Anyone preparing to take the LSAT is already likely feeling an apprehension of the test caused by the immense weight it carries on all law school applications. Unlike applications to other post-graduate institutions, which may weight test scores equally with other applications elements like GPA, extracurricular involvement, and letters of recommendation, law school applications are primarily influenced by one’s LSAT scores; even one’s GPA plays a less important role than one’s LSAT scores on law school applications. This is because the LSAT is designed to objectively measure applicants’ abilities to think logically and critically reason, and serves as a level playing field where candidates from myriad undergraduate programs can be equally compared. Because it focuses on abstract abilities, the LSAT is a test for which it can be particularly difficult to review. There are no formulae to memorize or mnemonic devices to assist; instead, each student must develop his or her own approach to each of the test’s sections and figure out by trial and error a method that best suits him or her. 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.

Perhaps most dreaded, the “logic games” that feature on the LSAT’s Analytical Reasoning section are the bane of many students’ test day experiences. This section accounts for twenty-five percent of a student’s total score, and each point earned here is hard-won. Four “games” of logical statements narrowing the possibilities of a given scenario are presented. Each is associated with a group of questions that require students to work out fine logical distinctions and subtle implications of the provided information. The nature of these questions make it difficult to reconsider one’s work without clear and direct notes; furthermore, students are only given thirty-five minutes to determine their answers, a time limit that offers little room for error. Perhaps more so than any of the test’s other sections, the Analytical Reasoning section demands that students have a practiced approach of careful, idiosyncratic note-taking that they can read quickly and accurately without losing any vital details and that can be applied to problems of differing types on the fly. Such an approach can only be calibrated by frequent practice over time.

Also causing much apprehension, two Logical Reasoning sections account for half of a student’s LSAT score and also test a student’s logical insight using short, independent prose arguments, instead of a “logic game” format. Questions concern premises, implications, and flaws in logical argumentation, and may ask you to identify a sufficient or necessary condition, determine whether new evidence strengthens or weakens the argument at hand, or make inferences about what can or must be true. The independent nature of these questions may make it easier for students to return to any about which they are not sure, but the thirty-five minute time limit again imposes limitations on this possibility. As in the Analytical Reasoning section, Students must develop a personalized approach to these questions on which they can confidently rely on test day so that they are not left with the urge to reconsider every question that they answer. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like free LSAT Diagnostic Tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an LSAT tutor.

The LSAT’s Reading Comprehension section may initially seem like a reprise, as it is likely to be the only section with which students have had previous experience on standardized tests; however, this often causes overconfidence in students, who bias their review toward the other sections and thus neglect the challenges presented here. Careful timing remains just as important here as on the other sections of the LSAT, and only by practicing can one be sure that one’s reading speed is calibrated to strike the proper balance between accuracy, care, and speed. Unlike Reading Comprehension tests on other standardized exams, the LSAT’s favors tough conceptual and abstract reasoning questions, perhaps unsurprisingly. One is likely to be asked to make inferences about the position the author would take on new information, to select which hypothetical discoveries that would most strengthen or weaken the author’s claims, and choose the most accurate description of the author’s purpose and tone in a given segment of text.

While each of the LSAT’s sections and its associated question types differ widely in their formatting and expectations, one can fine-tune one’s approach in the same way for each of them: by practicing each repeatedly. While many students have developed the skills that the LSAT tests, few have ever been directly taught them or had them tested in undergraduate coursework, making such preparation all the more crucial. You can structure and supplement your LSAT review with Varsity Tutors’ free LSAT resources. Our free LSAT practice tests can allow you to study randomly-selected questions from a given section of the test, or to hone in on one particular question type and practice it until you are confident in your knowledge and ability. Each LSAT practice tests consists of about a dozen LSAT practice questions. Upon completing a practice test, you receive a detailed performance report that includes data about how long you took to answer each question, your most- and least-missed question types, and full explanations for each question you answered. In addition to the LSAT Practice Tests and LSAT tutoring, you may also want to consider using our LSAT Question of the Day. 

Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools also include Full-Length LSAT Practice Tests focusing on each section. The extended format of the complete practice tests can help you work on regulating your test-taking pace so you can be sure you’ll have sufficient time to finish the whole section on exam day. The results pages for these tests include extensive explanations of the correct answers and links to additional review opportunities using other available Learning Tools. These free online Practice Tests can also assist you as you customize an LSAT review plan, because the results show you which of the concepts you’ve already mastered, and which of the concepts need additional review. Once you’ve strengthened your skills, you can check your progress by taking another Full-Length LSAT Practice Test.

The LSAT is one of the most imposing examinations one may need to face, but you can replace dread with confidence in your own abilities through persistent practice and the help of our free LSAT resources.