There are a lot of little things that need to be done before taking the LSAT. However, if you don’t prioritize your tasks, you may find yourself distracted. This distraction can lead to poorer performance on the LSAT. So, here is a list of things I wish I knew before taking the LSAT. Although I performed alright on the LSAT, I believe doing things things would have improved my score tremendously.
- Take an LSAT course
- Take lots of practice tests
- It’s all about the quality of study, not quantity of study
- Don’t worry about the little things that could distract from performing well
Take an LSAT course
I started preparing for the LSAT well in advance of the actual test. Instead of taking a course, I opted to go for the self-paced route and use Khan academy. Unfortunately, I did not utilize my time as effective as I should have and was distracted by a lot of little things. Although Khan academy is a useful tool, I feel that if I had took a course, I would have been more focused on the study material. A course would have also helped me learn the best techniques for achieving success. Additionally, I would have had instructor interaction that would have helped me improve much quicker.
I would strongly recommend taking an LSAT course during the fall and spring semester of your junior year. With more practice, the better you will perform.
Take lots of practice tests
During the LSAT course, I would recommend taking a lot of practice tests. There are two places where you can access several free practice tests
Khan Academy LSAT Prep – (10+ free practice tests that you can take under test like conditions)
LSAC LawHub – (2 free practice tests that you can take under test like conditions with realistic LSAT software)
Using both of these resources will help you become proficient at taking the LSAT. You should set a goal to take an LSAT practice test every other week. Doing this will help you see your progress and become comfortable taking the real LSAT. The more comfortable you are with the practice LSATs, the better you will perform on test day.
It’s all about the quality of study, not the quantity of study.
Although “quality, not quantity” is a simple principle, it is essential for LSAT success. As mentioned previously, I began studying for the LSAT well in advance. I would often study for an hour at a time. However, I did not utilize that time very effectively. I would work through a problem after problem without taking the time to review what I might have been doing right or wrong. I hoped that working through as many problems as possible would be an effective way of learning the material.
Instead, I recommend slowing down to take time with each problem. If you get the problem wrong, stop and review what may have been missed. If you got the right answer, review why the other problems were wrong. Even if you are not going through as many problems quickly, you will see improvement happen much faster.
Here is an example of how you might divide your time during a study session:
- Choose what skill you want to focus on
- Work through 5 practice problems. Don’t worry about doing each problem quickly (the more you practice, the faster you will become). Review each problem after answering.
- Set a timer for 7 minutes and work through 5 practice problems. This gives you about 1.4 minutes per problem which is the average time you will have to answer a question.
- Review which ones you missed and why you missed them.
- Repeat steps 2-4 to fill your desired study time. One cycle should take about 30 minutes to complete.
Of course, these study sessions are things you can do in addition to taking an LSAT class. For the best success, study both in a class and on your own.
Don’t worry about the little things that could distract from performing well
There are a lot of little details that are necessary to take the LSAT. To name a few, you need to know when and how to register, when and how to take the writing section, knowing how long the test is, and understanding how the proctoring is going to work. I spent a lot of my “study time” looking into answering all of those questions. Consequently, I did not spend that time studying and building LSAT test taking skills. Although the knowledge is helpful in advance, be patient. LSAC is pretty through, making sure you are ready to take the test. You will receive many emails that will help walk you through each step when you are about to reach that step.
Summary
Here are some of the biggest things I wish I knew before taking the LSAT.
- Take an LSAT course
- Take lots of practice tests
- It’s all about the quality of study, not quantity of study
- Don’t worry about the little things that could distract from performing well
If you spend more time focusing on these essential lessons, you will find success in taking the LSAT.
