LSAT Books
Canadian? Check out this list instead.
In this post I'm going to do three things:
- Show you the most important books that I have all my tutoring students buy.
- Show you some supplementary books that can be useful, but aren't essential.
- Show you some online options to buy LSAT tests.
For free online LSAT resources, check out this guide.
The book links below are for Amazon; they have the best prices. If you order over $25, they include free shipping.
Note: The LSAC Book titles are very strange. The most recent book, for example, is called: Ten New Actual Official LSATs.
Even I can't keep these titles straight. It's easiest to refer to the books by test numbers. E.g. LSATs 52-61.
###Only Buy Books That Use Real LSAT Questions
Most LSAT books in the bookstore aren't worth it. Kaplan, Princeton Review and Barron's find it too expensive to license real LSAT questions - so they invent their own.
Do not practice using fake questions. Made-up questions will either be too easy, too hard, or, even worse, they will be different than real LSAT questions.
All the books listed below use real questions. If you buy a book that I haven't listed here, check that it uses real questions. A few do; most don't.
###Books You Need To Buy - Official, Recent Preptests
Everyone serious about the LSAT should buy these books. The total cost is only ~$70 if you get them on amazon.
As of May 2012, the LSAC has released 65 LSATs. June 2012 will be LSAT 66. (The February LSAT is never released)
You should get all the LSATs from 52-65, and likely 29-38 as well.
This is the best selling LSAT Book on Amazon for a reason. It has ten full, recent tests + scoresheets. $2 per test.
The Next Ten LSATs (29-38), $19
These are cheap, and the LSAT hasn't changed too much since they were released. Still the fourth best selling LSAT book on Amazon.
Supplement - 29-38 Explanations: Hacking the LSAT, $27
I wrote explanations for every tests in The Next Ten LSATs. I worked hard to make them simple yet comprehensive.
You can see a sample using "search inside", below the cover image.
p.s. If you've bought one of my books and really want to help me out, write a review. Helps other people find them :)
LSATs 62-66, $8 each
The most recent LSATs. Buy all of these. The test has changed over time.
I'm writing explanations for these new tests as well. Here's what I've got so far:
(They're priced differently for now because I'm testing prices)
###Useful, But Not Essential: LSATs 39-51 and Superprep
The LSAC also publishes these books. They are useful, so you'll want to consider them if you have the budget.
LSAT Superprep, $18
The Superprep has a guide to each section, and three full length tests. The tests come with full explanations from the LSAC, as well as difficulty ratings. The difficulty ratings are handy - no other LSAT questions have ratings.
The official explanations are unique to the Superprep. They sound like a great idea…but they can be as hard to understand as the questions themselves. Very dense.
If you can figure out the explanations, then they will help you understand what the LSAC is looking for, which is quite handy.
The practice tests are fairly old, which makes them less useful.
LSATs 39-51, $8 each
The LSAC should bundle ten of these tests into one book and sell it for $20, just like they do for all the other tests.
Instead, you must buy tests 39-51 individually.
These are better practice materials than tests 29-38. But you'll have to spend $80 to get ten tests, vs. $19. Bleh.
Some of these aren't even currently in stock on Amazon. I provided the links, but you might have to look for used copies.
Pdf copies are be a better option, see the "Online"" section below.
I'd recommend you buy ALL of these, but in pdf. Then print them.
LSAT 51 LSAT 50 LSAT 49 LSAT 48 LSAT 47 LSAT 46 LSAT 45 LSAT 44 LSAT 43 LSAT 42 LSAT 41 LSAT 40 LSAT 39
###Books You Don't Need To Buy
I'm mentioning these books only because:
- You should know about them.
- You should know why you don't need them.
If you have a lot of time, and run through all the others tests, then go ahead and buy them. But the newer tests are far more useful.
Ten Actual LSATs, $19
The logic games in these books are quite different from those on the modern LSAT, and the logical reasoning hasmuch more formal logic.
###Strategy Guides/PowerScore
Most LSAT strategy guides are not that good. They're not consistent. If you buy a PR, Kaplan or Barron's book, they will have some good strategies. They will also have some bad strategies. It will be very hard for you to tell them apart.
The two exceptions, so far, are Manhattan LSAT and Powerscore. Both companies use real LSAT questions, and have generally good strategies.
Please do not take these books as gospel. The strategies are good to get started, but ultimately, real LSAT questions are your best teacher. I find it best to use these books as a reference once you already have tried LSAT questions and get stuck.
A logic games strategy book is most useful. Then, get a LR strategy book. Few students use the RC Bible or Manhattan reading guide. RC is much harder to improve on, and depends a lot on personal facors.
I do have a few issues with Powerscore.
- The guides are long. Use them as reference manuals. You do not have to read through them before starting to practice.
- The Bibles focus on the LSAT as it used to be. For example, the Logical Reasoning Bible emphasizes formal logical diagramming, which is rare on modern LR. I often see Powerscore students trying to diagram questions that should not be diagrammed.
- They're expensive. Buying all three Bibles costs over $120.
Manhattan tends to be more recent, but the length critique still applies.
###The Powerscore Bibles
PowerScore Logic Games Bible, $40
PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible $40
PowerScore Reading Comprehension Bible, $44
###Manhattan LSAT Guides
Manhattan Logic Games Guide, $26
Manhattan Logical Reasoning Guide $26
Manhattan Reading Comprehension Guide, $29
Set of all 3 guides - Best deal!
###Online LSAT Materials
LSAT Blog and Cambridge LSAT sell pdf LSATs. This is the easiest way to get many of the tests from the 40s.
###Conclusion
Do you have experience with the books on this list? Have you found any other books useful? Let me know in the comments!
Note: The links above are affiliate links. You pay the same price, but Amazon pays me a small commission if you buy something. These are exactly the books I mention to all my students.
Restarting r/LSAT is fun, but a lot of work, and this is a good, costless way to support it.
If you don't like the idea of me getting grocery money from this post, you can click on theses non-affiliate links for the major books:
LSATs 52-61, LSATs 29-38, LSAT 65, LSAT 64, LSAT 63, LSAT 62, LSAT Superprep, Powerscore LG, Powerscore LR, Powerscore RC, Master the LSAT Manhattan 3-set Manhattan LG Manhattan LR Manhattan RC
Posted Jun 1, 2012, 4:27 AM UTC · edited