Law School News and LSAT Strategy

The LSAT Analytical Reasoning, or Logic Games, can seem daunting if you walk in without a game plan. This week we will briefly discuss diagramming to give you a solid...

The logical reasoning section can be one that you feel like you could only truly perfect if you had all of the time in the world. So, this week we will focus on time saving tips and tricks that will ensure that you get the best score possible. The first step is simple, just carefully read through the question. Before taking a look at the answer choices, try to come up with a possible answer in your head and maybe even quickly write it down. You can read a variety of scenarios on how to “pre-phrase” your answer on Powerscore. Once you have your pre-phrased answer, read through each answer choice. Since you pre-phrased your answer you know what you are looking for in the answer choices, so either in your head or on your exam say if the answer choice could be viable or not. Once you have eliminated any that are completely wrong, go back and carefully read the 2-3 options that may be correct and find the one that is the most accurate. Practice this technique and by the time your LSAT rolls around, you will be breezing through the logical reasoning section and can spend the extra time focusing on the harder questions.

In order to truly master the logical reasoning section on the LSAT you must first master the different types of questions that you may encounter. Learning to identify...

The LSAT is famous for its tight timing. Check out this timer by Alpha Score to practice your timing. Surprisingly enough, the way you bubble your answers on the LSAT holds some importance. You have to use every second to your advantage. Although it may seem counterintuitive, bubbling in bulk will actually save you precious time. As you work your way through a section, circle your answers in the test packet itself. When you reach the end of a page, turn to your answer sheet and fill in answers for that page in bulk. This way you are not wasting time moving between the test booklet and your answer sheet. Of course, you have to be very careful to pay attention to which bubble you are filling in and if it correspond to the answer you circled. When you have about five minutes left, start bubbling answers one at a time, even the questions you are skipping. If you skip a question, make note of it by making a light dash mark by the number, but fill in a bubble regardless. This is just in case you run out of time before you have time to go back and address it. A total guess is always better than a blank!

The Argument Section on the LSAT requires a brain in critical thinking mode. This article by Magoosh outlines why it is such an important section. You must be able to identify the author’s conclusion, or the point they are trying to make, as well as the evidence used to support that argument. In this article we will focus on the evidence, also called the author’s premise. Let’s consider this example:

The Argument Section on the LSAT requires a critically trained brain. Most importantly, you must be able to identify the author’s conclusion, or the point they are trying to make, as well as the evidence used to support that argument. In this article we will focus on the conclusion. Stay tuned for next week's tip on identifying the author's evidence, or premise.