LSAT Help

For years, your dream and goal has been to become a lawyer, and you are now finally getting ready to apply to law schools across the country. However, one looming challenge remains—the LSAT. You may have heard that the LSAT is a very difficult that requires a great amount of preparation, and that law school applications focus most upon one’s LSAT scores, even above other factors such as GPA and extracurricular activities. Both of these statements are true, but do not let the test daunt you as you begin your review. Whether you need top LSAT tutors in New York, LSAT tutors in Chicago, or top LSAT tutors in Los Angeles, working with a pro may take your studies to the next level.

The LSAT is all about evaluating your ability to analyze and make critical decisions based on the evidence before you. This is similar to what you will do in law school, as well as in an actual law firm. The test is offered four times per year, and it is a formidable half-day in length. Many law schools advise against waiting until the last minute to register and take the test. Certain programs may even require applicants to complete the exam by December for fall admissions. This gives the schools plenty of time to review your performance and your admissions portfolio. 

So what should you really expect on the LSAT? There are five thirty-five-minute multiple-choice sections, but only four count toward your final score. The experimental fifth section tests new questions or formats, but is not identified as experimental on the day of your exam. There is also a writing section at the end of the LSAT that is not scored. However, this essay is sent to all of the schools to which you apply, so it is wise to do your best on it.

As mentioned above, the LSAT measures those proficiencies that are considered vital to succeeding in law school: the reading and understanding of intricate texts with precision and perception; the organization and management of data, and the skill to draw reasonable conclusions from it; the ability to think clearly; and the examination and assessment of the rationale and arguments of others. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like free LSAT practice tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an LSAT tutor.

Students taking the LSAT will encounter three question types: Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reasoning, and Logical Reasoning. In the Reading Comprehension section of the exam, students are presented with passages, each with five to eight associated questions that assess the student’s reading and reasoning skills. Students will not be able to speed through a passage and make snap decisions about their answers, as most of the texts are quite lengthy and involved. In the Analytical Reasoning section, students are tested on their abilities to navigate four “logic games,” complex logical problems requiring from most test-takers a great deal of practice and a fine-tuned personal system of notation. Questions are presented with each “game” that require students to determine what conditions are or are not possible or necessary given the constraints of a given set of conditions. On the Logical Reasoning portion of the LSAT, test-takers are again asked to apply rigorous logic to presented information, only this time, the information is presented in the form of very short text-based prompts, each associated with a single question. Questions might ask test-takers to decide how new evidence affects a claim, to identify the strengths or weaknesses of an argument, or to compare the logical relationship in an argument to an analogous situation. In addition to the LSAT Help Section and LSAT tutoring, you may also want to consider using our LSAT Question of the Day.

Despite the daunting nature of the LSAT, there are definite steps you can take to achieve a high score. Demystifying the structure of the exam is just one! Consulting our LSAT help page can be another step you can take toward understanding any part of the test that confuses you. Our LSAT help page is broken down first by section and then by question types, allowing you to easily navigate to the parts of the test that give you the most trouble. The help provided for each question type consists of model questions with revealed answers and full explanations, making it a great place to start mastering a given question type. Once you gain confidence in your abilities, you can test out your new knowledge by taking some of our free LSAT practice tests and diagnostics. Varsity Tutors’ free LSAT resources can help you approach your exam with confidence!