The LSAT is the official admissions test for all ABA-accredited law schools in the United States. It is the most important factor in law school admissions. It is considered by many to be the most rigorous and difficult standardized examination in the American collegiate system. The LSAT is composed of six 35 minute sections, two logical reasoning sections, one reading comprehension section, one analytical reasoning (logic games) section, one ungraded test section, and a writing sample.
What is the hardest section of the LSAT?
This really varies individually. In my experience everyone is different, but students will usually either struggle on logic games or reading comprehension mightily. Those students without significant and recent physical science, engineering, or mathematics course work such as humanities, political science, and philosophy have tended to struggle on logic games—experience with some type of quantitative reasoning seems to prepare students well for logic games. Conversely, those students from highly technical backgrounds such as science, engineering, and mathematics that have not read a considerable amount in varied topics tend to struggle on reading comprehension.
However, I feel that students will tend to focus too much on their “hard section” and neglect the other sections as a result. Because logical reasoning makes up half of the test, but is usually not a test taker’s “hardest section,” it is many times neglected and students miss many more points that they have to. Focus on the entire test.
How is the writing sample used by law schools?
Law schools understand that by the writing sample is generally not great evidence of an applicant’s writing ability—after taking the most strenuous test of your life, you are many times not in a great mental state to write well. Therefore, the writing sample is generally not used by law schools. However, a copy is sent to every school that you apply to.
If your personal statement is well written, schools may compare the writing sample to the personal statement to make sure you wrote it. Also, if you write leave the writing sample blank or write something like “I know you won’t read this” over and over, schools may be rather unhappy with you.
Can I take the LSAT as many times as I want?
No. You may only take the LSAT three times in a two-year period. This rule even applies if you cancel or do not show up to the test three times. However, if you can find a school willing to give you a waiver to take the test again, and submit this waiver to the Law School Admissions Council, you may take the test past the three times limit.
How much time should I allocate to prepare for the LSAT?
I would recommend taking three to five months of solid time to prepare for the LSAT. I personally would have scored around a 148 or so on the test originally, but improved to a 174 (99.5 percentile) average after four months of 2-5 hours of practice per day, five days per week. While this may sound excessive, I was able to get into one of the five best law schools in the country with my score and would have been able to get full ride scholarships at many, many schools in the United States. Every hour I spent studying was worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in lifetime earnings to me.
Taking a great prep course such as the BYU LSAT preparation course can greatly decrease the time you need to spend studying on your own. Working with skilled instructors that are able to identify your individual weaknesses and answer questions is a great boost in studying.
Can I improve __ number of points from my diagnostic test?
You have a great chance to do so if you prepare well. Diagnostics are more useful in identifying current weaknesses than estimating how high you can score. View diagnostics in this light and do not let them undermine your personal confidence. For example, I was only able to finish half of a logic games section the first time I attempted one (and only got 8 or so problems right). Nevertheless, after a month and a half of practice, I was able to finish logic games sections 10 minutes early and rarely ever missed any points.
Set a goal and work toward it, prepare intellegently, and have faith in yourself. Instead of seeing LSAT improvement in terms of points, view it as different skill sets and knowledge you must gain in order to improve. There is no magic in LSAT improvement. You must simply identify personal weaknesses and improve upon them. I believe that it is within the abilities of most students to get a 170 or above on the LSAT
Thursday, June 16, 2011
What (not) to Bring
The following information comes from LSAC.org:
“Items Allowed in the Test Room
Test takers may bring into the test room only a clear plastic ziplock bag, maximum size one gallon (3.79 liter), which must be stored under the chair and may be accessed only during the break. 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.
Items Allowed on the Desktop
Test takers may only have tissues, ID, wooden pencils, erasers, a pencil sharpener, highlighter, and analog (nondigital) wristwatch. No electronic devices are permitted. Neither are timers of any kind except analog wristwatches.”
While the instructions above may seem obvious, countless students violate these rules every year. Many people brought cell phones to my LSAT administration to call for rides or text friends before and after the test. Do not bring any prohibited item to the testing center. If a proctor or other employee of LSAC catches you at the testing center with an electronic device, a piece of scratch paper, mechanical pencils, or even a digital wristwatch, you may be issued a misconduct/irregularities notice which will be sent with your score as an addendum to every school which you apply to. Even if you plan to retake the test, schools will continue to see the warning which may or may not reflect to them that you cheated on the LSAT. Be careful on test day not to be issued such a warning.
Students have also been given such warnings for making loud noises during the test and laughing or talking to neighbors. Anecdotal accounts have even pegged proctors to give warnings to students shortly before or after the test has begun. Additionally, if students look ahead in test books or attempt to rebubble or otherwise work on sections that have been completed, the section proctor has the authority to issue such a notice. Any such notices could seriously harm a student’s chances at getting admitted to any law school.
It is not necessary to bring all allowed items to the test. I do not recommend bringing highlighters to the test. Some test takers will bring many different colored highlighters to the test and use a color coding system to mark particular passages. This is a misguided waste of time. When portions of a passage need to be marked, a pencil will be much faster to use.
In terms of a watch to bring, make sure to have practiced with the watch which you bring to test day. You can only bring a non-digital analog wristwatch. It is best to reset the watch while the proctor reads the instructions to turn to the next section. This should be done in five seconds or less. I would simply reset the watch to 25 minutes after the hour each time.
Finally, be prepared. Bring any items which will make you comfortable while taking the test. Wear multiple layers in case the center is too cold. Bring food even if you don’t think you’ll be hungry. Having a snack or box of juice during the break is a good way to alleviate stress. Bring a pencil sharpener with you to the test, you’d be surprised how quickly you break pencils when you’re nervous.
LSAT Answer Arrangements
Knowing the common answer arrangements which appear on the LSAT help to increase test-taking speed and accuracy. The following answer arrangement types are found in the reading comprehension and logical reasoning sections:
1. Two contenders. Three of the answer choices will be wrong for obvious reasons. Two seem plausible and one is correct. This answer arrangement is the most common on the LSAT. The test makers expect a skilled test taker to naturally eliminate the three clearly wrong answer choices. Therefore, do not dwell on the easily eliminated choices and move on to the two contenders. The quickest way to solve at this point is to find a reason to eliminate one of the remaining contenders rather than prove one is right. Reexamine the passage and find a clear reason to eliminate one of the two answers.
2. Four easy wrong answers, one difficult right answer. In this answer arrangement, you are being tested on your ability to eliminate incorrect answers rather than identify the right answer. The correct answer will be worded in a difficult or abstract way. Instead, you simply have to have clear reasons to eliminate each of the wrong answers and move on. As long as you have clear reasons for eliminating each wrong answer, do not dwell on the hard-to-understand right answer.
3. Four difficult wrong answers, one easy right answer. If you find that most of the answer choices are hard to comprehend, the question may employ this arrangement. If this is the case, scan through all of the answer choices quickly and find the right answer, which should be easy to comprehend and qualify as the correct answer. Do not dwell on the difficult to understand answer choices. Instead, simply select the obviously right answer choice and move on.
4. Difficult passage, easy answer. Many times the passage itself will seem convoluted or impossible to comprehend. Correct answers in this case are usually easy to identify. In a logical reasoning passage employing this pattern, force yourself to read through the material and all of the answer choices. Even though the material may have seemed initially dense, several of the answer choices will likely be unrelated to the problem and the correct answer choice will be clear. In these instances, have faith in your ability to get through the material.
If during the reading comprehension section you find a passage whose topic you are unfamiliar with, or is densely constructed, I would likewise push through to the end of the passage and maintain as much focus as possible. This is especially true for passages with science-related topics. Remember that most LSAT test takers do not have a science-related background and the test makers expect test takers to slow down and struggle with such a passage. Therefore, it is likely that the questions following the passage will be simple or not ask for significant detail in response. Those students who do not give up and quickly read the passages in their entirety will be rewarded on the LSAT.
5. Easy passage, difficult answer. Just because an LSAT passage is easy to read does not mean that the correct answer choice will be likewise be easy to identify. Sometimes with very easy passages, three or more contending answer choices may be presented. In this case, take the time to compare each of the answer choices to the original passage and find reasons to eliminate all but the right answer choice.
6. Easy passage, easy answer. Finally, remember that not every problem on the LSAT will be overly convoluted. Many times the first or second question after a reading comprehension passage and some of the first ten questions in the logical reasoning section will be simply and direct. If you can correctly identify a reason for the a particular answer being correct and no other contenders arise, simply select the answer and move on to the end of the problem.
1. Two contenders. Three of the answer choices will be wrong for obvious reasons. Two seem plausible and one is correct. This answer arrangement is the most common on the LSAT. The test makers expect a skilled test taker to naturally eliminate the three clearly wrong answer choices. Therefore, do not dwell on the easily eliminated choices and move on to the two contenders. The quickest way to solve at this point is to find a reason to eliminate one of the remaining contenders rather than prove one is right. Reexamine the passage and find a clear reason to eliminate one of the two answers.
2. Four easy wrong answers, one difficult right answer. In this answer arrangement, you are being tested on your ability to eliminate incorrect answers rather than identify the right answer. The correct answer will be worded in a difficult or abstract way. Instead, you simply have to have clear reasons to eliminate each of the wrong answers and move on. As long as you have clear reasons for eliminating each wrong answer, do not dwell on the hard-to-understand right answer.
3. Four difficult wrong answers, one easy right answer. If you find that most of the answer choices are hard to comprehend, the question may employ this arrangement. If this is the case, scan through all of the answer choices quickly and find the right answer, which should be easy to comprehend and qualify as the correct answer. Do not dwell on the difficult to understand answer choices. Instead, simply select the obviously right answer choice and move on.
4. Difficult passage, easy answer. Many times the passage itself will seem convoluted or impossible to comprehend. Correct answers in this case are usually easy to identify. In a logical reasoning passage employing this pattern, force yourself to read through the material and all of the answer choices. Even though the material may have seemed initially dense, several of the answer choices will likely be unrelated to the problem and the correct answer choice will be clear. In these instances, have faith in your ability to get through the material.
If during the reading comprehension section you find a passage whose topic you are unfamiliar with, or is densely constructed, I would likewise push through to the end of the passage and maintain as much focus as possible. This is especially true for passages with science-related topics. Remember that most LSAT test takers do not have a science-related background and the test makers expect test takers to slow down and struggle with such a passage. Therefore, it is likely that the questions following the passage will be simple or not ask for significant detail in response. Those students who do not give up and quickly read the passages in their entirety will be rewarded on the LSAT.
5. Easy passage, difficult answer. Just because an LSAT passage is easy to read does not mean that the correct answer choice will be likewise be easy to identify. Sometimes with very easy passages, three or more contending answer choices may be presented. In this case, take the time to compare each of the answer choices to the original passage and find reasons to eliminate all but the right answer choice.
6. Easy passage, easy answer. Finally, remember that not every problem on the LSAT will be overly convoluted. Many times the first or second question after a reading comprehension passage and some of the first ten questions in the logical reasoning section will be simply and direct. If you can correctly identify a reason for the a particular answer being correct and no other contenders arise, simply select the answer and move on to the end of the problem.
Reading for Structure
High school and college have trained most of us to focus on the details and thematic elements of passages when reading. However, rarely are students trained to analyze the function that individual sentences play in the context of an entire argument. For this reason, many test takers find reading for structure, identifying the role played by individual pieces of the argument, to be difficult. Both the logical reasoning and reading comprehension sections of the LSAT will contain several questions whose credited answers will hinge on a test taker's ability to correctly apply this skill-set.
Developing the ability to read for structure first requires an understanding of the possible functions played by the elements of LSAT reading comprehension and logical reasoning passages, and thereafter targeted exercises to improve this ability.
Structure of LSAT Passages
The constituent parts of each LSAT logical reasoning or reading comprehension passage will play one of the following five roles:
Premises. These are pieces of information offered by the passage author which support the main conclusion of the argument.
Supporting Conclusions. These are subsidiary conclusions are additional premises which have been offered by an author in support of a main conclusion.
The Main Conclusion. The main conclusion of the argument, also known as the main point of the argument, is the final assertion presented by an author toward which all other premises and supporting conclusions are designed to support. This is not necessarily the final sentence of the argument and may occur at the beginning of the passage.
Opposing Conclusion. This is an assertion which draws a conclusion which differs partly or fully from the main conclusion of the argument. Premises may be presented which support this conclusion.
Floating Information. These are general facts that are presented that may or may not support a particular argument. However, its purpose in being presented is not to directly support one conclusion or another.
The following example contains each information type:
"17 teams have won the NBA championship since 1972. However, the greatest among these teams is the Utah Jazz. Because the Utah Jazz have not won a single NBA championship, some would conclude that the Utah Jazz are not the greatest NBA team. However, the Jazz have the loudest stadium in the NBA, and the oldest coach in the NBA who simply will not leave this team or its community. Undoubtedly, this means that the Jazz and their fans must have the most “heart” of anyone in the NBA. Also, two of the best players in the NBA have played for the Jazz, Karl Malone and John Stockton. Finally, Deron Williams may be the best point guard in the world. With all of this evidence, who could argue against my conclusion?"
The first sentence in the example above is general floating information, it is not used in support of a particular position. The second sentence is the main conclusion of the argument, the author’s purpose in crafting this passage is to make the argument that the Jazz are the greatest team in the NBA. The next sentence contains the opposing conclusion that the Jazz are not the greatest team in the NBA and a premise designed to support this conclusion. The next sentence features a set of facts which serve as supporting premises to the main conclusion. Following these facts is a supporting conclusion, that the Jazz’s fans have the most heart of any team in the NBA. Notice that the information contained within also serves as a premise to support the main conclusion of the argument. The next two sentences contain additional supporting premises and the final sentence contains more floating information.
Targeted Improvement
When your mind subconsciously identifies these structural elements as you focus on detail, you are where you need to be. The best way to get to this point is to review logical reasoning and reading comprehension sections you've already completed. For every passage, identify and annotate the role played by each sentence in the argument according to the classification system above. Do not do this on actual tests, instead train your brain to automatically identify each of these elements during review of old materials. As you do this, you will develop your ability to read for structure.
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