In case you haven’t heard, the LSAT is no joke. You’re going to need all the LSAT test tips you can handle to be successful at this bad boy.
These ten LSAT test tips will increase your score if you follow them all. Read on!
LSAT Test Tip #1: Take the LSAT Once – Only Once.
When you take the LSAT more than once, your scores are averaged. Need I say more? If you retake the LSAT hoping for a higher score and something goes terribly wrong, then you can really hurt yourself in the end with an even lower score than you started out with. Plus, research shows us that your score will probably only change by two points if you retake it – and those two points can go either way, my friend.
So study efficiently the first time around so you get the score you want the first time you take the LSAT.
LSAT Test Tip #2: Determine Your Weakness
Take a practice LSAT test before you’ve done any studying at all to determine where you should concentrate your study efforts. Get a baseline score. If you find that you’re rocking the Logical Reasoning section, but are falling short in the Analytical Reasoning section, then you’ll know to beef up your study efforts there. You won’t be able to get an accurate estimate of your failings if you study before you take a practice test.
LSAT Test Tip #3: Prepare Early
The LSAT is not a test you want to cram for, considering it’s going to take you about three hours to complete, and the rest of your life to explain if you bomb it. Get your test prep materials early (at least 2-3 months) and manage your time so you can practice enough.
LSAT Test Tip #4: Study Effectively
Master your weakest section first. If, when obtaining your baseline score, you’ve found that you need to work on the Reading Comprehension section, let’s say, then by all means start studying there. Practice until you’ve mastered what that section holds, then move on to a section that’s easier for you. You’re only as good as your weakest point on the LSAT, so you better strengthen whatever is going to hold you back!
LSAT Test Tip #5: Answer Easy Questions First
Remember that every LSAT question is worth the same amount of points, so go ahead and skip around, answering the questions that are easiest for you first. You don’t have to be a hero and tough it out through the hardest ones. Get yourself the most points you can in case time runs out before you’re finished.
LSAT Test Tip #6: Pace Yourself
Which brings me to my next point: pacing yourself. The LSAT is timed; each section is 35 minutes long, and you’ll have between 25 and 27 questions to answer in that time frame. It doesn’t take a mathematical genius to figure out that you won’t have a lot of time for each question. So if you get stuck, take your best guess and move on. It would be far better to get that one question wrong, then to not have the opportunity to answer seven questions (which may or may not be easier for you) at the end because you ran out of time.
LSAT Test Tip #7: Simulate the Testing Environment
Most people don’t sit still for three hours straight, doing highly focused, intensive brain work. It can be exhausting, and if you haven’t built up your brain stamina to do just that, you could wear out before the big test day. So practice sitting at a desk (on a hard chair) and focusing through an entire practice LSAT test. Do it twice. Do it as many times as you can until you’re sure you can focus for that long.
LSAT Test Tip #8: Get the Right Materials
Every test prep book is not the same. Do your research. Ask your law professors or past graduates which test book was the most helpful. Read the reviews! You’re only going to be as good as your test prep book is, so make sure you have one that can truly prepare you for what you need.
LSAT Test Tip #9: Hire Help if Needed
Your LSAT score is a huge deal. Just a few points could be the difference in getting into the school that will propel you toward a great career, and one that could set you up for mediocrity. So if you’re truly struggling with your own LSAT prep, then by all means, hire a tutor. Spending the cash is worth it if the future returns are big!
LSAT Test Tip #10: Find Stress Relief
Nothing will make your LSAT worse than anxiety. I’m not kidding. It can do nasty things to a test score. So find a way to mentally reduce your stress before you answer the first question. Or go for a run the morning of the test to pep up your spirits before the big test. Stress is the last thing you want to conquer you with when your future in law is on the line. You’ll be dealing with high stress in the litigation world when you graduate from law school, so it’s best to learn how to manage that demon now!