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So What Am I Supposed to Study for the LSAT?

BPPlaura-lsat-blog-reading-comp

A lot of Blueprint classes are getting started this weekend, and a few more started recently. If you’re just getting started studying for the LSAT, what exactly are you studying for?

The short answer is the test you take to get into law school. But you knew that. If we’re going to answer the question that way, we should be doing commercials for a certain hotel-booking website. Let’s get into it a little deeper.

The LSAT is a test of skills. There are no lists of facts to memorize. No mathematical formulas to know. The LSAT tests, broadly, how well you can read and interpret what’s on the test and apply logic.

All of this means that there’s no cramming for the LSAT. Cramming for the LSAT would work about as well as cramming for a marathon. To build the skills you need for the LSAT, you need to practice regularly and start well in advance. Don’t let that homework slide.

Many of the skills you’ll need for the LSAT aren’t specific to one section or another. For example, evaluating arguments is important on both the Logical Reasoning and Reading Comp sections. Making inferences from a set of facts is important, well, pretty much everywhere.

So while you learn the approach to a given type of question on the LSAT, keep in mind that the skills you’re learning will apply elsewhere on the test, too. One of the attributes of true LSAT mastery is being able to apply those skills flexibly.

There’s always hard stuff on the LSAT but some of what’s been hard in recent years highlights the importance of developing skills. Reading Comp has been hard lately. There’s really no cramming for Reading Comp, so it’s important that you work on the relevant skills regularly over time. There have also been a few weird logic games lately. When things get weird, you have to be able to take what you know and adapt it to the situation, which requires having the techniques and reasoning down.

Above all, the LSAT is a learnable test. Don’t worry about your score on the first practice test. The whole point of studying for the LSAT is to improve your score. With sustained practice you can see vast improvements. It’ll take effort and commitment but it’s worth it.