How to Find an LSAT Prep Course That's Not a Scam

Many LSAT prep courses offer helpful training to prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). However, a few prep courses take advantage of students who know how important a good score on the LSAT is, by running scams such as promising classes, cancelling and not refunding, or if not running outright scams, offering less-than-helpful but expensive classes that promise more than they deliver.

You can minimize frustration and disappointment by following these steps to help you find an LSAT prep course offered by a reliable company.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Talk to anyone you know who has taken the LSAT test. Ask if they took an LSAT prep course and whether they felt they got their money's worth. Personal recommendations from people with first-hand experience are best, but you can also search online for both classroom LSAT prep courses in your area, as well as LSAT prep classes that are held entirely online.

2. Investigate any LSAT prep courses that you're interested in. Even if the course is all online, look to see if the company has an actual physical address as well as a website. If they have a real location and have been in business for years, they're more apt to be reliable. Inquire about the credentials of the instructors. If you'll be tutored one-on-one, ask if you can switch to another instructor if you're incompatible. Check for reviews online to see if there are complaints, and you can also check with the Better Business Bureau.

3. Find out if the instructional materials and practice tests use actual questions from previous LSAT exams. LSAT prep courses can purchase these from the testing organization, but some LSAT prep courses use books with questions written by others to save money, which may not accurately reflect what you'll find when you take the actual LSAT.

4. Finally, when you've found a course to your liking, pay by credit card. Be wary of an LSAT prep course that only accepts payment by check. If something goes wrong, paying by credit card gives you a final layer of protection, since you can request a charge-back from your card if the LSAT prep company doesn't fulfill its contract and refuses to refund.