Preparing to take the LSAT
Jul 02 '04 (Updated Jul 09 '04)
The Bottom Line The LSAT can be a life-changing test, and the last road-block before making it into law school, take the time to prepare well for it.
The most important thing that you can do with any test, is to make sure that you are prepared for it. Preparing for any test involves making sure that you understand that material, figuring out just what will be covered, and then reviewing material that will be relevant to questions that you may be asked. When it comes to the LSAT, and preparation to take a test that is this difficult, it preparation becomes more of a process than anything else.
The LSAT is a skills based test, and that means that it does not require you to remember facts, nor are you supposed to spit out formulas. Instead, you are required to think out problems in a thorough, quick, and strategic fashion. Some may think this is an easy thing to undertake, but it is important to realize the amount of work that is packed into the LSAT. It is basically designed to test your critical reading, ad analytical skills that will become important to you if you make it into a law school. Think of it as a test to prove that you have learned something in the years leading up to this. Skills are put to the test that do not always see the light of day, and it is important to know what you are getting yourself into in order to prepare correctly.
What the LSAT will look like
Logical Reasoning Section I
--You are given 35 minutes to finish 24-26 questions that test your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments that are made. Example questions would revolve around a statement, and then a question asking something like "What does this study conclude." You are then given a list of answers and are asked to select the most correct.
Logical Reasoning Section II
--Same as the first reasoning section, just 24-26 more questions.
Logic Game Section
--Another section that is given 35 minutes to answer about 24 questions that revolve around logic games. You have heard of them before: Person A, B, and C like to do these things, but only if X,Y, and Z happen. But B can only do Z if Y is offered and A is with B. This tests how well you can deduce a conclusion from the question.
Reading Comprehension Section
--Designed to just give you several paragraphs that you must read, and identify the purpose, the structure, and figure out the main idea of the readings. It is tough if you don't read quickly, and is designed to see how well that you understand what you are reading.
Writing Sample
--You are given 30 minutes to complete a case based on two scenarios that you are given. This is a chance to show off your ability to argue a specific position, and demonstrate your writing ability. The worst time in the world to get writer's block, but the easiest to prepare for.
Knowing what you need to prepare for is a big key in determining how well you are able to do on the test. By knowing exactly what the questions will look like, it gives you time to familiarize yourself with the format, and become very comfortable answering questions that deal with facts like these ones do.
To get ready for this "test of a lifetime", first off plan out how you are going to study up until the date of your LSAT. Make sure that you are scheduling the time to put towards studying, because if you don't the test could sneak up on you really fast. This may have to include sacrificing a few weekends to put towards studying, and it may include spending a couple of bucks on some great study guides that are out there for these tests. The important thing to realize is that the test is not intended to be easy, and that it does separate the people who want to coast from the people who want to put in the hard work and effort to do well.
Scoring
When you take the LSAT, your score will be based on a range of 120-180. That means that the lowest score you can get is 120, and the highest possible is 180. The test is based on about 101 questions, and the raw score is based on the total number of questions answered correctly. It is important that the number of questions does not scare you, and that you realize how the percentiles break down as well.
The 80th percentile of LSAT takers miss at least 21 questions on the test. That means 80 percent of all takers miss 21 of them. That only getting 80 out of 101 right, or 4/5 ths. Looking at it from that point of view, the numbers don't seem quite as scary. It shows that most people do have a hard time with the exam, and that the more time you put into preparing for it, the better off you will be. The LSAT actually has a percentile table as well:
2001-2002 LSAT Percentile Table
(June 1998 - February 2001)
180--99.98%
179--99.96%
178--99.91%
177--99.86%
176--99.78%
175--99.67%
174--99.53%
173--99.32%
172--99.07%
171--98.69%
170--98.21%
169--97.55%
168--97.03%
167--95.92%
166--94.84%
165--93.49%
164--91.91%
163--90.00%
162--88.18%
161--85.74%
160--83.07%
159--80.60%
158--77.43%
157--74.18%
156--70.74%
155--67.14%
154--63.25%
153--59.29%
152--55.22%
151--51.49%
150--47.26%
149--43.20%
148--39.33%
147--35.60%
146--32.17%
145--28.40%
144--25.46%
143--22.19%
142--19.59%
141--16.92%
140--14.56%
139--12.44%
138--10.63%
137--9.01%
136--7.54%
135--6.29%
134--5.39%
133--4.25%
132--3.49%
131--2.93%
130--2.38%
129--1.82%
128--1.48%
127--1.19%
126--0.93%
125--0.77%
124--0.60%
123--0.47%
122--0.37%
121--0.34%
120--0.00%
(I hope you find the chart useful, because it was very hard to type out)
Looking at the numbers, you can see that a ton of people miss a lot of questions, and that the key is to not get discouraged during the test. Striving to get perfect on the test is not the answer, but rather trying to answer the questions to the best of your abilities is. To read the chart, use the left number as the total correct, and the percentile on the right as where you would be placed.
Tips
Some important tips to studying for the test are listed below:
1. Get a study partner. The best way to learn how to argue out a case, or figure out logic problems is to get a friend that you can study questions with. There are always tricks that will help your mind remember exactly how to solve these types of problems. Sometimes you may have trouble with a specific question, but it may be the simplest thing in the world to your friend. If you are both trying to tackle it, having one person explain the answer to the other helps speed up the process and eliminates some unneeded stress.
2. Know that when you take the test it is not necessary to get every question right. If you come across a problem that you don't know the answer to, skip it and come back to it. The worst thing that you can do is spend too much time on one question and end up not getting to an easier one in time. Never spend too much time thinking out one problem.
3. Be very well rested for the test. You need your brain working on all cylinders, and in order to do that you need to have a lot of sleep in your system so that you can remain focused on the job at hand.
4. Eat a good breakfast. Have some fruit, and something that will take you through a day. Avoid things that have too much sugar, or could cause you to crash mid-test. The last thing you want it to have your stomach grumbling right as you get into the meat of the test.
5. Practice focusing your attention for long periods of time on topics that do not interest you, or seem boring to you. When the test finally comes around, you will realize that your attention is now drawn directly to the test, and that you no longer look for distractions. This helps a lot with concentration during the test.
Study Guides
There are lots of study guides or online tutors out there that can help you get really prepared for the LSAT. Some of them have been reviewed by great writers on this site, and here is a sample of some that could be really beneficial to you:
Mastering the LSAT (a book)
Review by Krissieliz of Kaplan Online LSAT Course
Review by nylawgirl of
Princeton Review LSAT Course Online
All 3 of these are useful tools in preparing for the LSAT. But the most important thing that I can tell you about the test, is make sure you remember to bring sharpened pencils :)
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