℠ – FREE familiarization tool including two full practice tests in the authentic Digital LSAT test environment.
Official LSAT Prep Plus ℠ – includes more than 60 full practice tests in the authentic Digital LSAT test environment, plus additional resources and reference guides. $99 for a one-year subscription.
Is sitting down *actually* killing you?
| |
| |
| |