You can't avoid taking the LSAT if you want to go to law school. If you’re planning to take this standardized test soon, you should also start thinking about how you can get a high LSAT score. Studying for the LSAT can be a bit overwhelming, but if you keep these tips in mind, you’re sure to improve your performance. Let's dive right in!
1. Study with the best LSAT materials
You can’t just study for the LSAT—you need to study well and with the best LSAT prep books. This will ensure that you’re studying the most up-to-date materials with the most effective methods and strategies to tackle all the LSAT’s question types. There are a lot—and a I mean a lot—of LSAT materials out there, but they are not all created equal. You need to use the most trusted LSAT prep materials to make the most of your study time (which you’re likely fitting in among lots of other obligations).
Once you’ve found the best LSAT prep materials for you, you need to spend a little time learning the best and most effective ways to study for the LSAT. The LSAT is unlike any other test you’ve ever taken, so you need to make sure you know how to study for the LSAT. For example, not only do you have to undergo timed practice of all the different types of LSAT problems, you also need to keep track of your incorrect answers and review them as you’re studying. Since the LSAT is a standardized test, you’ll likely see similar questions on test day. By tracking and reviewing all of your wrong answers, you’ll be ready on the day of the test for whatever is thrown your way.
Related: How to Improve Your Study Skills for Grad School
2. Set your LSAT study schedule
To get a better LSAT score, you have to set your LSAT study plan early and stick to it. Studying for the LSAT involves weeks, if not months, of studying, so you need to choose which of the LSAT study schedules will work best for you. Decide what time of day you study best or when you can fit in your LSAT studying among your other school, work, and life obligations.
The best thing you can do to guarantee that you’ll improve your score is to find the schedule that will work best for you. If you study for a few hours most days of the week for at least a couple of months, plus follow a prep plan that structures your studying for you, your score will increase. Just stick to your schedule and keep challenging yourself!
3. Improve your Logical Reasoning score
Obviously, improving your score on any section of the LSAT will improve your overall LSAT score. Increasing your Logical Reasoning score, however, will help your score the most, because your Logical Reasoning score is worth twice as much as your Reading Comprehension and Logic Games score. This means you need to focus a lot of your studying for the LSAT on Logical Reasoning.
Related: What Do Law Schools Look for in Your Application?
4. Focus on your critical reading skills
To improve your LSAT score (and do well in law school), you have to be a strong critical reader. These skills are important not only on the Reading Comprehension section, but also on the Logical Reasoning and Logic Games sections of the LSAT. What does that mean? These skills are crucial to your success on every LSAT section. To properly understand a question stem in Logical Reasoning or the game setup for a Logic Game, you have to employ your critical reading skills. Every word on the LSAT is important. By practicing these skills every chance you get, you will notice you’ll start to get more LSAT questions right. And who doesn’t like to be right?
5. Work on timed LSAT practice
Once you’ve mastered the basics for each section of the LSAT, you have to work on timed LSAT practice. You’ll want to start by completing a few timed sections every day. Get familiar with how much time you have for each Logic Game or each Reading Comprehension passage. Timing will be a challenge at first, but only by moving efficiently through the LSAT will you be able to pick up as many available points as possible!
In addition to practicing individual timed LSAT sections, you’ll also want to complete at least four full-length LSAT practice tests. This may lead you to wonder: just how long is the LSAT? That’s a fair question, because taking four full-length practice tests is going to take 16 hours of your life. But you’ll be so grateful for those 16 hours when you’re moving quickly through problems on the day of the LSAT (and when you get your score back)!
Related: Guide to Grad Admission Tests: GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT
To get a better LSAT score, you need to select the best LSAT prep books and learn how to study effectively for the LSAT. With these two key pieces in place, you should focus on improving your Logical Reasoning and critical reading skills to get the score you need to attend the school of your choice. And finally, you’ll need to complete a lot of timed LSAT practice so you can crush it on the day of the actual LSAT!
Wondering what law school will really be like? Check out our article with Quick Advice for Future Law Students, From Law Students.
