Lsat

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So, you’re starting to study for the LSAT. What now?
If you’re reading this, you’ve likely taken the first few steps in your LSAT study journey. Maybe you’ve taken your initial diagnostic test and collected a few second-hand prep books that you found on Craigslist. Maybe you haven’t even gotten that far, or maybe you’re already a few months in. T
The single most useful tactic I learned for standardized test prep
Standardized test prep can be a grueling process for the mind, body, and spirit. It took a great degree of willpower not to hurl myself into the sun whenever my practice scores began to dip again (and again, and again). But as frustrating as they might be, disappointing practice days are undoubtedly the best days to improve.
Essential tips for the LSAT
A common question I get asked by my students is, “What should I be doing to prepare for the LSAT?”
When to diagram in Logical Reasoning questions
Diagramming is an invaluable skill for LSAT test-takers. For Logic Games in particular, getting a good score is highly commensurate to your ability to quickly diagram information in a manner that clear, concise, and easy to refer to as you’re working through the test questions. Diagramming is also an extremely helpful tool in figuring out some of ...
The necessities for LSAT prep
LSAT studying is a slog. There are other ways to describe it—taxing, frustrating, rewarding, challenging—but I think slog sums it up pretty well. One major component of its intimidating nature is the sheer number of ways to study—drilling, tutoring, practice tests, practice problems, books, classes, and videos are only some of them.
Information overload and the LSAT
You’re reading this because, ultimately, you want to be a lawyer. You look forward to dealing with multiple complex legal issues, responsibilities, and client demands. You know the day will come where your client has an urgent question about a legal issue buried deep within a 300-page legal document. After all, that’s the day-to-day life of a busy ...
The LSAT: why finishing each section should not be your goal
When I first started studying for the LSAT, I put a lot of pressure on myself to finish each section in 35 minutes. In this mad dash to finish, I was missing questions I should have been getting right. I was simply going too fast.
5 key tips for improving your LSAT score 
Due to sharp increases in the overall number of law school applications, a strong LSAT score is more important than ever. According to data released by Reuters, the number of law school applicants increased nearly 13% in the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, the largest year-over-year percentage increase since 2002.
Four key tips on how to study for the LSAT
Everyone seems to have a story about how long they studied for the LSAT. The test has a reputation for being tough, and for the most part, that reputation holds true; it is definitely one of the hardest standardized tests ever created. But preparing for the LSAT doesn’t have to be as daunting as it’s made out to be. There are a few tips and tricks ...
How to deal with test anxiety
The LSAT was my first time dealing with real test anxiety. I’ve always been a good test taker; the SAT, ACT, AP tests, and years of in-class assessments all proved pretty painless. But the LSAT’s high stakes and new content, plus having to fit it into a college schedule, really got to me.
How to break your LSAT score plateau
When I first started getting in the rhythm of taking LSAT practice tests, I was happy to be scoring in the high 160s and low 170s. Since I had just begun taking full-length tests, I imagined that it would only be a matter of time till I hit the mid-to high 170s, my target score range. But after a few more weeks of Sunday morning practice tests, my ...
Another tool for Logical Reasoning: the “assumption” question
One of the trickiest types of questions in the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT is what I call the “assumption” question. An “assumption” question gives you an argument, and then asks you which of the following choices is an assumption on which the argument depends. Although this seems like a straightforward thing to ask, students often have ...
Using test day nervousness to your advantage
Aristotle argues that fortitude (or “perseverance”) is not the absence of fear or nervousness. Rather, it is the willingness and ability to complete something daunting even in the presence of tremendous fear. Fear, then, is a necessary and natural part of perseverance.
How to improve at LSAT Reading Comprehension
What does it mean to be a strong reader? The Reading Comprehension section can be especially intimidating, given that we must read, analyze, and interact with four long passages. Like the other sections on the LSAT, this one requires that we process information quickly and efficiently.
How to make a logical games shorthand work for you
In this post, I will briefly introduce the importance of one fundamental skill for answering logical games with speed and accuracy: personalizing and utilizing a shorthand language for facts and rules from the stimulus. The Logical Games section of the LSAT tests our ability to understand, apply, and manipulate rules based on a set of facts. ...
If LSAT flaws were Hogwarts houses
Like the Sorting Hat, the LSAT writers probably take all year to compose their questions—the pressure is on and they have to perform a new tune to the same old professors/LSAT gurus. Like the Sorting Hat, the song/question may come in a different packaging, but the core qualities of the houses/flaw types are preserved. Let us take a look at which ...
Keys to crushing the LSAT: rehearse, revel, and relax
If you are reading this blog post, you may be at any number of places in your LSAT journey. Perhaps you have not yet started studying. Possibly you are not satisfied with your progress so far. Indeed, maybe you have already taken the LSAT and are seeking to improve your score. Regardless, this post is for you. Much like Mr. Miyagi stresses in The ...
Confused by logic games? It all comes down to 2 simple tasks
If you've been studying for the LSAT, you’ve probably heard a lot of big words for logic games: Process problems, hybrid setups, matching games, sequencing, distribution, selection…
Re-taking the LSAT: how to maximize success on the next try
A perhaps unwelcome truth of the LSAT is that it takes most people multiple attempts to crack it. These days, it’s more common for applicants to even the highest tier law schools to have taken the LSAT two or three times as opposed to just once. While this means more work and time for LSAT takers, it also means a second, or even a third, chance ...
How to crack rule substitution questions on logic games
Rule substitution questions are often the most intimidating question type for students new to logic games. These questions come at the end of the game, when time pressure is most acute, and their phrasing can be confusing. However, with the right strategy, rule substitution questions can be very manageable.
Your wrong answer log: where LSAT improvement actually happens
The LSAT is hard for everyone. Most LSAT students find some percentage of the practice questions they encounter to be pretty easy, solvable through college-level critical thinking alone. However, all LSAT students discover at some point that a significant portion of practice questions demand a level of acuity and analytical skill that transcends ...
Three Tips for the Final Week Before Your LSAT Test Day
You have been studying for months, day in and day out, pushing to get your goal score. Finally, in just another week you’ll be done with the LSAT. However, before you find yourself on your dream vacation to Niagara Falls, you still must get through this final week of studying and the actual LSAT test day.
When are you really ready to take the LSAT?
I am a golf nut, and without a doubt the greatest golfer of modern time (perhaps ever) is Tiger Woods.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
One of the basic tenets of my coaching philosophy is to teach a student to teach themselves. The vast majority of the learning process should take place solo. Learning the LSAT or the GMAT is more like learning a language than it is like learning a subject, and there is just no way—no matter how long you stick with it—that you’re going to learn ...
Three Key Lessons from a Lifetime of Test Taking
As someone who’s spent over twenty years in school and is currently pursuing both MD and MPP degrees, I’ve taken my fair share of tests. For as long as I can remember, tests have been both milestones and gatekeepers. The first “high-stakes” tests I took were the SAT and ACT in preparation for college admissions. After many midterms and finals in ...
Grad school standardized testing: to re-test or not to re-test?
So you got your score back from the standardized test you need to apply to graduate school, and you’re not thrilled. What now?
When to use worlds in logic games on the LSAT
Logic games are by far the least intuitive section of the LSAT. For someone new to the LSAT, it can be the most challenging. However, with practice, and good strategy, logic games can be the easiest section to master. One strategy to consider is splitting your gameboard into multiple worlds.
The key to understanding a reading comprehension passage on the LSAT
Have you ever read something, and when you get to the bottom of the page, you realize that you didn’t understand a single word in the passage? If you answered yes, you’re in good company, especially as it pertains to the LSAT. For months, I couldn’t get through a reading comprehension (RC) section without having to reread multiple paragraphs. This ...
Law school admissions: taking the GRE or the LSAT (or both)
Increasingly, law schools are rethinking the LSAT as the best (and only) metric of law school success. Its predictive value has long been questioned, and law school deans often publicly question how useful a tool it is (and then proceed to use it, powerfully, anyways).
Logic games: worst nightmare or a dream-come-true?
Logic games are the best. If you’re reading this, chances are they’re currently the bane of your existence but hear me out.
Law School Admissions: Deciding whether to retake the LSAT
Ah, the LSAT. That dreaded rite of passage. The most important piece in the law school puzzle. And those Logic Games! Who cares if Train C pulled in at 1pm before Train D! But, alas, it is the kicker for securing top law school admissions, so it must be taken seriously. Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding whether to retake:
Don’t forget: the LSAT is a performance-driven test
If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you’ve already begun studying for the LSAT or at the very least you’re thinking hard about it. For those of you in the first category, this post is for you. For those in the second, congratulations! You’re about to be let in on a very open secret about the LSAT that will set you up for success right ...
The LSAT, Context-Dependent Learning, and Jeopardy!
I'll get to the LSAT in a minute, but first I want to talk about Alex Trebek.
Applying to law school this fall? Here’s your summer task list.
The law school admissions application cycle doesn’t really start until October, but now is the time to start the process in earnest. Whether you’re applying to a T14 or otherwise, summer is truly the best time to hit the ground running.
Five dos and don'ts of LSAT test day
So LSAT test day is finally here. You’ve studied hard, you’ve taken practice tests, and now you are at the mercy of the test itself. Here are some dos and don’ts (several of which I made myself!) to consider for test day:
Necessary and sufficient conditions on the LSAT
If you’ve ever been told to “mind your Ps and Qs”, you know that the expression equates to being instructed to mind your manners. That is, of course, unless you’re studying for the LSAT, where Ps and Qs have nothing to do with being polite. In fact, seeing Ps and Qs may inspire some LSAT takers to feel particularly impolite: they generally signify ...
Dear LSAT taker: if you are hurting, read this
One morning in November 2016, I sat on a 36 Broadway bus heading southbound towards the downtown loop. It was a cold morning in Chicago, sometime around 4:45 a.m. The bus was empty, save the bus driver and me. I was three months into LSAT preparation, a process (for reasons unknown to God and Man) I took on while working a full-time job at a law ...
How to study for the LSAT without burning out
I, like many aspiring law students, knew I was on a law school trajectory quite a while before I applied. I knew that a good LSAT score would make a huge difference in my life. I wanted to set myself up for success, but I definitely didn’t want to start studying LSAT textbooks. Instead, I loosely “studied” for the LSAT for about a year by doing ...
Three Things I Wish I Knew Before I Delayed My First LSAT Exam
My LSAT journey should have been fast and easy. Instead, I dragged it out for 4 years, and it became a bit of a monstrosity. Here are three things I wish I knew before I opted to wait to take my first LSAT exam.
Logical Reasoning: A Brief Introduction to Question Types
The following are some of the question types you will see on the LSAT Logical Reasoning Section. Again, there are often questions that appear that are not standard in the exam; however, the following types are the most common questions asked. They are (roughly) listed in order of frequency.
7 essential tips for ANY standardized test
Whether you’re applying to college, graduate school, law school, medical school, or even some jobs, standardized tests are often part of the process. They can be intimidating, long, arduous, and confusing, but with some practice, you’ll learn how to overcome any test-taking anxiety and stay focused. Here are a few tips and tricks for going into a ...
Breaking down sufficient assumption questions on the LSAT
Many students find Sufficient Assumption questions to be among the most difficult on the LSAT. Students should expect 2-4 per exam. While they are not the most frequent question type, they tend to eat up a large amount of students’ time. However, with the right strategies, they become much easier to solve. Here are three examples, all from LSAT 70.
What Missy Elliott can teach you about conditionals & contrapositives
Rapper Missy Elliott’s hit 2002 song "Work It" (parental advisory warning required!)was my go-to LSAT study prep song. This was not due to my deep affinity for Elliott’s music (I’m more of a Childish Gambino type of girl), but because the lyrics of ‘Work It’ contain a hidden key to mastering contrapositive statements. In our post on necessary and ...
A 6-month plan to study for the LSAT, inspired by the film 'Miracle'
The September LSAT is less than 6 months away, and I just watched Miracle for the first time. That happy confluence of events produced this: a roughly 6-month study plan for the LSAT that mirrors the approach Team USA took in preparing to face the reigning 4-time Olympic hockey champions. I want you to study smarter—adopting only the best ...
Use these 3 steps to ace Reading Comprehension on the LSAT
So you're thinking about taking the LSAT, but you're scared of reading comprehension. There's been a lot of talk about RC on the LSAT:
3 things you should do if you bombed the LSAT
You spent months preparing. You did every logic game available. You were hitting your target score in your LSAT practice tests. You were ready for the LSAT -- or so you thought. Then test day came and everything you practiced went out the window. At least that’s what it felt like when the proctor handed out the flimsy booklet and you realized your ...
Five reasons you shouldn’t stress about LSAT logic games
I still remember the exact order of the sections in my first LSAT diagnostic. First was critical reading; great, something that was familiar from the SAT. Then came two logical reasoning sections; hard, but at least I had a general idea of what to do.
Step by step instructions on how to solve LSAT grouping games (part II)
This post picks up where part I left off– in that post, I covered setting up diagrams and rules for grouping games in the LSAT Analytical Reasoning section.
Step by step instructions on how to solve LSAT grouping games (part I)
LSAT grouping games, where we’re given a set of variables and asked to sort them into different groups, can be some of the toughest questions on the LSAT’s Analytical Reasoning section. The Recycling Centers game from the June 2007 test (Section 1, Qs 18-23) is no exception.
LSAT LR: Solving the June 2007 exam, Section 3 Question 24
In this blog post, I’m going to be giving a brief introduction to the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT. While this lesson is geared toward the LSAT, the logic skills are useful in math, classical rhetoric and philosophy, and debate. Today we’ll start with a little myth busting and a brief overview of the test. Then we’ll do a sample question: ...
LSAT Tutor: The Best LSAT Resources, and How to Use Them
As an LSAT tutor and law school application consultant, I’m routinely asked about preparation: Where can I find additional resources, practice problems, and mock exams…what is the best way to direct improvements in my test score….how many weeks (or months) of studying do I need to master the material…etc. Although the questions assume various ...
Standardized Test Preparation: Summer Edition
With the school year drawing to a close, many students are gearing up for summer classes for standardized test preparation. The summer can be an optimal time to prepare for an exam such as the SAT, LSAT, MCAT, or a number of other standardized exams. Students can focus all their energies into studying for an exam, without the extra demand of ...
LSAT Tutor: Reading Comprehension Tips
I’ve written before about the Logical Reasoning and Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games) sections of the LSAT. This post will focus on Reading Comprehension and give you a few LSAT tutor tips.
Law School Application Help: When to Take the LSAT
If you are planning to apply for law school this year, it is a good idea to figure out when you are going to take the LSAT test now so that you can plan accordingly. The LSAT test is given four times a year: February, June, October, and December. The February test date for 2013 has already passed, so if you are applying for law school admission in ...
LSAT Tutor Tips: Home Stretch for the February LSAT Test
With just over two weeks left before the February LSAT test date, how can you make the most of the time you have left?
Ready to Do Some Standardized Test Preparation Over the Holidays?
While holidays are certainly a time for most of us to wind down from a busy work or school year and spend time with family and friends, the holidays can also be the best time to complete some standardized test preparation. With the right discipline and schedule, the focused student can find a way to knock out a couple of good hours of test ...
LSAT Test Help: Increasing your Speed on the Logic Games
The logic games are one of the most challenging parts of the LSAT test for many students, particularly the timing. Here are some quick tips to help you increase your speed on LSAT test day.
Standardized Test Preparation as a Conduit to Enhanced Metacognition
What is metacognition you may say (unless you have been exposed to the growing literature and popularity of this word in recent years)? Metacognition, at its most basic can be described as knowing how you think.
Part 2: LSAT Test Preparation & Your Brain
This post is a follow up in which I posed the question ‘Can Prepping for Entrance Exams Make Ya Smarter? According to a recent study conducted at The University of California at Berkeley, this is certainly true with the LSAT. Given this finding, it would be interesting to explore how the LSAT is structured, the types of questions asked and how a ...
Playing to Win: LSAT Logic Games as Mental Sport
The “Logic Games” section of the LSAT is one of the most feared sections of any standardized test. Many think it’s a cruel joke for the problems to be called “games.” However, thinking of them as a competitive game can actually be the key to mastering them.
The Importance of Taking It Easy: Sitting for a Standardized Test
Lost in the whirlwind of test-taking strategies and practice problems that make up the bulk of test prep is the simple fact that there is an immense psychological component to any test as critical as the SAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, or MCAT.
Learning to Love Standardized Tests: Preparing for Test Day
Lost in the whirlwind of test-taking strategies and practice problems that make up the bulk of test prep is the simple fact that there is an immense psychological component to any test as critical as the SAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, or MCAT.
Insight from an LSAT Tutor: How important is the LSAT?
Many people question the value of standarized tests. And they should, the LSAT, in particular, is a long, tedious exam that makes many aspiring lawyers and political scientists questions their decision to apply to law school. Whatever your take on this quandary, I can say (As a legal studies tutor) that the LSAT is one of those tests you have to ...
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