r/LSAT•14 yr. ago

Intro To The LSAT

###What Is The LSAT

The LSAT is a standardized test used for admissions to ABA certified law schools. In practice, that means all law schools you want to go to. English Canadian law schools also require the LSAT.

###LSAT Format

The LSAT has six sections. Only four of these are graded.

Two sections of Logical Reasoning
One section of Logic Games (Analytical Reasoning)
One section of Reading Comprehension
One ungraded Experimental Section (one of the above three types, chosen at random)
One ungraded Essay

###Logical Reasoning (LR)

LR sections have 24-26 short questions. LR questions have three parts.

Stimulus This is the big block of text at the top of each questions. Usually an argument, with a conclusion. It's very important to identify the conclusion.

On Must Be True and Most Strongly Supported questions the stimulus is just a set of facts, not an argument.
Question Stem This is the question, below the stimulus. It tells you the type of question. Different question types require different answers.
Answer Choices By far the least important part of the question. One is right, and four are designed to confuse you.

Understanding the stimulus is by far the most important part of the question.

###Logic Games (LG)

The hardest section for most people, at first. Also the easiest section to improve.

LG sections are divided into four separate games. Each game has a setup and 5-7 questions.

Logic games are best answered by drawing diagrams.

Setup A paragraph introducing the game, and 3-6 rules. Sometimes there are extra rules in the intro paragraph, watch out.

Getting the setup right is crucial. Read it twice, or even three times.
First Question Almost always a list question. Best answered by Going through the rules one by one to eliminate answers.
Other Questions Best answered by the diagram you drew during the setup.
Local Rule Questions Often, you'll get a new rule that applies only to one question. For these, you should draw a new diagram that incorporates the rule, and any additional deductions it allows.
Diagrams A new symbolic language. Your diagrams should be clear, consistent, and simple to draw. LSAT Blog and Powerscore are good sources for diagram ideas. I'll soon have diagrams examples up here as well.
Remembering Rules It's very difficult to do a game when you don't know the rules. If you spend a bit of extra time memorizing them, you'll go through the game much faster.

###Reading Comprehension (RC)

The most difficult section to improve. Usually ignored by most students and test prep companies. Success depends highly on reading speed and organization.

Each section has four passages, and each passage has 5-7 questions.

Passage Divided into 3-4 paragraphs. Each paragraph has a set theme. To practice for RC passages, read more RC passages. They have a unique structure.
Questions Questions fall into a few types. Most test knowledge of specific details, or specific sections of the passage. Some questions test understanding of the main point, or the author's tone.
Comparative Reading Introduced in June 2007. One in four passages is a comparative reading passage. There are two passages instead of one. You'll need LSATs 52 onwards to practice with these + the free June 2007 LSAT.
Reading Speed This can be improved. Most people read between 100-400 WPM. A 50% boost isn't uncommon if you've never trained. I wrote a blog post on how to improve.
Passage Structure Each paragraph tends to have a theme that can be described in a sentence. You should make a mental map of the passage. You won't remember all the details from the passage, but a map of the passage lets you remember where a specific detail is likely to be.

###Experimental Section

This section doesn't count, it's used for research purposes. But you have to try your hardest, because you won't know which section is experimental.

It will be one of the three types listed above: LG, LR, RC.

Yes, that means you could have two logic games sections. Do not try to guess which section is experimental and slack off.

###Essay

The essay is ungraded. Most schools don't use it for very much. The essay is always the final section.

You are given a situation. Perhaps a company wants to choose a new office building. It wants lots of space, and to be in an area attractive to workers. There are two proposed sites, and they each have advantages and disadvantages. Neither side is "correct".

Your job is to argue for one side, while keeping in mind the weaknesses in your position.

Why don't schools care about the essay?

It's ungraded.
It's hand-written. (hard to read)
They receive a photocopy. (hard to read)
Different students write about different topics, because some people write the June LSAT, others October, etc.

This last point means that an admissions officer must read the setup and consider the situation before reading the essay.

What do schools use the essay for?

Rumor has it that it's used to check whether you wrote your personal statement on your own. If your personal statement is excellent but your essay is full of grammar errors, something is going on.

So make sure to write the best essay you can, but you don't need to put much effort into studying for it.

###LSAT Rules For Timed Practice

You should follow these rules when doing timed practice. That way you'll be following the same questions as on test day.

Pencils only. No pens. Get a good eraser, I recommend Staedtler.
No scrap paper. Draw logic games on the test page.
Fill in your answers in your score sheet. Prep books have scoresheets.
Each section is 35 minutes. One 10-15 minute break halfway through.
No breaks between the other sections.
No digital timers. Use an analog watch. (You can use a phone alarm to keep exact time. Just don't check it during the section)

###LSAT Scoring

Each test has 100 or 101 questions. You get a "raw score" out of 100 or 101. This is just the total number of questions you get right. There is no penalty for guessing.

The raw score is converted to a scaled score, out of 180. This scaled score is what really counts. It is standardized, and it lets schools compare you to people who wrote different LSATs.

Different tests have different curves. On test 61, getting a raw score of 74 gets you 160. On test 60, a raw score of 74 gets you 161, and to get 160 you only need 72.

You can find the conversion charts at the end of each test. For example, on the June 2007 LSAT, the conversion chart is on page 38.

###LSAT Percentiles

Your scaled score lets you calculate your percentile on the LSAT. Your percentile rank tells you how many people score above and below you.

You can see LSAT percentiles on this chart. Ignore the raw scores.

Notice that as scores get higher, the growth in percentiles gets smaller. That means that it gets harder to improve as you start hitting high scores.

###LSAT Score And Admissions

Schools like the LSAT because it let's them compare a student from Nebraska to a student from California. It is an objective, standardized test, even if it doesn't measure all the skills required to be a lawyer.

Different schools place different weights on the LSAT, but generally it is as important as GPA.

Each school will have a median LSAT score (50th percentile), a 25th percentile LSAT score, and a 75th percentile LSAT score.

If the 25th percentile LSAT score is 160, that means that 25 percent of the school's admitted students scored below 160, and 75% scored above.

These percentiles describe a particular school's LSAT class. They are not the same as the overall LSAT percentiles above.

See: Wikipedia(percentiles)

You can find these percentiles on US News and World Report (paywall)

About.com and Top Law Schools also have school profiles that include these numbers.

Law School Numbers provides anecdotal reports of admitted students. Law School Predictor lets you enter your numbers into a calculator.

Posted May 30, 2012, 3:17 PM UTC · edited

166