This mini-series has covered much – the SAT, the ACT, the GRE, and the GMAT! Let’s continue to learn more with this post on how to ace the LSAT, the law school admission test!

Overall LSAT

1. LSAT is not computer-adaptive, each question carries the same weight, and there is no negative marking. This means that you have control over which questions to tackle first and take guesses if needed.
2. LSAT, designed to select students for a law program, gives critical importance to words. So absorb all the information carefully.
3. Logical Reasoning has two sections out of total four. That is, it is half your LSAT! This can be a make or break for any test taker.
4. LSAT is a 4-hr long grind, so practicing full-length tests is a must.
5. All the tips we covered regarding reading and writing sections for the GMAT and the GRE are valid for the LSAT as well.

Reading Comprehension

1. Most LSAT questions are structured such that each answer choice can be proven to be correct or incorrect, according to a particular line in the passage. So, taking all the jazz out, reading comprehension is essentially pointing out ‘what is mentioned where’. This can be mastered with practice.
2. Take notes or underline important words/sentences. After the first pass, re-reading too frequently is not the best use of time.

Analytical Reasoning

1. Analytical reasoning is basically logic games – arrangements, rule-fitting, and combinations! It is the most fun part of the test and methodical too. While every game looks to be different, they are essentially pattern-finding exercises. So develop your thinking as you practice through these examples.
2. If you miss or misinterpret a particular instruction, you get conflicting answers or no answer at all! This can be detrimental. So, paraphrase all the given rules in your own language, and mechanically go through them one by one, to evaluate the answer choices.
3. Never try to list all the possibilities. Confine your thinking to the answer choices given and plug-and-play with them.
4. Have one main diagram/list of rules that is common to all questions.  Do not overwrite on this diagram when it comes to individual questions. For them, redraw the diagram and solve that specific question in its own space. This will avoid undue confusion.

Logical Reasoning

1. Logical reasoning is about understanding the given arguments. Master the most frequently asked question type to get yourself a head start.
   • Spot the underlying flaw.
   • Spot the assumption.
   • Draw inference.
   • Strengthen the argument.
   • Weaken the argument.
   • Which argument is most similar to the given argument?
   • What is an example of the idea, or principle, presented in the argument?
2. Once you understand the main argument, write it down in your own way – either a diagram or a graph. Now, read the question stem and,  without looking at the answer choices, try to answer the question in your own words. With this basic idea, work through the given answer choices. The one that goes most accurately with your idea of the answer, is the correct one.
3. Separate the core argument from superfluous information. E..g.

Every business strives to increase its productivity, 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 sense of security of the retained employees.

The main idea in the above argument is ‘Some measures taken by a business to increase productivity fail to be beneficial to the business as a whole.’ and not ‘Decreasing the number of employees in a business undermines the sense of security of retained employees.’. The latter is an example used in the argument, not the core argument.

Writing Sample

1. The writing sample is essentially a decision in which you pick one of the two positions/courses of actions. And what do law schools value in these samples? Reasoning, clarity, organization, language usage, and writing mechanics.
2. Writing sample is unscored, but may be sent to schools that you apply to. So, do not skip it or take it lightly.

Practicing these tips will enhance the chances of your best performance on the test day. Of course, don’t forget to plan your preparation, starting today!

At Beyond Consultant, we help you bring your dreams to life, by guiding in your overseas education journey. For a free consultation, please get in touch with us here.