My entire program of study consisted of taking old LSAT exams. I then scored them and carefully studied the answers I got incorrect. I took a ton of exams and my scores just kept going up and up. You must time yourself, set a timer and quit when it goes off, even if you're not finished. Make it realistic, you don't want to create a situation where you are uncomfortable taking the exam without a fan on your face, or without your ipod playing or without laying on your bed.
I bought my LSAT exams directly from LSAC, they have one free test on their site as well as sample questions and answers. You can purchase more LSAT exams as well, do this. The Law School Admissions Counsel also sells through Amazon. Please see my Amazon recommendations on this page for LSAT study, I've included links to prep tests as well as other things I think are helpful in studying for the LSAT or in the law school admissions process. Do wear earplugs during your practice sessions and your exam. There was a person next to me when I took my exam who had a very loud cold, complete with sniffling and nose blowing, the earplugs were a lifesaver!
The LSAT consists of five sections:
- Reading Comprehension
- Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games)
- Logical Reasoning
- Experimental
- Essay
Analytical Reasoning - I loved the logic games, this was my favorite section. The only real trick to logic games is knowing they are formulaic. Do a ton of them, read closely when you make a mistake to see why you made it. I can nearly guarantee you that if you do enough of these you will see very similar games on the LSAT and you will get the answers quickly, and more importantly correctly. The trick is to know how to go about solving the puzzle, knowing the formula.
Logical Reasoning - This section requires you to pick apart an argument. If you have ever taken a course in Philosophy it will be very helpful in mastering this section. If you haven't you will still be fine if you study. Quite often they are looking for you to find the assumption (and thus error) in the argument. The statements are often ridiculous and the correct answer is likely to be blatantly false.
Experimental - Every exam has an experimental section. People often waste valuable time on exam day trying to figure out which section is experimental. It's a giant gamble to assume any one section is that section, just ace the whole exam, including the supposed experimental section!
Essay - This part tends to scare people, probably because it is subjective. Realize that this section is not part of your score. However, it is given to law school admissions at schools you send your LSAT score report to. They give out scratch paper, use it. Make a basic outline and start writing, NEATLY. Argue persuasively and do not end up with arrows and scratch outs or any other things that make your page hard to read.
Remember, study, study, study and you will be fine. Another bonus of repeated test taking is that your speed increases over time. Don't worry if you can't finish a section in the time allotted at first, there is a definite learning curve (but do stop when the timer goes off). If you prepare yourself well and have actual scored tests you can accurately judge how well you will do in the actual exam. Do not stop studying, make it your job, not something you do in your spare time. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish. Good Luck!
