How to Prepare for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)

The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is the half-day standardized test that must be taken prior to entering into a law school approved by the American Bar Association. The LSAT, which is only given four times a year, consists of five multiple-choice sections and a writing sample. Each multiple-choice section is 35 minutes long. Your overall score and writing sample will be sent to the law schools of your choice. Since this test is important to your future career as a lawyer, you should try to do your very best. Below are some tips to help you. Good luck!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Register for the LSAT. You can register online at http://www.lsac.org.

2. Obtain practice tests. You can obtain practice test books at your local bookstore. You can also download practice tests through the Law School Admissions Council website used to register for the test.

3. Determine how the LSAT is scored. Find out whether you score is based on the number of correct answers out of those answered or those presented.

4. Take an untimed practice test. After taking the test, grade yourself then look at all answers. Read the reasoning provided for every question. Compare your reasoning to that of the examiners.

5. Take multiple timed tests. By doing this, you can get accustomed to the time constraints that you will be under on test day.

6. Schedule at least one to two hours per day of uninterrupted practice. Explain to your family and friends that you need to make the time to study.

7. Prepare yourself for working in a book, with pencil and paper. As our society becomes more technologically advanced, people have become less accustomed to writing. The LSAT is a written test and you will only be able to work and reason within the test booklet provided.

8. Try to improve your reading and writing skills. If you are a slow reader, increasing your reading speed will be very beneficial. You should practice writing legibly if your handwriting is hard for others to decipher.

9. Practice a full LSAT practice test at least one time before test day.

10. Try to relax the day and night before the test. Do not "cram." Get a good night's sleep. While this may be an important test, you do not want to sabotage yourself by causing yourself extreme, unnecessary stress.

Resources

• http://www.lsac.org