Preparing effectively for the LSAT requires focused and methodical practice. This means spending at least a few months learning the best techniques through a tutor, course or self-study, and then familiarizing yourself with these skills using timed and untimed practice tests.
However, practice alone will not suffice when your LSAT score is stuck. While it is tempting to crank through one question set after another because it feels productive, it is more important to identify and address weaknesses revealed by your practice.
Since the LSAT is a skills-based test, cultivating essential skills is critical to test preparation. Here are some examples of skills required to master each section of the test.
[READ: How to Use Practice Tests to Study for the LSAT.]
Logical Reasoning
There are more than a dozen types of logical reasoning questions on the LSAT. Each type of question requires a different approach, but they share some common fundamentals.
Most importantly, logical reasoning prompts tend to present an argument. To rapidly make sense of these arguments, test-takers must understand their different parts and be able to distinguish premises from conclusions.
With practice, you can get a feel for this distinction, but it’s often easiest to start by looking for indicator words. Premises are generally introduced by words like “because,” “since” and “for.” Conclusions are generally introduced by words like “therefore,” “thus” and “so.”
Not all information in a question prompt is equally important. You must mentally separate wheat from chaff. Pay less attention to pieces of background information — often broad, general statements, such as “childhood obesity is a major problem in North America” — and any statements that are presented as conflicting with the argument’s premises or conclusion.
Remember, your job is not to learn from this prompt. It is to do something to this argument or to get something out of it. For example, you might strengthen or weaken it, make deductions from it or resolve apparently inconsistent premises.
Finally, understand the different methods of argument used on the test — most importantly causal reasoning and conditional reasoning, such as if-then statements.
[5 Daily Activities for More Effective LSAT Prep]
Reading Comprehension
Despite its name, the reading comprehension section is not really a test of reading or information recall. It is a test of understanding the structure of a written argument and knowing how to locate critical information in a thicket of complex sentences.
To organize this information effectively, you will need to hone a simple and reliable strategy for using highlighting or notes to help answer a question that requires you to refer back to the text.
Another mental skill is staying engaged when the passage is dry or opaque, such as a science or technology passage that is hard to follow. Instead of getting flustered about whether you can remember everything, focus on the flow of the author’s argument.
Argumentative Writing
While the LSAT writing sample is unscored and taken separately from the scored sections of the LSAT, what you write will appear in your application file. As artificial intelligence usage increases, admissions officers may want to confirm your ability to write extemporaneously.
This does not mean that you should write a creative essay that stands out. Your personal statement and other essays will better convey your voice and style.
[Read: Remote vs. In-Person LSAT: How to Choose]
Instead, focus on making a lucid, succinct and logical argument. These qualities are prized in legal writing.
If you are used to relying on spelling and grammar checkers, brush up on English grammar rules before completing the writing section so that your writing comes across as clear and professional.
Staying on Track
Learning all these skills takes patience and attention. If you don’t see results over time, get back to the basics and make sure you are applying the right methods for skills, such as diagramming a conditional statement, spotting the conclusion of an argument and distinguishing question types. An online app can help keep you on a steady trajectory of improvement.
Keep in mind that managing test anxiety is a skill in itself. Find ways to sustain your focus and keep self-doubt in check.
If you find time management to be a problem, practice when to flag questions for later review. Getting stuck on a question can drain your time, energy and confidence.
You’ll feel grateful for the habits you develop to stay composed under pressure in the first year of law school.
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How to Cultivate Essential Skills for Each LSAT Section originally appeared on usnews.com
