The Law School Admission Test, also known as the LSAT, is a vital component of any student’s effort to get into a top-quality law school. Unlike other standardized tests designed to measure and project a student’s academic achievements, the LSAT is focused on developing an individual’s ability to excel in law school.
The five sections of the test are composed of 35 minutes of multiple-choice questions. These sections evaluate a student’s ability to identify and solve problems.
An unscored writing section is also included in the test. It can be taken online and is designed to be taken anytime. A writing sample is also provided to each law school that a student applies to.
The logical reasoning section of the test is the most critical component. It tests a student’s ability to analyze and critically examine arguments presented to them. There are also logic games designed to test a student’s ability to understand complex relationships. This can be a challenging test to prepare for, so here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
Getting good at the logical reasoning section of the test requires months of continuous practice. This is why aspiring lawyers must keep their minds focused on the test at all times. Aside from practice tests, experts also suggest that students regularly practice new sections each day. This isn’t a good test to cram for–start studying early and work a little bit each day to build your skills.
Don’t Feel Pressured to Answer Questions in Order
One of the essential factors that aspiring lawyers must consider when preparing for the test is choosing which sections to focus on first. While the test is divided into sections, you aren’t obligated to answer the questions in a given unit in order.
The order of the questions is important because students can build confidence by focusing on the more straightforward questions first. This way, test takers can ensure they get the most accessible points without getting stuck on a difficult question for too long and running out of time. You can always circle back to questions you’re unsure about.
Review Your Practice Tests
Experts also suggest that students regularly practice the questions they’ll encounter on the test. This will help them get used to the format and improve their skills. Don’t just record your score after completing a timed practice test or practice section. Instead, look at the questions you missed and try to identify the ones that led to the wrong answer.
Getting good at reviewing multiple questions can take a long time to complete. If you get ten wrong answers, then another 15 you just got lucky on, that 25 questions you should spend time reviewing and committing the concepts to memory.
Practice Reading Carefully
Every word included in the three test sections is significant to the presented information. If you skip over a word or two while reading through a logic game, you might miss some of the critical points that the test provides.
Take note of every word included in the Reading Comprehension section and the logical reasoning section of the test. Circle any keywords that appear in the text, such as “however,” “in sum,” or “nonetheless.” This will help you avoid missing some tricky details and implications.
Don’t Leave Questions Unanswered
Since there’s no penalty for failing to provide an accurate answer, it’s still essential to make an educated guess about the questions you’re unsure about.
The test’s difficulty is also weighted the same in every question. If you’re not able to figure out a difficult question, try to bubble in an answer and move on. This strategy will help you avoid getting stuck in a tight spot and getting left behind.