Preparing for the LSAT can be as simple as signing up and writing the exam, getting a great score and applying to law school. Although for most of us it requires much more work than that.

Your first step should be to take a practice exam. There’s a free exam and explanations for download in our online LSAT prep course. Once you have an idea as to what your score is now you can start setting goals and developing a plan to achieve them.

What should your goal LSAT score be?

Start by checking with the law schools you would like to attend. Their websites will give you guidance on what LSAT score you’ll need to get in. This can vary depending on your GPA.

Once you have a goal score in mind you’ll have some idea of the amount of work you need to put in. If your current score is about the same as your goal score (within 1-2 points) then you can just write a few more practice exams, sign up for the LSAT and call it a day. If it’s more than 1-2 points you’ve got some work to do.

Your next step is to set up a study schedule. Here’s a sample LSAT study schedule to get you started. This schedule won’t work for everyone, but it’s a place to start.

As a general principal, I’d suggest starting with a heavier study load than you intend for the long run. When you start to see improvements or move closer to that goal LSAT score you can ease up. This approach is much better than panicking near the end when you’re LSAT score is not yet where you want it to be.

Also, if you’re looking for an improvement of more than 5-9 points you may want to put in more time than this. Feel free to get in touch with us for some guidance on how you can improve your LSAT score. instructors@alpha-score.com

Sample Amount Words for the LSAT

• none
• few / a few
• some
• many
• lots
• most
• all
• not all

There are more but these are the basics. For all amount words you should have a clear idea as to what they represent in numerical terms or percentages. For example a few means more than one, most means more than half or greater than 50% and all, well it means every single one or 100%.

It seems a simple concept but many students get tripped up by these words or worse yet, don’t pay them the attention they are due when reading logical reasoning questions on the LSAT.

The correct answer often turns on these words and they can be far more important than the specifics of the stimulus or question scenario. Focusing on these words can often allow you to quickly eliminate or select answer choices.

Here’s an example of a simple LSAT question, taken from the June 2007 Official LSAT prep test. It’s not particularly difficult but give it a try and then we’ll take a look at the amount words in it.

Economist: Every business strives to increase its

productivity, for this increases profits for the

owners and the likelihood that the business will

survive. But not all efforts to increase

productivity are beneficial to the business as a

whole. Often, attempts to increase productivity

decrease the number of employees, which clearly

harms the dismissed employees as well as the

sense of security of the retained employees.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses

the main conclusion of the economist’s argument?

(A) If an action taken to secure the survival of a

business fails to enhance the welfare of the

business’s employees, that action cannot be

good for the business as a whole.

(B) Some measures taken by a business to increase

productivity fail to be beneficial to the business

as a whole.

(C) Only if the employees of a business are also its

owners will the interests of the employees and

owners coincide, enabling measures that will

be beneficial to the business as a whole.

(D) There is no business that does not make efforts

to increase its productivity.

(E) Decreasing the number of employees in a

business undermines the sense of security of

retained employees.

So we are asked to find the main conclusion. If you need more help with this, a complete analysis of how to do this for questions like this and much more complex ones is included in our LSAT prep course. For now let’s simply say that your main idea will be the part of the argument that is supported, directly or indirectly, by each other part of the argument. Here we have four parts:

1. every business tries to increase productivity
2. productivity increases profits and chances of survival
3. not all efforts to increase productivity are good for the whole business
4. often attempts to increase productivity decreases employees which harms employees

So where does the support flow to?  Our second sentence receives support from the other areas of the argument.

But not all efforts to increase productivity are beneficial to the business as a whole.

From the points above. 1. sets up the situation – many arguments provide some background information to set up the situation. This is not the conclusion because the other parts of the argument do not all support  this idea that ALL businesses try to increase profitability.

2. This explains why all businesses try for increased productivity, while it does support 1. that does not make 1. our conclusion as 1. still goes on to support the other parts of the argument

3. this is our conclusion. it does not support other parts of the argument and is supported by the other parts.

4. this demonstrates why 3. is the case by giving us specific examples it clearly supports 3. which is our conclusion.

Looking at our stimulus and answer choices now to find our amount words we see  a number of them and each can help us in understanding the question and finding the correct answer.

The amount words are highlighted in red here.

I have also highlighted some other words that are important to look for. Blue represents some changes in amounts. Green represents a level of certainty e.g. are we certain or somewhat less than certain about an idea.

For now we’ll focus on the amount words in red.

Our conclusion tells us that NOT ALL efforts are positive to the whole business. If not all are positive than some must be negative. And we see that expressed in our correct answer choice (B) “Some measures taken by a business to increase productivity fail to be beneficial to the business as a whole.” This expresses the same idea as our conclusion. They have just switched the amount words from “not all” to some.

The other words we have highlighted can also help you in understanding and interpreting the argument and answer choices. In other questions these words can mean the difference between an incorrect and correct answer. Focus on not only the words of amount but also certainty and it will help you increase your logical reasoning scores.

All actual LSAT questions printed within this work are used with the permission of Law School Admission Council, Inc., Box 2000, Newtown, PA 18940, the copyright owner.  LSAC does not review or endorse specific test preparation materials or services, and inclusion of licensed LSAT questions within this work does not imply the review or endorsement of LSAC.  LSAT is a registered trademark of LSAC.

Why use a Virtual LSAT Proctor?

Taking official LSAT exams under official LSAT timing conditions is an essential part of preparing for the LSAT. It helps with text anxiety, by helping you become familiar and more comfortable with the testing format. It helps you improve your timing and recognize where you need to speed up, or in some circumstances slow down. It allows you to get a realistic idea as to where you are scoring on the LSAT. Too often students think their doing fine only to find out they are not scoring as high as they thought when the get under the pressure of the clock.

Our LSAT proctor allows you to jump between sections, pause for a break, although we don’t recommend this, and pick up where you left off. It includes all scored sections of the LSAT as well as an optional experimental section, which we’d recommend you use. Experimental sections for your practice LSAT can be simply an extra section taken from another official LSAT prep test.

In addition to alerting you to the start and end of your LSAT sections and breaks the virtual LSAT proctor also gives you a five minute warning for the end of sections. This is a common occurrence on actual test day and you need to learn to deal with the interruption and potential stress that it may cause.

If you’re preparing for the LSAT our Virtual LSAT Proctor can be an invaluable resource. Try it out here, and of course if you have any feedback, questions or suggestions please feel free to let us know.

Here’s a bit more on the LSAT experimental section.

It is usually one of the first three sections of the test. (before the break)

Here is how you can figure out which section was experimental on your LSAT:

1. Which type of section did you have an extra section of? (eg. did you have 3 logical reasoning sections, 2 reading comprehension or 2 analytical reasoning sections)

2. If you had 2 reading comprehension or 2 analytical reasoning sections then the first one was likely the experimental and if one was before the break and one after then it’s usually the first one. For the October 9, 2010 LSAT, based on reader feedback, the REAL Reading Comprehension section included passage topics on: artists, African American historiography, animal communication and the UN.

3. If you had 3 logical reasoning sections and only one was before the break then that is likely the experimental one. If two were before the break then the first one is likely the experimental section. One of the REAL logical reasoning sections involved questions on Owls and Antibiotics.

So the experimental section could be Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension or Analytical Reasoning depending on which copy of the test you wrote. Whichever one it was it does not count towards your LSAT score.

Every LSAT includes four scored sections a writing sample and a fifth un-scored LSAT section.

The four scored sections are:
Logical Reasoning x2
Reading Comprehension
Analytical Reasoning

The experimental section will be one of the above three types but it won’t count towards your score. The experimental section is used to test questions for future LSAT exams. The questions in it can be harder or easier than average as new question types and difficulty levels are experimented with.

Find more LSAT Blog articles here.

It’s obviously different for everyone, some of us can ace the test with little or no preparation while others might take months of dedicated study to see significant improvements in their score.

We’ve put together an LSAT Study Schedule as a guideline for your LSAT studies. This is just a guide and you may require much more or less time than is laid out here. But it’s a great place to start.

Before you charge into the LSAT study schedule, there are a couple of quick things you should consider. Namely, Diagnostic Exams and Goals.

Diagnostic Exam – generally I recommend that students take a diagnostic LSAT to begin with, with two big warnings (we’ll get to those in a moment). Taking a diagnostic LSAT allows you to set a baseline score and to build your goals upon that. You can then track your progress from this base score. If you’re looking for an official LSAT to start with, there’s one in our trial LSAT course. Here’s the caveats on the diagnostic LSAT:

WARNING #1 – many successful students with high LSAT scores, did not score high on their diagnostic, there is lots to learn about the particulars of the LSAT, how they ask the questions and what methods you can use to get to the answers quickly. If you are the type of person who is demoralized easily with low test scores, skip the diagnostic and move into studying. When you’ve prepared a bit more then take an exam.

WARNING #2 – staring off with a full LSAT exam is often daunting and becomes a mental block to getting your LSAT studies started, if you find yourself more than a few days past your planned start date and you still haven’t written the diagnostic exam, skip it and just get started. You can start with a simple lesson on one topic and spend 20-30 minutes learning one thing. Much less intimidating than a 4 hour exam to start. You can always come back and do lots of practice exams later.

Set your Goals!

Essential for any study program, and especially for the LSAT. Set your goals early and review them often.

Goals should include:

• a final score (check what your hopeful law schools require for an idea of what you might require)
• hours per week – determine how much time you are willing to dedicate per week and stick to it
• that’s it. You can add in your school of choice but  too many goals and some start to slip. Stick to these two and you’ll stay focused.

You may also want to consider where you’ll be studying. It’s best to set a place, be consistent and visit it often.

Here’s a few good places:

• a school library or other library
• an office

And some bad places:

• home study or bedroom (maybe, see below)
• park bench – it may be sunny but you won’t get much work done

Studying at home – some people can, but most of us can’t. If you’re going to study at home make sure you eliminate all distractions and ensure that no one will be coming in to disturb you. Try this once or twice and if you find yourself taking a nap, watching TV or constantly being interrupted then you need to find somewhere else to study and stick to it.

Once you’ve got your place and goals set you’ll need a study plan. You can put your own together or use our suggestions here. This LSAT study guide will take you through all aspects of the LSAT in approximately 70 hours, plus a few more for extra practice and review. You can supplement it with official LSAT practice exams at any point in the study plan. We’d suggest you fit in at least 5 full length practice exams under timed conditions and include some time to review them after each exam. Total study time in this plan including 5 exams and review time is approximately 90-100 hours. At 10-12 hours per week that’s about 10 weeks, or at 20 hours per week it’s about 5 weeks. You can condense it down further by studying more often or by cutting down on some areas that you find easier. Often students will find a few topics that come easily to them and you can reduce your study time on these.

When you’re ready, get started with the LSAT Study Schedule here.

Option 1 $80+ “I don’t need help”
Option 2 $170-230+ “Well maybe a little help”
Option 3 $329 “Best Bang for your buck”
Option 4 $629 “3 plus extra help”
Option 5 $800-1200 “I like to spend money”
Option 6 $1600 “Lots more help!!”
Option 7 $4875 “If I don’t ace this test, shoot me”

• Where should I start?
• What books should I buy?
• Should I take a course or just wing it?
• Do I need to study?

Your first step is to decide on your budget. There are a number of ways to prepare and cost is a factor.

Here are some basic options for LSAT prep, their costs, and a look at the pros and cons. Yes, I am biased, but this does give you coverage of a number of options out there.

LSAT Prep Option 1    ”I don’t need help”

Just the practice tests – Cost = $80+ shipping and taxes

• $19.95 The Next 10 official LSAT Prep Tests
• $40 Five more LSAT practice tests from LSAC – Get the more recent ones
• Use the free LSAT resources on Alpha-Score.com

Pros:

• It’s cheap
• You can say you didn’t need much help preparing for the LSAT

Cons:

• You only get practice questions and minimal help with explanations and lessons

Conclusion: If you take a practice test and score near where you want to be, this is a great option. You save cash and you probably don’t need help anyway. If you’re looking for any significant improvement on your score (e.g. more than 2-3 points) you’re going to need more help than this.

LSAT Prep Option 2    ”Well maybe a little help”

Text books and practice tests – all book study option – Cost = $170-$230 + shipping and taxes

• $19.95 The Next 10 official LSAT Prep Tests
• $30-50 A logical reasoning text book
• $30-50 An analytical reasoning text book
• $30-50 A reading comprehension text book
• $40 Five more LSAT practice tests from LSAC – get the recent ones

Pros:

• You get help on every question type and lots of practice questions
• If you’re dedicated you can make great improvements on your score with minimal expense
• You save about $10-50 over our online LSAT course

Cons:

-          You have to be very dedicated to read the 1,000+ pages of dense LSAT texts

-          Most students do not retain information as well from a book as they do from animated visual and audio lessons

Conclusion: If you have the dedication to use the books properly and review them completely you can save some cash with this method. However, for $10-50 more you can have a more comprehensive and much more engaging course where you’ll learn faster and retain more due to audio and visual stimuli.

LSAT Prep Option 3    ”Best Bang for your buck”

Online LSAT Course – Cost = $329 use coupon code “Option3″ Enroll Here
Complete online LSAT course by Alpha-Score includes:

• Logical reasoning
• Logic Games (Analytical Reasoning)
• Reading Comprehension
• Actual LSAT questions
• Actual LSAT Prep tests
• Complete coverage of every LSAT concept and question type

Pros:

• Inexpensive compared to all other LSAT prep courses
• Because the lessons are animated and include audio explanations you are much more likely to retain information and learn faster.
• You can re-take lessons anytime you want unlike in the classroom – great for extra practice
• Complete coverage of everything you need to ace the test
• You get lots of help from professional LSAT teachers and not just some law student who scored high
• Online learning is better than the classroom – According to Department of Education Studies and the New York Times.

Cons:

• You still need some personal dedication to put time aside to study – but if you can’t find this now, law school is probably not a good choice
• You may not need all this extra help if you’re already scoring as high as you’d like

Conclusion: We’re biased of course, but we think this is the most effective way to study and it’s only a few dollars more than buy a bunch of books. With the interactive tutorials you are much more likely to improve your score quickly and it’s a lot more fun than text books. Another often over looked benefit is the ability to retake any lesson as often as you want to so you can really become an expert at the LSAT.

If you have any questions about LSAT preparation options feel free to give us a call or an email:

1-877-LSAT-Pro

info@alpha-score.com

LSAT Prep Option 4    ”3 plus extra help”

Online Course plus Personal Tutoring – Cost = $629 use coupon code “Option4” Enroll Here

• Everything in option 3 plus:
• 6 hours of personal tutoring from a professional instructor
• Personal strength and weakness analysis
• Personal consultation for goals and time requirements
• Additional homework assignments to fit your needs
• Customized study plan to meet your timing needs and score goals

Pros:

• See Option 3 plus…
• You get the full course coverage plus personal attention from a professional instructor

Cons:

• See above Option 3

Conclusion: This gives you all the benefits of option 3 plus lots of extra help to get you through any problem areas or help you really maximize your score.

If you have any questions about LSAT preparation options feel free to give us a call or an email:

1-877-LSAT-Pro

info@alpha-score.com

LSAT Prep Option 5    ”I like to spend money”

An LSAT classroom course – Cost = $800 – $1200

What this includes will vary with each course provider, but most will give you complete coverage of logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension as well as extra practice questions.

Pros:

• You are forced to sit in a classroom and learn so it’s harder to procrastinate – although you still need to force yourself to do practice exams and follow up on lessons in your own time

Cons:

• Very expensive and not necessarily going to provide you with a better education
• Being forced into a classroom for extended periods reduces retention
• If you miss a class you often cannot make it up
• Teaching quality varies dramatically even within good companies, most classes are taught by law students with little or no teaching experience
• Many people think going to class is enough and stop there, it’s not. You need to be dedicated and practice on your own time.

Conclusion: The cost of these courses is due to the cost of renting a classroom (or owning real estate), hiring a student instructor, and marketing to justify the huge cost. You don’t get anything more out of these classes than you can out of an online class. In fact you probably will learn less as you can’t re-take classes and you are more likely to doze off an hour or two into the lesson.

LSAT Prep Option 6 “Lots more help!!”

Online Course plus lots of personal tutoring – Cost = $1600

• Everything in Option 3 & Option 4 plus …
• A total of 20 hours of personal tutoring from a professional LSAT instructor

Conclusion: Like with option 7 below, you may not need this extra help. Your best bet is probably option 3 or 4 and then if you need the extra help you can always pick up this option later.

LSAT Prep Option 7 “If I don’t ace this test, shoot me”

Online course plus all the personal tutoring you could possibly want – Cost = $4875

• Everything in Option 3 & Option 4 plus …
• A total of 65 hours of personal tutoring from a professional LSAT instructor

Conclusion: Like with option 6 above, you may not need this extra help. Your best bet is probably option 3 or 4 and then if you need the extra help you can always pick up this option later. However, if you really want to hit the ground running and do the best that you can, this gives you total personal coverage and support for your entire LSAT prep period.

If you have any questions about LSAT preparation options feel free to give us a call or an email:

1-877-LSAT-Pro

info@alpha-score.com