Logic puzzles. You probably ran across them back in elementary or middle school—those weird brainteasers that asked you to do things like sort out which five kids lived in which five houses and liked which five fruits and that sort of thing. And you’d get clues—like “Alice lives next to the boy on Maple street”. Or “the girl who likes pears has never met anyone who prefers citrus fruits” (some great examples are in this video by The LSAT Trainer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7mUPexyLZE) Games like these have a way of generating enthusiasm or dismay, and while some people can happily spend hours on them, others tend to shred the paper in cognitively contorted frustration. So what on earth are such puzzles doing on a law exam? And how can you navigate your way through them?
This June, the LSAT announced that during the 2018-19 school year the number of LSATs will expand from four to six administrations annually. This is undoubtedly excellent news for test takers who will obviously appreciate the added scheduling flexibility. However, there is an even bigger benefit for prospective law students looking to improve upon a previous score – beginning with the September 2016 exam there will no longer be any limit on the number of LSATs a test taker can record over a two-year period. The Law School Admission Council has announced these changes as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the barriers to entry into law school.
To get the most out of studying for any standardized exam, you need to completely own the preparation process. If you are working with an LSAT tutor, then yes, he or she should be an expert, and he or she should guide you. However, you are ultimately in control. Engage fully in designing your study plan to get the most out of the process.