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LSAT for Dummies (2021)

LSAT for Dummies (2021) provides everything you need to pass your certification test.

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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 2 preview imageDownloadedfromStudyXY.com®+StudyXYSdYe.o>\|iF’prE\3SStudyAnythingThisContentHasbeenPostedOnStudyXY.comassupplementarylearningmaterial.StudyXYdoesnotendroseanyuniversity,collegeorpublisher.Allmaterialspostedareundertheliabilityofthecontributors.wv8)www.studyxy.com
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 5 preview imageLSAT®ForDummies®withOnlinePractice,3rdEditionPublishedby:JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,111RiverStreet,Hoboken,NJ07030-5774,www.wiley.comCopyright©2021byJohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,Hoboken,NewJerseyPublishedsimultaneouslyinCanadaNopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,scanningorotherwise,exceptaspermittedunderSections107or108ofthe1976UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthePublisher.RequeststothePublisherforpermissionshouldbeaddressedtothePermissionsDepartment,JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,111RiverStreet,Hoboken,NJ07030,(201)748-6011,fax(201)748-6008,oronlineathttp://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.Trademarks:Wiley,ForDummies,theDummiesManlogo,Dummies.com,MakingEverythingEasier,andrelatedtradedressaretrademarksorregisteredtrademarksofJohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,andmaynotbeusedwithoutwrittenpermission.LSATisaregisteredtrademarkofLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil,Inc.,whichisnotaffiliatedwith,anddoesnotendorse,thisproduct.Allothertrademarksarethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,isnotassociatedwithanyproductorvendormentionedinthisbook.LIMITOFLIABILITY/DISCLAIMEROFWARRANTY:WHILETHEPUBLISHERANDAUTHORHAVEUSEDTHEIRBESTEFFORTSINPREPARINGTHISBOOK,THEYMAKENOREPRESENTATIONSORWARRANTIESWITHRESPECTTOTHEACCURACYORCOMPLETENESSOFTHECONTENTSOFTHISBOOKANDSPECIFICALLYDISCLAIMANYIMPLIEDWARRANTIESOFMERCHANTABILITYORFITNESSFORAPARTICULARPURPOSE.NOWARRANTYMAYBECREATEDOREXTENDEDBYSALESREPRESENTATIVESORWRITTENSALESMATERIALS.THEADVICEANDSTRATEGIESCONTAINEDHEREINMAYNOTBESUITABLEFORYOURSITUATION.YOUSHOULDCONSULTWITHAPROFESSIONALWHEREAPPROPRIATE.NEITHERTHEPUBLISHERNORTHEAUTHORSHALLBELIABLEFORDAMAGESARISINGHEREFROM.Forgeneralinformationonourotherproductsandservices,pleasecontactourCustomerCareDepartmentwithintheU.S.at877-762-2974,outsidetheU.S.at317-572-3993,orfax317-572-4002.Fortechnicalsupport,pleasevisithttps://hub.wiley.com/community/support/dummies.Wileypublishesinavarietyofprintandelectronicformatsandbyprint-on-demand.Somematerialincludedwithstandardprintversionsofthisbookmaynotbeincludedine-booksorinprint-on-demand.IfthisbookreferstomediasuchasaCDorDVDthatisnotincludedintheversionyoupurchased,youmaydownloadthismaterialathttp://booksupport.wiley.com.FormoreinformationaboutWileyproducts,visitwww.wiley.com.LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2020950312ISBN978-1-119-71627-3(pbk);ISBN978-1-119-71629-7(ebk);ISBN978-1-119-71628-0(ebk)Study!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 6 preview imageLSAT®ForDummies®withOnlinePracticeToviewthisbook'sCheatSheet,simplygotowww.dummies.comandsearchfor“LSATForDummiesCheatSheet”intheSearchbox.TableofContentsCoverTitlePageCopyrightIntroductionAboutThisBookFoolishAssumptionsIconsUsedinThisBookBeyondtheBookWheretoGofromHerePart1:GettingStartedwiththeLSATChapter1:TheLTeam:TheLSATandItsAdministratorsGettingtoKnowtheEnemyTakingaQuickLookattheTypesofQuestionsYouGottaScore!RegisteringfortheLSATPreparingfortheLSATWhatHaveYouDoneforMeLately?TheLSACChapter2:Test-TakingBasics:SettingYourselfUpforSuccessPlanningYourLSATTest-TakingTacticsToGuessorNottoGuessReadyingYourselfforBattleLifeaftertheLSAT:WhattoDoNow?Chapter3:TheLowdownonLawSchoolAdmissionsChoosingaLawSchoolFillingOutAlltheForms—ApplyingtoLawSchoolPart2:AnalyticalReasoning:FollowingtheRulesoftheLogicGameChapter4:GamingtheAnalyticalReasoningQuestionsAnalyzingtheAnalyticalReasoningSection
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 7 preview imageSettingYourselfUpforSuccessStepbyStepAttendingtoSomeAnalyticalReasoningDo'sChapter5:ProperPlacement:AnalyticalReasoningOrderingGamesSpottingOrderingGamesBecomingChairmanofthe(Game)BoardAnsweringOrderingQuestionsOrderingtheApproachtoanAdvancedGameChapter6:TypeCasting:GroupingGamesClassifyingGroupingGamesFollowingtheRulesofDivisionExpandingtheGroupingGameBoardMasteringPracticeGroupingGamesPart3:LogicalReasoning:PickingApartanArgumentChapter7:AnalyzingArguments:TheBasicsofLogicalReasoningWhatYouCanExpectintheLogicalReasoningSectionsTakingaSystematicApproachMakingaCase:EssentialsofInformalLogicChapter8:Conclusions,Inferences,Assumptions,andFlawsinLogicalReasoningQuestionsJumpingtoLogicalConclusionsUsingYourNoggintoMakeInferencesMakingAssumptionsFindingFlawsinanArgumentChapter9:StrengtheningandWeakeningArgumentsUnderstandingHowTheseQuestionsWorkBuildItUp:Strengthen/SupportQuestionsTearItDown:WeakeningQuestionsATwist:EXCEPTQuestionsChapter10:ExaminingOtherLogicalReasoningQuestionTypesReconcilingDiscrepanciesandParadoxesFindingPointsofAgreementandDisagreementReasoningbyPatternExploringArgumentsBasedonPrinciplesFiguringOutanArgument'sStructureKnowingtheRolePlayedbyaClaimPart4:ReadingComprehension:Read’EmbutDon’tWeep
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 8 preview imageChapter11:RitesofPassage(s):TypesofReadingPassagesandQuestionsPresentingReadingPassagesApproachingReadingQuestionsChapter12:SafeLanding:MasteringtheApproachtoReadingComprehensionReadingComprehensionStrategyPacingYourselfthroughthePassagesStartingwiththeQuestionsGivingSamplePassage1aShot:InfluenzaVaccinationConqueringSamplePassage2:ManifestDestinyPart5:TheWritingSample:PenningaPersuasiveArgumentChapter13:PickaSide,AnySide:RespondingtotheWritingSamplePromptPickingaSide—NoRidin’theFenceWalkingthroughaPracticeEssayChapter14:PracticeWritingSamplesTopic1:ChoosingaLawSchoolTopic2:TheSportingGoodsStorePart6:TheRealDeal:Full-LengthPracticeLSATsChapter15:SomeRainy-Day“Fun”:LSATPracticeExam1AnswerSheetforPracticeExam1SectionI:AnalyticalReasoningSectionII:LogicalReasoningSectionlll:ReadingComprehensionSectionIV:LogicalReasoningWritingSampleChapter16:PracticeExam1:AnswersandExplanationsSectionI:AnalyticalReasoningSectionII:LogicalReasoningSectionlll:ReadingComprehensionSectionIV:LogicalReasoningAnswerKeyforPracticeExam1ComputingYourScoreChapter17:PerfectingwithPractice:LSATPracticeExam2AnswerSheetforPracticeExam2SectionI:LogicalReasoningSectionII:ReadingComprehensionSectionlll:LogicalReasoningSectionIV:AnalyticalReasoning
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 9 preview imageWritingSampleChapter18:PracticeExam2:AnswersandExplanationsSectionI:LogicalReasoningSectionII:ReadingComprehensionSectionlll:LogicalReasoningSectionIV:AnalyticalReasoningAnswerKeyforPracticeExam2Chapter19:EvenMore“Fun”:LSATPracticeExam3AnswerSheetforPracticeExam3SectionI:LogicalReasoningSectionII:ReadingComprehensionSectionlll:AnalyticalReasoningSectionIV:LogicalReasoningWritingSampleChapter20:PracticeExam3:AnswersandExplanationsSectionI:LogicalReasoningSectionII:ReadingComprehensionSectionlll:AnalyticalReasoningSectionIV:LogicalReasoningAnswerKeyforPracticeExam3Part7:ThePartofTensChapter21:Ten(PlusOne)MythsabouttheLSATTheLSATDoesn'tHaveAnythingtoDowithLawSchoolYouCan'tStudyfortheLSATYouMustTakeaPrepCoursetoDoWellontheLSATSomePeopleJustCan'tDoAnalyticalReasoningProblemsYouCanSpotDifficultQuestionsBeforeYouWorkThemBIstheBestLettertoGuessNoOneReadstheWritingSampleFinishingaSectionIsBetterThanConcentratingonTwo-ThirdsofItAGreatLSATScoreGuaranteesAdmissiontoaGreatLawSchoolTheLSATIsUsedOnlyforAdmissionsPurposesYourScoreWon'tImproveifYouRetaketheLSATChapter22:TenKindsofLawYouCanPracticeBusiness/CorporateCriminalDomesticRelations/FamilyLawEmployment/Labor
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 10 preview imageIntellectualPropertyInternationalPersonalInjury/InsuranceDefenseRealEstateTaxTrustsandEstates/ProbateIndexAbouttheAuthorsConnectwithDummiesEndUserLicenseAgreement
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 11 preview image.IntroductionWelcometoLSATForDummies,3rdEdition!ThisbookcontainsupdatestofamiliarizeyouwiththeLSAT’sDigitalformatsothatyourecomfortablewithtakingthetestonatablet.Eventhoughthedeliveryismodern,thecontentoftheLawSchoolAdmissionTest(LSAT)hasn’tchanged.YoumayhaveheardhorrorstoriesabouttheLSAT,especiallyabouttheinfamous“logicgames.”Yes,theLSATisnowalkinthepark,butit’snotthehardesttestintheuniverse.Itdoesn’trequireyoutobrushoffyourmathandsciencetextsfromhighschool,anditdoesn’texpectyoutorememberanythingfromyourhistoryclasses.Itreallyjustexpectsyoutobeabletoreadandanalyze.Ifyoucanreadcarefullyandquicklyandthenapplywhatyou'veread,youalreadyhavetheskillsyouneedtosucceedontheLSAT.ThisbookhelpsyourefinethoseskillsandapplythemtotheparticulartasksontheLSAT.Ifyougothroughthisbookandworkthroughahealthynumberofpracticequestions,youshouldhaveagoodideaofwhatawaitsyouontestday..AboutThisBookFirst,allowustotellyouwhatthisbookcando:ThisbookintroducesyoutotheLSATandhelpsyougetahandleonhowtotakeit.Itdescribesthethreetypesofmultiple-choicesections—analyticalreasoning,logicalreasoning,andreadingcomprehension—andprovidesguidanceonhowtohandlethem,withplentyofpracticequestionsandexplanations.Italsotouchesonthewritingsample,whichisunscoredbutstillmeritsabitofattention.Thefirstthreechaptersdiscusssomebasicsoflawschooladmissions,test-takingstrategy,andotherlogisticalentertainment.Ontowhatthebookcan’tdo:Thisbookdoesn’tgiveyouabunchoftrickstohelpyou“crack”theLSAT.TheLSATisn’tanut;it’satest,andtodowellonityouhavetoapplyyournaturalintelligenceandexperience.Wegiveyouplentyofadviceonhowtoapproacheachquestiontypetomaximizeyourtalentsandtrainyourmindtothinkinthemosteffectiveway.Includedinthisbookarethreefull-lengthpracticetests,whichyoucanusetotryoutthetipsandtechniquesweprovidethroughoutthechapters.ThedifficultylevelsandthoughtpatternsonthepracticetestsaresimilartothoseonrealLSATs.ActualLSATtest-prepinstructorsandLSAT-takersassistedusbymassagingandtweakingthequestionstomakesurethatthey’reequivalenttotherealLSATquestions.Youcangetrealandvaluablepracticebyusingthequestionsinthisbook.Butthefactis,noonemakesrealLSATquestionsbuttherealLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil(LSAC).IfyouwantrealLSATquestions,getyourselfsomeLSATPrepTests,whicharerealLSATsadministeredinpreviousyears.That’sthemostauthenticpracticeyoucanfind,andwehighlyrecommendit.(YoucanordertheseofficialtestsintextordigitalformfromtheLSACwebsite:www.lsac.org.Theycomewithanswersbut[inmostcases]notexplanations,sothey’regreatpractice,buttofigureoutwhyyouranswersarerightorwrong,youshouldworkthroughthisbookfirsttogetasenseofhowthequestionswork.)Tohelp,weitalicizeanynewLSAT-relatedtermsthatyou'relikelytobeunfamiliarwiththefirsttimeweuseit.Becausethisbookisatest-prep,youprobablywanttoreadmosteverythinghere.Besides,weworkedreallyhardonthisbook!However,ifyou'repressedfortimeorjusthavea
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 12 preview imageshortattentionspan,youcanskipthesidebarsandanytextmarkedwithaTechnicalStufficonwithoutmissingoutontoomuch...FoolishAssumptionsWemakeafewassumptionsaboutyou,thereader(wehopeyoudon’tmind):Calluscrazy,butwe’reguessingyou'vesigneduptotaketheLSAToryou'reatleastseriouslyconsideringtakingtheLSAT.‘Weknow,ofcourse,thatyou’renotadummy.You'velikelyreceivedorareintheprocessofreceivinganundergraduatedegreeandarenostrangertothinkinganalytically.YousimplyneedguidanceregardinghowtoapplyyouralreadysharpskillstotheunfamiliarquestiontypesontheLSAT.Ourthirdandfinalassumptionisthatyou’vechosenthisbookforoneofseveralreasons—thefabulousForDummiesreputationforprovidinginformationinaneasilyaccessibleformat,theprice,ortheattention-grabbingyellow-and-blackcover—butmainlybecauseyouthinkyouwanttogotolawschool,andtheLSATistheprimarywaytothatdestination.o.IconsUsedinThisBookThisbook,likeallForDummiesbooks,usesiconstohelpyouspotimportanttidbitsofinformationandbreakupthemonotonyofotherwiseplainandordinarypages.Herearetheiconsyou’llencounterinthisbook:ThisiconmarksusefulbitsofinformationthatmaycomeinhandywhenyoustudyforortaketheLSAT.Thisiconremindsyouofvaluablestrategiestokeepinmindasyouworkthroughthetestcontent.Thisiconmarksstufftoavoid,potentialmistakes,andtrapsfortheunwary.Thisiconidentifiespracticequestionsthatdemonstratehowtoapplyspecifictechniques.Study!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 13 preview imageThisiconhighlightsextratidbitsofinfothatenhanceyourreadingbutaren’tessentialtopreparingfortheLSAT.BeyondtheBookBynowwe'rehopingthatyou'reimpressedwiththewealthofcontentcontainedinthisbook.Buttoquoteyourfavoriteinfomercials:Wait!There’smore!Inadditiontowhatyou’rereadingrightnow,thisbookcomeswithafreeaccess-anywhereCheatSheetthatincludestipstohelpyoupreparefortheLSAT.TogetthisCheatSheet,simplygotowww.dummies.comandtype“LSATForDummiesCheatSheet”intheSearchbox.Youalsogetaccesstofourfull-lengthonlinepracticetestsandapproximately500flashcards.Togainaccesstotheonlinepractice,allyouhavetodoisregister.Justfollowthesesimplesteps:1.RegisteryourbookorebookatDummies.comtogetyourPIN.Gotowww.dummies.com/go/getaccess.2.Selectyourproductfromthedropdownlistonthatpage.3.Followthepromptstovalidateyourproduct,andthencheckyouremailforaconfirmationmessagethatincludesyourPINandinstructionsforloggingin.Ifyoudon’treceivethisemailwithintwohours,pleasecheckyourspamfolderbeforecontactingusthroughourTechnicalSupportwebsiteathttp://support.wiley.comorbyphoneat877-762-2974.Nowyou'rereadytogo!Youcancomebacktothepracticematerialasoftenasyouwant—simplylogonwiththeusernameandpasswordyoucreatedduringyourinitiallogin.Noneedtoentertheaccesscodeasecondtime.YourregistrationisgoodforoneyearfromthedayyouactivateyourPIN.WheretoGofromHereIfyouboughtthisbook,youmusthavesomeplan—definiteortentative—totaketheLSAT.Butjustbuyingthebookalonewon’thelpyoumuch.Togetthefullbenefit,youhavetoopenitup,readit,andworktheproblems.Therearetwoapproachesyoucantake:Readalltheexplanatorymaterials,workyourwaythroughallthepracticeproblems,andthentakethepracticetestsattheendandseehowyoudid.Takeoneofthefull-lengthteststoseehowwellyoudo.Scoreyourtest.Thenstudythesectionsthatgiveyouthemosttrouble,concentratingonthequestionsyoufinddifficult.Study!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 14 preview imageIt’suptoyou.You'retheonetakingthetest,andyou'retheonewhohastodecidewhatyouneedtostudyandhowmuchtimeyouwanttoallocatetotheprocess.T=Study
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 15 preview imagePart1GettingStartedwiththeLSAT
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 16 preview imageINTHISPART...GaininsightintothemindsthatcreatetheLSAT.DiscovertipsformanagingtheLSATandeachofitsquestiontypes.Bepreparedforexamdaybyknowingexactlywhatandwhatnottobringtothetestingsite.Discoverotherimportantconsiderationsforgettingintoyourtop-choicelawschool.
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 17 preview imageChapter1TheLTeam:TheLSATandItsAdministratorsINTHISCHAPTERExploringthevarioussectionsoftheLSATUnderstandingtheLSATscoringsystemKnowinghowandwhentoregisterfortheLSATStudyingfortheLSATMeetingtheLSACEELLLEEETETPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPIfyouwanttogotolawschool,you'lllikelytaketheLawSchoolAdmissionTest,alsoknownastheLSAT.Themorethan200lawschoolsthatbelongtotheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil(LSAC)requiretheLSAT(seethelatersection“WhatHaveYouDoneforMeLately?TheLSAC”forinfoabouttheLSAC).SomeschoolsmayallowyoutosubstituteaGREscorefortheLSAT.Lawschoolsthatdon’trequireeithertheLSATorGREforadmissionmaynotbeapprovedbytheAmericanBarAssociation(ABA),whichinturnmaynotqualifyyouforadmissiontoastatebar,sobecarefulaboutchoosingaschoolthatdoesn’trequiretheLSAT.TheLSAT,annoyingthoughitcanbe,providesasignificantmetricforlawschoolstoevaluatetheirapplicantsonthesameplayingfield.Collegesaredifferent,backgroundsaredifferent,andculturesaredifferent,buttheLSATisthesameforeveryone.TheLSATiscarefullydesignedsothatthetestingexperienceoftest-takersisvirtuallyidentical.EachLSATtestiscraftedsothattest-takershavea90percentchanceofscoringthesameonadifferentversion.So,lawschoolsfeelconfidentthattheLSATisanobjectivemeasureofstudentability.Gradepointaverages,unliketheLSAT,arehighlysubjective;theyvarydependingonthedifficultyofaschool,thedifficultyofparticularcourses,andotherrandomandunpredictablefactors(likethegradingpoliciesofindividualprofessors).Lawschoolapplicationsincludeotherinformationlikepersonalstatementsthatcangiveschoolsanideaofastudent’sabilities,buttheschoolsstillcan’tknowforsurethattheyregettingtherealgoods—plentyofstudentsgethelpwritingthoseessays.ThatleavestheLSATasoneofthemostreliableandobjectivemeanstocomparecandidates.Inthischapter,yougetanintroductiontotheLSATanditsvariouspartsandlearnallaboutregisteringandpreparingforthebigday.Youalsogetapeekattheorganizationbehindallthismadness,theLSAC.Ifyouregoingtobealawyer,youhavetogetusedtodisclaimers,andhere’soursforthischapter.ThetechnicalinformationweofferaboutfeesandproceduresStudy!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 18 preview imageissubjecttochange,sorefertotheofficialwebsite(www.lsac.orq)toverifythefactsandfiguresforyourself.oGettingtoKnowtheEnemyIfyouwanttogetadecentscoreontheLSAT,youneedtoknowthetest.Youcan’texpecttowalkintoatestcentercold,neverhavingencounteredanLSATinyourlife,andjustacethequestions.Youdon’tnecessarilyhavetostudyforalongtime.Ifyou'regoodatstandardizedtests,youmaybeabletoflipthroughoneortwosampletests,workafewoftheproblems,gettheidea,andscoreinthe95thpercentile.Somepeoplecan.If,ontheotherhand,youfindstandardizedtestsgenerallychallenging,andtheLSATdifficultinparticular,youprobablyneedtodevoteyourselftomorepracticetimetomastertheprovenstrategiesprovidedbythisbook.Whateveryoursituation,keepmotivatedandpreparewiththecertaintythatyoucanandwillimprovewithdedicatedpractice.TheLSATisoffereddigitallyandconsistsoffourdifferentquestiontypes:AnalyticalreasoningquestionsLogicalreasoningquestionsReadingcomprehensionquestions‘WritingsampleTheanalyticalreasoning,logicalreasoning,andreadingcomprehensionsectionsconsistofmultiple-choicequestions.YoutakethesequestionsatatestingcenterinaformatcalledtheDigitalLSAT,whichdeliversthesequestionsviaanelectronictabletratherthanapaperbooklet.Thetabletformatissimilartoapapertest,butinsteadofmarkinganswerswithaNo.2pencil,youmarkandeliminateanswersandhighlightportionsofthequestionswithastylus.Thetestingcentersuppliesyouwithscratchpaperandapentoworkthroughproblems;youcanalsobringinyourownpencilsanderaser.TheDigitalLSATconsistsoffiveseparatetestsectionspresentedinnoparticularorder:TwoscoredsectionsoflogicalreasoningOnescoredanalyticalreasoningsectionOnescoredreadingcomprehensionsectionOneunscoredsectionthatcanbeanothersectionofanyofthethreemultiple-choicequestiontypesYoudon’tknowwhichsectionisunscored,andtheunscoredsectionlooksjustlikeanyotherLSATtestsection.Everysectionlasts35minutes.TheunscoredsectionthatyoutakeisacollectionofquestionsthattheLSACisconsideringusingonafutureLSAT.TheLSACwantstoseehowwellthesenewquestionsworkwhenpresentedtoactualLSAT-takers.ThissectioncanbeStudy!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 19 preview imageanalyticalreasoning,logicalreasoning,orreadingcomprehension;youdon’tknowwhichsectionisunscored.Thewritingsampleisn’tofferedatthetestcenter.Youprepareanessayonyourowncomputerathome(orsomeothersecludedplacefreeofinterruptions)inresponsetoaspecificprompt.Thescheduledwritingsessionistimedandremotelyproctored.YoumustcompleteatleastonewritingsamplebeforetheLSACwillreportyourLSATscorestolawschools,butyoudon’tneedtocompleteawritingsampleeverytimeyoutaketheDigitalLSAT.ThequickestwaytogetyourhandsonanactualLSATistotakethefreesampletestsavailableattheLSACwebsite(www.1sac.org).Completingthesamplesisagoodwaytofamiliarizeyourselfwiththetestanditsdigitalformat.o.TakingaQuickLookattheTypesof.QuestionsTheLSAThasthreedifferentkindsofmultiple-choicequestionsandanunscoredwrittenessay.Eachquestionstypehasitsownvirtuesandvices,andyou’llcometoknowandlovethemall(thoughwewon’tblameyouifyoupickafavorite).Analyticalreasoning—playinggameswithyourheadTheanalyticalreasoningsectionconsistsoffourlogicproblems—theinfamous“logicgames”—eachofwhichisfollowedbybetweenfiveandeightquestions.Thesegamesinvolveagroupofplayers(orgamepieces)thatyouneedtoarrangeorassignandtherulesthatgovernhowyougoaboutit.Study!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 20 preview imageYoumaygetsomethinglike:“Fivecollegestudents—B,C,D,E,andF—mustsharethreeroomsinahouse.Bcan’tstaywithD.EmuststaywithF.”Thisfactpatternisfollowedbyseveralquestionsthatallowyoutoexploreyourunderstandingoftherelationshipsbetweenthestudentsandthedormrooms.Onequestionmayproposefivepossibleroommatearrangementsandaskyoutochoosewhichoneistheonlyonethatcouldwork.ThiskindofpuzzlecommonlyappearsonIQtestsorinbooksofgamestoamusetravelersonairplanes.Whattheyhavetodowithlawschoolisamysterytomanypeople.TheLSACPrepTestbookletssaythatthesetypesofproblems“simulatethekindsofdetailedanalysesofrelationshipsthatalawstudentmustperforminsolvinglegalproblems.”Andit’struethattheskillstheanalyticalreasoningsectiontestsareimportantinlawschool.Toanswerthesequestionscorrectly,youmustreadcarefullyandaccurately.Youhavetoapplyrulestoasystem,whichissimilartoapplyingstatutesorcaselawtoaproblem.Youhavetorestrictyouranalysistowhat’sdirectlystatedortowhatcanbelogicallyinferred.Sotheanalyticalreasoningsectionisfairlyusefulatpredictingwhomightsucceedinlawschool.Theanalyticalreasoningsectionisworthabout25percentofyourLSATscore.SeeChapters4through6formoreonanalyticalreasoning.Logicalreasoning—puttingyourarguingskillstogooduseThelogicalreasoningsectionconsistsofabout25short(forexample,threeorfoursentences)passagesaboutvarioustopics.Eachofthemisfollowedbyonequestion.Thequestionsaskyoutoidentifythepointofanargument,tomakedeductionsaboutwhattheauthorisassuming,todrawconclusions,toidentifyprinciplesorargumentstructures,tospotlogicalerrors,andsoforth.Mostofthesequestionsinvolveinformalorcasuallogic,thekindyouusetomakeeverydaydecisions.Allyouhavetodoisreadcarefully(andquickly)andthinkclearly.Sometimesthewordingistricky,andyouhavetoconcentratetoavoidgettingconfused.Jottingdownsomenotesorparaphrasingthepassageinyourownwordscanhelpyoufocus.EveryLSAThastwologicalreasoningsections.Together,they’reworthabout50percentofyourLSATscore.Chapters7through10arefullofinformationaboutlogicalreasoning.BecausethelogicalreasoningsectionisworthaconsiderablepercentageofyourtotalLSATscore,workhardonyourtechniquefortheseproblems.Yougettwicethebenefitifyoudowellonthissection!Readingcomprehension—concentratingandrememberingwhatyoureadInthereadingcomprehensionsection,youreadthreefairlylongandonepairofshorterpassagesonparticulartopicsandanswerseveralquestionsaboutthem.Thequestionsaskabouttheauthor’sconclusion,theauthor’stone,themeaningofwords,howthepassageisorganized,andotherpointsdesignedtotestyourabilitytounderstandwhatyouread.Thegoodnews:TheLSATusesalimitedpoolofquestiontypesoverandoveragain.Because
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 21 preview imageyoucanpredictthetypesofquestionsbeingasked,youcanpracticereadingtoanswerthequestionsyouknowyou’llsee.Topicsrangefromhumanitiesandscienceandsocialsciencedisciplinestolaw-relatedwriting.Youdon’tneedanyexpertiseinanyparticulararea;infact,ifyouhaveexpertiseinthesubjectofapassage,trytoforgetyouroutsideknowledge.Youwanttoanswerallthequestionsfromtheinformationgiventoyouinthepassage.Outsideknowledgemayactuallydistractyou!Thissectiontestsyourabilitytoreadandunderstandafairlylongreadingpassage.Readingandunderstandingalongpassageisapplicabletolawschoolbecausemostlawclassesconsistofreadinglong,denselywordedpassagesonobscuretopicsandthenansweringquestionsaboutthem.Thereadingcomprehensionsectionaccountsforabout25percentofyourLSATscore.SeeChapters11and12forthelowdown.Thewritingsample—jumpingthefinalhurdleTheotherpartoftheLSATisthedigitalwritingsample.Youget35minutestowriteyouressayonyourowncomputer.Theessaytopicletsyouexhibityourskillsatusingasetoffactstodefendonecourseofactionoveranother.Forexample,yourquestionmayaskyoutodecidewhichdogawidowshouldbuy:aGermanshepherd,whichwouldbeagoodguarddogbutnotveryaffectionate,oraPekingese,whichwouldmakeagoodcompanionbutbeutterlyuselessforhomedefense.(YoucanexplorethisquestionfurtherinChapter13.)Yourselectiondoesn’tmatter.There’snorightorwronganswer.Allyouhavetodoispickasideandjustifyyourdecision.Chapters13and14gooverthisprocessindetail.Youdon’tgetascoreonthewritingsample,buttheCredentialAssemblyService(CAS)sendsacopyofyouressaytoeverylawschoolthatreceivesyourLSATscore.Somefolkswonderwhytheyshouldprepareforthewritingsamplesectionifit’sunscored.Lawschoolsoftenreadessaysindecidingborderlinecasesorcomparingsimilarapplicants.Ifyourprofileissubstantiallysimilartohundredsofothers,lawschoolsoftenlookattheessaystocomparelikecandidates.YouGottaScore!TheLSATisscoredonascalefrom120to180;everyyearafewpeopleattaintheEverest-likepeakof180,andtheycanprettymuchwritetheirownticketstolawschool.Althoughpercentilechartsvaryslightlyamongtestadministrations,theaverageLSATscoreisaround152.Anyscorehigherthan160isquitegoodandputsyouinthetop20percentoftest-takers(80thpercentile).Ascoreofaround164putsyouaroundthe90thpercentile,andascoreof173oraboveiswherethetop1percentoftest-takersusuallyreside.Togeta160,youneedtoanswerabout75percentoftheanswerscorrectly.Togeta150,youneedtoanswercorrectlyabout55percent.Ifyouget95percentormoreright,yourscorewillbeupinthestratosphere,arounda175.TheLSATscoringisstraightforward.Yourrawscoreisthenumberofquestionsyougetright;nopointsaredeductedforwrongStudy!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 22 preview imageanswers.YouplugthatrawscoreintothescorecharttodeterminewhatyourLSATscorewouldbe.Soif,say,yourtesthas100questionsonit,andyouget75ofthemright,yourrawscoreis75andyourLSATscoremaybe161.Ifyouget44right,you’dgetmorelikea144.Therawscoretoscaledscoreconversionchangesveryslightlyfromtesttotesttoaccountfortheminordifferencesindifficultyofeachtest.TheLSAT-writersworkhardtoensurethatthetestisreliable.Thatmeansthatthesametest-takershouldgetscoresinasimilarrangeontwoorthreedifferenttestsandthatluckingettinganeasytestshouldn’tbeafactorinscores.Inpractice,luckisalwayssomethingofafactor,butitshouldn’tbeamajorone.Still,you’veprobablytakenametrictonoftestsbynow,andyouknowthateveryonehasgooddaysandbaddays,goodtestsandbadtests(hey,evengoodhairdaysandbadhairdays!).Thecombinationofabadtestandabadmood(say,forinstance,despiteouradvicetothecontrary,youpullanall-nighterbeforeexamday)canleadtoamisleadinglybadscore.Ifthathappens,youcancancelyourscoreandtryagain(seemoreaboutdoingthisinChapter2).Ontheotherhand,youmaybeinthetest-takingzoneontestday,andeveryquestionseemslaughablyeasytoyou.Itcanhappenthatway.Ifyouhaveagoodday,thankyourluckystarsbecausethat'llprobablyresultinagoodLSATscoreandlawschooladmission.Whatifyougeta160andyourfriendgetsa163?Doesthatmeanyourfriendisabetterlawschoolprospectthanyou?Probablynot.Smalldifferencesamongtest-takersaren’tusuallyduetoactualdifferencesofability.Yourscorewillbeintherangeofscoresyou’recapableof,butifyoutaketheLSATseveraltimeswithinashortperiodoftime,youprobablywon’tgetthesamescoreeverytime.Itmaygoupordownslightly,butitshouldbewithin3pointsupordownofyouroriginalscore(thoughyourmileagemayvary)..oRegisteringfortheLSATTheLSATtypicallyhappenseighttimesayear:oneSaturdayeverymonthexceptforMarch,May,September,andDecember.Ifyouwanttoenterlawschoolthenextfall,youshouldtaketheLSATbythepriorDecember,orFebruaryatthelatest,thoughwerecommendtakingitearlier.August,October,andNovemberarethemostpopulartestdatesbecausesomelawschoolsstarttakingapplicationsinthefallandbeginacceptingapplicantsearlyinthewinter;theearlieryouapply,thebetteryouroddsofacceptance.TheregistrationfeefortheLSATiscurrently$200.(Pricesaresubjecttochange—andlikelywill—sobesuretocheckwiththeLSACtofindoutcurrentcharges.)KeepthefollowingthingsinmindwhenregisteringfortheLSAT:Besuretoregister.Okay,duh.Butreally,besuretoregister.Thedeadlinesforregistrationfallwellaheadoftestdates,soyouneedtobeontheball.YoucanfindthedeadlinesontheLSACwebsite(www.1sac.org).Planaccordingly.Andmakesureyou'refreethedayofthetest!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 23 preview image‘Whenyouregister,beverycarefultoenterthecorrectcodeforyourtestcenter.Ifyougetthecodewrong,youmaybeassignedatestcenterinadifferentstate—notconvenient.(TheLSACdoesn’tcheckforaccuracy;theLSAChasnoideawhereyoureallywanttotakethetest,soitdoesn’tknowifyoumakeamistake.)Drivingseveralhoursthedaybeforeyourtestdefinitelywon’tcalmyournerves.YoucanchangeyourtestcenterthroughtheLSACwebsiteforafee,butyoudon’twanttohavetoworryaboutthatifyoucanavoidit.Uploadyourpicturebeforethedeadline.WhenyouregisterfortheLSAT,youneedtoincludeapictureofyourface.Youdon’tneedtouploadthepictureatthetimeofregistration,butyoushould.Yourpicturemustbeinthesystembytheuploaddeadline(aboutamonthbeforethetestdate),oryouwon’tbeabletotakethetestonthatday.Ifsomethingcomesup—youcatchtheflu,yougetsentoverseastowar,yougointolabor—andyou’reunabletotaketheLSAT,youcangetapartialrefund.Granted,yougetonlyasmallportionofyourregistrationfeeback,butthat’sbetterthannothing.TheLSACwebsitehasdeadlinesforsendingintherequest.Ifyoudiscoverbeforethetestdatethatyouwon’tbeabletomakeitthatday,youcanchangeyourtestdate.Ofcourse,youhavetopayafee.TheLSACwebsitehasthedeadlinesforsendinginawrittenrequest.Ifyouabsolutelycan’taffordthecostoftheLSAT,youcanapplyforafeewaiverontheLSACwebsite.TheLSACdoesn’twanttodenyaccesstothelegalprofessionsolelyonthebasisofeconomicdisadvantage.Bewarned,though;therequirementsarequitestrict.oPreparingfortheLSATHelpingstudentspreparefortheLSAThasbecomeamultimillion-dollar(atleast)industry.Test-prepcompaniespromisehugescoreincreases;studentsspendthousandsonsemester-longcoursesandtutors.Everymajorbookstoreisfullofbookstohelpprospectivelawyersontheirway.Bewaryofexpensiveclassesorsnakeoilsalesmenthatpromisetorevealsecretsorgiveyouhugescoreincreases.Usually,allthatmostpeopleneedisagoodLSATprepbook(suchasthisone!)andafewrecentLSATteststodotheirbestontestday.Saveyourmoneyforlawschool!Butbewarned:Manyfolkslackthemotivationanddisciplineforself-study.Ifthisdescribesyou,buckledownandsignacontractwithyourself,formastudygroup,orconsiderenrollinginareasonablypricedtestprepcourse.WhatreallyhelpsStudy!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 24 preview imageWhatreallyhelpsyousucceedattheLSATisexposuretothetest.Exposuremaymeansomethingassimpleastakingoneortwosampleteststhedaysbeforeyoutaketheofficialone.Moreoften,though,itmaymeanseveralweeks—orevenmonths—ofpractice.WHATSTUDYMETHODWORKSBESTFORYOU?NoonewantstospendtoomuchofherlifethinkingabouttheLSAT.Studyingasefficientlyaspossiblemakessense.HerearesomepossibleplansforyourLSATstudying.+Theslowandcarefulapproach:YoushouldgowiththisapproachifyoutakepreparingfortheLSATveryseriouslyandarewillingtospendagooddealoftimeonit.StartatleasttwomonthsbeforeyouplantotaketheLSAT.GototheLSACwebsite(www.1sac.ora)andorderofficialLSATexams,eitherthepaperbooksorthedigitalaccessorboth.Readallthechaptersinthisbookcarefully,workingallthepracticequestions.Thentakethethreepracticeexamsattheendofthebookandtheothersavailableonline.Whenyoufeelcomfortablewiththematerial,takeasmanyofficialLSATtestsasyoucan.WhenthetimecomestotaketherealLSAT,fearnot—you'llbereadyforanythingitthrowsatyou.»Thequickanddirtyroute:Okay,soyou'veputoffstudyingfortheLSATtothelastminute(ahabitwerecommendyouovercomebeforeyouenterlawschool!)andneedtomaximizethelittleamountoftimeremainingbeforeyoutakethetest.Here'swhatyoushoulddo:BeginatleasttheweekbeforetheLSAT.ReadChapters4through12.Worksomeofthequestionsavailableonline.Ifyoucan’tanswerthequestionsquicklyandeasily,checkbacktotheappropriatechapterstofindoutmoreaboutyourproblemareas.Accessthetwofull-lengthDigitalLSATpracticetestsfromtheLSACwebsite,takeoneofthetestsundertimedconditions,andreviewyouranswerstodiscoveryourareasofweakness.Workasmanyofthepracticeproblemsinthisbookasyoucan,concentratingparticularlyonthequestiontypesthatgiveyouthemosttrouble.Outlineawritingsampleessayinyourheadtomakesureyou'refamiliarwithhowtoorganizearesponsetoanessayprompt.Taketheotherofficialpracticetest.ShowupattheLSATanddoyourbest.+Ridingthefence:Mostofyouprobablyfallsomewhereinthemiddle.That'sfine;you'retheonewhoknowswhatyouneedandhowmuchtimeyoucanafford.Nomatterhowyouchoosetostudy,startsoonerratherthanlater.ThemoretimeyouspendworkingontheLSAT,thebetteryou'llgetatit,soyoudon’twanttoshortchangeyourselfbyprocrastinating.Ifyouneedextraprepmaterials,youcan’tdobetterthantheofficialLSATssoldbytheLSAC;compilationsofpriorpapertestsareavailableintextscalledPrepTests,andthey’retheactualLSATSthathavebeenadministeredtowillingvictimsoverthelastdecade.Bewarned,though;theLSAThasincreasedindifficultyandchangedslightlyinformatovertheyears,soyou’llgetyourmostvaluablepracticefromthemostrecenttests.YoucantaketwoDigitalLSATsforfreefromtheLSACwebsiteandalsobuyaccess60officialtestsinthedigitalformatforoneyear.Practicemakesperfect+Studyx
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 25 preview imageAnybookyouconsultwillrecommendthatyoupreparefortheLSATbytakingafull,officialpracticetestortwoundersimulatedtest-dayconditions.ThatmeanssittingdownonaSaturdaymorning(orsomeotherdaywhenyouhavethreehoursunscheduled)withaccesstoanofficialDigitalLSATpracticetestfromtheLSACwebsite,somescratchpaper,aNo.2pencil,andaneraser,workingyourwaythroughthetest,sectionbysection,stoppingworkwhenthetimerbuzzes.Takingatimed,full-lengthpracticetestisideal,butifyou'reunabletocarveoutthreehourstocompletethisusefulexercise,don’tdespair.Yourvaluable(andpresumablylimited)studytimemaybebetterspentworkingthroughquestionsslowlyandcarefully,makingsurethatyoureallyknowhowtoworktheanalyticalreasoningproblemsandanalyzethelogicalreasoningquestions.Thentaketimedpracticesectionstohoneyourtime-managementskillsforeachquestiontype.Howeveryoudecidetopractice,justbesureyougiveyourselfenoughtime.Trytostartatleastacoupleofweeksbeforethetestdate.Themoreexposureyouhavetotestquestions,themorecomfortableyou’llbeonexamday.WhatHaveYouDoneforMeLately?TheLSACDidyoueverwonderwhomakesuptheLSAT?ItcomesfromthemindsoftheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil,orLSAC,anonprofitcorporationinNewtown,Pennsylvania.TheLSACcomprisesthemajorityoflawschoolsintheUnitedStatesandCanada;thememberprofessorsandattorneysvolunteertheirtimetothecouncil.TheLSACoffersanumberofservicesdesignedtofacilitateapplicationstolawschoolandimprovelegaleducation,anditalsosponsorsresearchintoissuessuchasminorityrepresentationinthelegalprofession.Ifyou'reseriousaboutapplyingtolawschool,familiarizeyourselfwiththeLSACanditsofferingsbecausetheLSACwillbepartofyourlifeforawhile.YoucanvisittheLSAC,registerfortheLSATonline,anddovariousotherfunactivitiesattheLSAC’swebsite,www.lsac.org.CreatingandadministeringtheLSATTheLSACadministerstheLSATtomorethan100,000peopleeveryyear.TheorganizationcreatesatleasteightcompletetestseveryyearandconstantlyworkstodevelopnewquestionsandrefinetheLSAT’saccuracy—that’sonereasonwhyyougettotakeanextra,unscoredsectionofmultiple-choicequestionswhenyoutaketheLSAT.TheLSACcompilesstatisticsonthenumberofpeoplethattakethetestsandthescorestheyreceive,schedulestestdates,fieldsquestionsandcomplaintsfromtest-takers,andgenerallymakesitpossibleformanypeopletoapplytolawschooleveryyear.AidinginlawschoolapplicationsTheLSACalsoplaysamajorroleinlawschoolapplications.WhenyouregisterfortheLSAT,youcanalsosignuptoparticipateintheCredentialAssemblyService,orCAS,for
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 26 preview imageanextrafee.LawschoolsrequireyoutousetheCAStosendyourapplicationdocumentation.TheCASstreamlinesthelawschoolapplicationprocessbyassemblingmostoftheinformationneededtoapplytolawschoolsandsendingittotheschoolsinonepackage.ACASreportincludesSummariesoftranscriptsfromallyourundergraduateandgraduateschoolsLSATscoresandcopiesoftheLSATwritingsamplesectionLettersofrecommendationTheLSACgetsyoucomingandgoing.InadditiontopayingtheCASfee,youneedtopurchaseareportforeachlawschoolonyourapplicationlist.CASregistrationlastsfiveyears.AlmostallthelawschoolsapprovedbytheABArequirethattheirapplicantsusetheCAS,whichmakesyourlifemucheasier.Ratherthanhavingtoassembleallthatinformationforeveryschooltowhichyouapply,youjustgivetheinformationtotheLSAC(alongwithyourmoney),andittakescareofeverything.Whenyouapplytoalawschool,theschoolrequeststhereportfromtheLSAC,theLSACsendsthereport,andyoujustsitbackandwait.YoucanregisterfortheCASontheLSACwebsite(www.1sac.org)atthesametimethatyouregisterfortheLSAT.Whenyoudothis,youauthorizetheLSACtoreleaseinformationaboutyoutoeligiblelawschools,whichmeanslawschoolsthatareinterestedinyoumaycontactyou.Ifyoudon’tregisterfortheCASatthesametimethatyouregisterfortheLSAT,youstillmustregisterbeforeyouapplytolawschools.Dothisatleastsixweeksbeforeyoustartapplying.ProvidingothergoodsandservicesTheLSACdoesanumberofothergooddeedsforthelegaleducationsystem:TheCandidateReferralServiceallowslawschoolstosearchCASdataforstudentswhomatchparticularprofiles(forexample,LSATscoresofacertainlevel,minorities,women,studentsfromacertainregion,andsoon)sothattheycancontactthemandinvitethemtoapply.Lawschoolforumsheldindifferentstatesgiveprospectivelawstudentsanopportunitytofindoutmoreaboutlawschoolandthelegalprofession.TheLSACsellsLSATprepmaterialsandotherinformation;youcanbuythesematerialsonthewebsite.BuyingrecentlyadministeredLSATsisoneofthemostusefultools.Theycomewithanswers,notexplanations,buttheyretherealthingandmakegreatpracticetests.TheLSACalsoworkstoincreaseminorityrepresentationinthelegalprofession.Study!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 27 preview imageChapter2....Test-TakingBasics:SettingINTHISCHAPTERUsingcertainstrategiestomaximizeyourtestscoreGoingaboutguessingtherightwayPreparingyourselfforthetestthenightbeforeandthemorningofDecidingwhattodowhenthetestisoverIfyou'recontemplatinglawschool,you'realmostcertainlyaveteranofstandardizedtests.Youknowwhattoexpect.JustliketheSAT,ACT,GMAT,andGRE,theLSATisanothermorningofeliminatingfouranswersoutoffiveandmaintainingyourcoolunderpressure.You'vebeenthere,donethat.Gettingupearly,walkingintoanunfamiliartestingcenter,andjoiningagroupofnervousstrangerstappingubiquitousNo.2pencilsisoldhat.Youknowthisdrill.Inthischapter,youdiscoversomestrategiesandconsiderationsspecifictotheLSAT,aswellassomegeneraltest-takingbasics,inthehopeofmakingyourexperienceaspainlessaspossible.Youalsofindoutwhattodoafterthetest,includingconsideringwhetheryouneedtoretakethetest.oo.PlanningYourLSATTest-TakingTacticsYou'llhaveaneasiertimeontestdayifyouconsidersomestrategicmattersbeforehand.Thefollowingsectionsprovideafewsimplestrategiestoeaseyourtest-takingventure.Youcan’t“beat”theLSAT;noonecan.Thesestrategiesaren’ttrickstooutsmartthetest,buttheycanhelpyoudobetter.MaximizingyourchancesSomepeoplearenaturallygoodattakingstandardizedtests.Thisstrengthdoesn’tmeantheymakebetterlawstudentsorbetterlawyers;theyjustfindthesetestseasy.Otherpeoplehaveahardertime.TheyfindtestsstressfulingeneralandLSATquestionsespeciallyannoying.Whichevertypeyouare,youcanundertakesomebasicstrategiestohelpyouimproveyourscoreandhaveamorepleasanttest-takingexperience.(Well,maybenotaspleasantasaspavisit,butbetterthanarootcanal.)Study!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 28 preview imageHereareafewthingsyoucandotomaximizeyourchancesofgettingagoodscore:Answereveryquestion.TheLSATtest-makersdon’tpenalizeyouforguessing,soyou'dbecrazynottomakesureeverynumberontheanswersheethasabubblefilledin,evenifyoudon’thavetimetoreadthequestionthatgoeswithit.Seethesection“ToGuessorNottoGuess”laterinthischapterformoreonguessing.Takeyourtime.Youmaygetbetterresultsbyansweringthree-quartersofthetestaccuratelyandthenguessingonthelastquarterthanbyracingthroughthewholethingtoofasttobeaccurate.Budgetyourtime.Youget35minutesforeachsection.Decidehowtospendit.Allottingeachquestionexactly1.3minutesmaynotbethemosteffectiveapproach,butbecarefulnottogetsocaughtupinthefirstanalyticalreasoningproblemthatyouhaveonly5minutestoworkthelastthree.Don’tworryaboutansweringquestionsinorder.Especiallyintheanalyticalreasoningandreadingcomprehensionsections,somequestionsmaybeeasiertoanswerafteryoutackleothersregardingthesamepassageorlogicgame.Youdon’tgetextrapointsforansweringthequestionsinthewaytheyrepresented,butyoumayearnpointsbyansweringthemintheorderthatworksbestforyou.Ifyougetstuckonaquestion,forgetaboutit.Moveontoanotherquestion.(Butbesuretoflagthequestionincaseyouhavetimetocomebacktoit.)Ignoreyourcompanions.Whattheydomakesnodifferencetoyourscore.Ifyouhaveamajorproblemwithyoursurroundings—thestenchofcheapperfumefromthewomannexttoyou,thesnufflingoftheallergysuffererbehindyou—speaktotheproctor,butdon’tcountongettingmoved;testcentersareoftenfullybooked.Ifyou'repositiveyourperformancehassuffered,youcanalwayscancelyourtestscoreandtryagainlater.Stayontarget.Youmaygetbored,andyourmindmaywanttowandersomewheremorepleasant,butdon’tletit.Usevisualcuestohelpyourselfstayfocused.Pointtoquestionswithyourpencilorfinger,andunderlinekeywordsinthequestionsthathelpdirectyoutothecorrectanswer.Don’tforgettoanswereveryquestion!TakingthestraightorthewindingroadShouldyoustartwiththefirstquestionandworkeverysubsequentquestionuntilyougettothelastone?Orshouldyoujumparound?It’sentirelyuptoyou.Theanalyticalreasoningandreadingcomprehensionsectionsarebothdividedintofourapproximatelyequalparts,andifyouwanttopicktheeasiestpartfirstandworkyourwaytothehardest,byallmeansdoso.Justrememberthatinitialassessmentsofdifficultyarerarelyaccurate;amoreproductivewayofchoosingyourfirstproblemistopicktheStudy!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 29 preview imageanalyticalreasoningproblemorreadingcomprehensionpassagewiththelargestnumberofquestions—thatwayyoumaximizethenumberofquestionsyouactuallyanswer.Althoughstartingwithareadingcomprehensionpassageoranalyticalreasoningproblemthatisn’tthefirstoneinyourtestisokay,afteryoupickone,stickwithituntilyou’redone.Tryingtojumpbetweentwoorthreepassagesorproblemsatthesametimewilllikelyconfuseyou.Skippingaroundonthelogicalreasoningsectionsworkstoo.Ifyourpracticerevealsthatyou'regreatatansweringquestionsthataskfortheanswerthatweakenstheargument,tacklingallquestionsofthattypefirstfostersconfidenceandensuresthatyouhavetimetomaximizeyourstrengths.Ifyoudon’tanswerquestionsinorder,makesureyoumarkthoseyouskipwiththetoolincludedinthesoftware,soyouknowtogobacktothemwhenyou'reready.Sometest-prepexpertsrecommendthatifyoureallycan’tfinishananalyticalreasoningorareadingcomprehensionsection,youcutyourlossesandjustdoyourbestonthreeofthefourproblems,tacklingthescariestattheendifyouhavetime.Soundscrazy,butthisapproachactuallymakesmoresensethantryingtospeedthroughallfourpassagesorproblems;youmaximizeyouraccuracyonthepartsyoudoinsteadofdoingthewholesectiontoofastandgettinghalfofitwrong.Ifyoudothree-quartersofasectionandgetallthosequestionsright,youget75percent,whichisbetterthanfinishingthesectionandgettingonlyhalfright.Ofcourse,youshouldstillmarkanswersforthequestionsyoudon’tanswerbecausethere’snopenaltyforwronganswers.See“ToGuessorNottoGuess”laterinthischapterformoreinfoonguessing.TakingtheoccasionalbreakWhenyoutaketheLSAT,youspendaboutthreehoursstaringatatabletfullofquestions.TheonlybreakyougetcomesafterSectionIII,anditonlylastsabout10or15minutes—enoughtimetodashtothebathroomandwolfdownanenergybar.Theentiredaymaytakefourhourswiththeregistrationbusinessyouhavetodobeforeandafterthetest.SotheLSATisatestofstaminaasmuchasanythingelse.It’salongtest,andit’stiring.That’swhypacingyourselfiscrucial.Whenyoufinishachunkoftest—ananalyticalreasoningproblemorseeminglyendlesslogicalreasoningquestions—takeabreak.Closeyoureyes,twistyourneck,loosenthosetightmusclesinyourshoulders,breathe,andletyoureyesfocusonadistantobject.Don’ttakemorethantensecondsorso,butdotakethebreak.Ithelpsyoumorethanfrettingabouthowlittletimeyouhaveleft.Haveyouheardthestoryabouttwoguyswhowerecuttingwoodwithaxes?Theyworkedsidebysidefrommorninguntilevening.Thefirstmanworkedstraightthroughwithouta
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 30 preview imagebreak,swingingthataxefromdawntildusk.Thesecondmansatdownandrestedfortenminuteseveryhour.Attheendoftheday,themencomparedtheirpilesofwood.Themanwhorestedeveryhourhadapilemuchbiggerthanthatoftheotherman.Thefirstmanaskedthesecondonehowhemanagedthatfeat,especiallybecausehespentsomuchofthedayresting.Thesecondmanreplied,“WhileIrested,Isharpenedmyaxe.”Yourbrainislikethataxe.Youbringittothetestsharp,buttheLSATisdesignedtomakeitdull.Takethosebreaksandsharpen(andrest)yourbrain—thebreaksreallyhelp.ToGuessorNottoGuessWhenindoubtabouttheanswertoaquestion,guess.Alwaysguess.TheLSATtest-makersdon’tpenalizeyouforwronganswers,soguessingdoesn’thurt,andyoualwayshavethechancethatyourrandompickmaybethecorrectanswer.What'scertainisthatyouwon’tgetcreditifyoudon’tansweritatall.ThejoyofstatisticsHowlikelyisitthatyou’llgetaquestionrightbyrandomguessing?Notvery.Onquestionswhereyouhavenoideaofthecorrectanswer,youhavebetterluckifyoupickaletterandsticktoitforallyourshotsinthedark.Why?Eachanswerchoiceappearsatmoreorlessthesamefrequency.Ifyouansweranentiretestwithoneletter,you’llprobablygetabout20percentright.You’dgetthesameresultsifthetestwereinalanguageyoucouldn’treadorifyoudidn’tbothertoreadthequestionsoranswers.Ifyouvaryyouranswerchoicesfromquestiontoquestion,youjustmaymisseverything.IsChoice(B)reallybest?Manypeopletalkaboutwhichletterisstatisticallymostlikelytobetherightanswer.ManypeoplerecommendChoice(B)asthebestchoice.WeconductedalittlesurveyofsomerecentLSATSstoseehowmanytimeseachanswerchoicewascorrect.Insomesections,Choice(B)wasmorefrequentlycorrect;inothers,thewinnerwasChoice(D).Allinall,thepercentagethateachofthefiveanswerchoiceswascorrectdidn’tvarygreatly.Basedonthisinformation,wecan’tcomeupwithanyletterthatwouldalwaysbebetterthananyother,thoughwe’dprobablystickwithChoice(B)orChoice(D)ifwehadtochoose.Increaseyourodds:EliminatethedudsAbetterstrategythanrandomguessingfromapooloffivechoicesisrandomguessingfromapooloftwoorthreechoices.Youroddsofgettingarightanswerimproveifyoucaneliminateawronganswerortwo.Study!
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LSAT for Dummies (2021) - Page 31 preview imageToincreaseyourodds,useaprocessofeliminationtogetridofwronganswersoneveryquestion.Takethisstepfirst,unlessyougetoneofthoserarequestionswheretherightanswerjumpsoutatyou.Crossingoutthewronganswers—crossingthemoffusingthetablet’smarkingtoolsotheydon’tdistractyou—makesspottingthepossiblerightanswereasier.oReadyingYourselfforBattleAllyourpreparationwillbeinvainifyoudon’tgettotakethetest.Andifyoudon’tfeelcalmandcollected,youmayblowquestionsthatyoushouldgetright.Sokeepinmindthefollowingchecklisttohelpyoubeforeandduringtestday:Prepareyour1-gallonmaximumzip-lockbagthenightbefore.MakesureyouhaveyourvalididentificationandseveralsharpenedNo.2woodenpencils(mechanicalpencilsaren’tallowed)andaneraserwithoutasleevetoworkoutproblemsontheprovidedscratchpaper.Youmayalsoincludeapencilsharpener,a20-ouncemaximumbeverageinaplasticcontainerorjuicebox(noaluminumcans),asnackforthebreak,sometissues,yourwallet,carkeys,andmedicalproducts.Allitemsmustfitinthesealedbag,andnootherstuffisallowed.Collectyoursuppliesthenightbeforesoyouaren’tfranticallytryingtofindapencilsharpenerthemorningofthetest!Noneedtoaddtoyourstress.Leaveprohibiteditemsbehind.Youcanwearasilentanalogwatch,butdigitalwatchesandallotherelectronicsaren’tallowed,includingcellphonesandcalculators.Don’tstressyourselfoutthatevening.ThenightbeforetheLSAT,ifyoufeelcompelledtostudy(Iknow,youcan’thelpyourself),don’tdoanewtest.Instead,reviewasectionyou’vealreadydoneandknowtheanswersto,whichcanreinforcestrategiesandboostyourconfidence.Getenoughsleepthenightbeforethetestandseveralnightsbeforethat.Don’tstayuppartying.Definitelydon’tstayupstudying;you’renotgoingtodiscoveranythingextraatthatpoint.‘Wakeupontime.Ifyoulivefarawayfromthetestcenter,setyouralarmextraearly—orevenconsiderspendingthenightatahotelnearby.Stayingalertthroughthetestishardenoughwithoutcombatingalackofsleep,too.Eatbreakfast.Yourbrainfunctionsbetterifyoufeedit.Drinkcoffeeifyouliketodrinkcoffee(thoughnottoomuch—it’sadiuretic,whichmakesyouhavetousetherestroommoreoften).Trytoeatsomethingsustaining—proteinandwholegrainslastlongerthanasugarydonut.Forsuggestions,seethenearbysidebar,“Thetest-daydiet.”Makesureyouknowhowtogettothetestingsite.Don’twaituntilthemorningofyourtesttofinddirections.Takeatestdriveadayortwobefore.Ifyoudon’tknowexactlywherethesiteisorwheretopark,callthetestcenterearlierintheweekforcompletedirections.Ifyouhavetroubleparking,leaveextraearly.Ifyouhavetofeedaparkingmeter,bringenoughcoins.Gettothecenterearly.Doingsogivesyoutimetogetsettledin,handleanylast-minuteemergencies,andmakealastpreemptivebathroomstop.Afteryoufinishthesesteps,you'rereadytotakethetest!Study!
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