Posts filed under 'Test Tips'
I equate the experience of taking the LSAT with that of running a marathon. Both are long and physically exhausting. The more you prepare for each endurance test, the better shape you will be in and the better you will perform on the big day. During a marathon, thousands of fans stand on the sidelines cheering for you because they want to see you succeed. While you may not have a cheerleading squad on test day, a lot of people from teachers to family members to friends want to see you reach your goal and perform at your peak.
There are so many variables in preparing for the race that you want to limit as many unknowns as you can. If you have trained properly, there is no need to try anything new on the day of the marathon. You should never wear a new shirt or new shoes; try a new Gatorade flavor or anything else new within a week of the race. You don’t know whether the new shoes will give you a blister, if the shirt will chaff, or if your body will react adversely to the Gatorade. It’s not worth the risk to prove whether this adage is true. The same goes for the LSAT. If you have attacked every reading comprehension practice question in the same format by reading the passage and then reading the questions, it’s not a good idea to try a new method like reading all of the questions before reading the passage, during the test. You have not had time to work out the potential kinks that come along with trying a new method, and it is not smart to roll the dice on test day.
The marathon is a test of endurance. Many runners are so excited and motivated by the excitement of the fans, that they run too fast in the beginning and burn out by mile 15 or 20. The same theory applies for the test. To avoid burnout, pace yourself so you have enough time to hit all of the questions you want. Practicing will help you determine how best to budget your time.
Diet is also important. Marathon runners “carbo load” a week before the race and avoid raw foods lest they get sick. A similar theory applies for the LSATs. The test is long and you need fuel to maintain peak performance. Nutrition expert and author of “The Way to Eat”, David Katz says, “Essentially, this is an arduous exertion. It just happens to be cognitive rather than physical. Your brain runs on the fuel you ingest, same as the rest of your body.” You can experiment with what food sustains you during practice tests. Or check out this Time Magazine article about the importance of diet when taking a standardized test.
Another similarity is that by the time you finish either the marathon or the LSAT, you are mentally and physically spent. So after your test, but sure to take some well-deserved time off to relax and reward yourself for a job well done!
April 14th, 2008
Obfuscation, that’s confusing. No, really, it is confusing. Are you confused? Obfuscation is “the act of confusing someone”.
On the LSAT, the writers practice obfuscation all the time, particularly in the arguments section. Arguments are the closest thing on the LSAT that resembles what a lawyer actually does. Arguments will make up about one half of the LSAT.
You will be asked questions about the logical flow of the argument and the relationship between statements, independent of their truthfulness. Some of the arguments will not make sense. Some of the answers will be false.
The test writers want to confuse you. If it was so easy to score perfectly, it would be insignificant. The writers employ four tactics for obfuscating the facts:
1) A statement can be true but not relevant. I can say the US has 50 states; it’s true but may not answer the question being asked. Conversely, a statement can be false and still be a correct answer. You may be asked which of the following conclusions can most logically be drawn from the passage above. The correct answer may be something like “a politician is not corrupt only if he does not accept money from lobbyist”.
2) Repeating the same language used in the statement. These answers may sound right because they incorporate the vocabulary used in the initial argument. Sounding right and being right are not always the same.
3) Overstating or understating the point made in the argument. Your answer has to match the scope of the question. If the question is quizzing you on something specific in the argument, then you do not want to answer with a broad answer that is too encompassing. Similarly, you do not want to choose a specific answer when you are asked for a broad answer. A statement here can be correct but still not answer the question being asked.
4) The test writers can make a false claim in that is not supported by the argument. These answers can be tempting because they use an authoritative voice. For example, an answer choice may say something about how many words Alaskans have for snow. Interesting, but we don’t know if it is true and it does not answer the question. These obfuscating tactics may overlap and you will probably find various combinations of them among your answer choices.
As a general rule only two out of the five possible answers will have any real merit and be relevant to the question being asked. If you can eliminate the three answers that have little relationship to the argument, you can then evaluate the two remaining choices and see which traps the writers may have attempted to use.
Check out some of our weekly challenges and see if you can identify which of the obfuscation tactics the writers employed.
April 10th, 2008
Expect to encounter four reading passages of 400-500 words with 5-8 questions per a passage per section on the LSAT. You may remember the reading comprehension section of the SATs, and this is similar, only harder. Unlike the other sections of the exam, these questions are not arranged from easy to hard.
Since you are racing against the clock, you won’t have the opportunity to read each passage as thoroughly as you might like. The best strategy is to scan the passage quickly, trying to grasp the main arguments and the author’s point of view.
There is no one universal way to attack the reading comprehension section. Thus, it is important to practice several methods and find which one is the most efficient strategy for you.
I tend to tune out densely worded passages that have no appeal to me. As a result, I look at the questions first. For a word in context question – I go directly to the source and read a sentence or two before the word in question, and then a sentence afterwards. By the time I finish, I will have an idea of the passage and have already knocked out a question. By reading the first and last paragraphs, I’m often able to grasp the author’s point of view. I then scan the document to answer specific questions. But please note, just because this works for me, does not mean it is the best approach for you.
One of my former students would read the passage, put brackets next to relevant information then answer the main idea questions first. She would then go back and review the passage for more specific questions. Another student would read the beginning and end of each paragraph and then attack the questions in order. There’s nothing wrong with skipping around on the questions, just make sure you bubble in the correct answer.
So, you can see that there are many possible ways to approach the reading comprehension questions. It’s just a matter of finding the method that works for you.
Here are a few quick take-away tips:
- Do not go onto the next passage until you have completed the entire passage.
- Do not leave any bubble blank.
- You will improve with practice!
March 31st, 2008
We return to discuss the dreaded game section of the LSAT, the one section of the test that the test makers intentionally do not give you enough time to finish. While the games are actually a part of mathematics called “set theory”, you will not need a background in a subset of math to solve the questions. A strong foundation in logic will of course help, but is not necessary.
Since most test takers are not mathematicians, they have limited experience in set theory. If you are intimidated by these logic questions, rest assured that you are in good company with your fellow test takers. You may also take comfort in knowing that the games section is one of the easiest areas to improve your score, through practice and studying.
There are three major types of questions/games:
The first is the ordering games. These games ask you to determine order such as size, time, seating charts, ranks, etc. They are one of the most common types of games and fortunately one of the easiest.
Grouping games are, you guessed it, designed to ask you to determine how an entire collection of people may be grouped into smaller subsets. Sometimes you can get lucky and be given the number of smaller groups, other times you are asked to partition the elements into an ambiguous numbers, say three or more groups. Naturally the indeterminate number of groups complicates the questions. One example may be to divide a group of students into study partners.
Assignment games ask you to assign characteristics to people or elements. You may recognize one version as “scheduling” questions (Michael will only work Wednesdays, Laurie can work on Tuesday but does not work consecutive days, etc.). Because conditions can apply to both individuals and groups, scheduling games can be the most cumbersome, even if only a few restrictions are given. Our advice: tackle the easy ones first, and save these for last.
You will find more information and strategies about the logic games and these subsets of questions on our blog, so check back frequently for updates.
February 21st, 2008
It’s commonly referred to as a logic game, but the analytical section of the LSAT is anything but fun. These games are designed to test your ability to analyze a situation and specific parameters before drawing conclusions. While such deduction skills will serve you well as a law student and later as an attorney, it may seem highly unfamiliar now.
The lowdown: The 35 minute section composed of 22-24 questions will comprise approximately 25% of your score.
Common games include sequencing, grouping and matching. Based on the initial parameters, you will have to conclude what the possible outcomes could be.
The strategy: set up the information. Once you read the initial parameters, you may want to immediately start tackling the questions. But a few extra moments organizing the information will help you run through the questions.
Let’s say you are given two statements:
If Riley leaves then Lily leaves.
If Lily leaves then Chloe stays.
These may look like two independent sentences but there is a third conclusion to draw. If Riley leaves, then Lily leaves which means that Chloe stays. This deduction will likely come up during the question process. By identifying it before you attack the questions; you can plug it into the answers without re-deducing it each time.
Another vital tip regarding the logic games: Pay attention to detail!
January 21st, 2008
Ever take a standardized test and realize on question 23 that you are actually bubbling in an answer for question 22? Then, while racing against the clock, you have to go back to all of the questions, find the one that you skipped, erase your old answers, and bubble in new ones. What a colossal waste of time! (Of course you may think the same thing about any standardized test.)
This mistake often occurs when you skip a question. When you are stuck with a question that you cannot answer immediately, you should take a quick guess and move on. There is no point spending a disproportionate amount of time on a single question at the expense of other questions. Since you are not penalized for a wrong answer on the LSAT, you should never leave an answer blank. If there is time at the end of the exam, give the question a gander.
This eliminates one cause of the mis-bubble, but there are others. Some people find it helpful to hold a blank piece of paper under the correct line on the answer sheet and slide it down appropriately. Others bubble in bulk. They compute all of the problems on the test booklet page. Before turning the page to the next set of questions, bubble in the set of answers. You can make sure your answers line up with the correct number at each page. Find what works best for you, and use that particular method on your practice tests.
January 8th, 2008
Three hours is a long time to sit and stay focused on a standardized test. It’s mentally exhausting and physically draining. That’s why it’s important to be in good shape before taking the LSAT.
When preparing for the test, try to study in as many long stretches of time as you can. Once you’ve blocked out a chunk of time for studying, limit your distractions. It’s not the easiest thing to do and it certainly is not fun, but it builds your endurance for when you take the actual test.
In addition to trying to squeeze in four hour study session into your busy agenda, try to take as many full-length practice tests as possible in as realistic a setting as possible (i.e.: sitting at a desk in the library versus laying on your bed). By emulating the real test experience, your brain and body will be better prepared for the intensity of the actual exam.
Another advantage to taking lots and lots of practice tests is that you can really hone in on your strengths and weaknesses. Thus, your future study sessions can focus on areas where you need the most improvement.
Taking the LSAT is no party. If you do it right the first time and put in the long arduous hours of studying you won’t have to take it again. Besides, all of this intense studying is good preparation for the demanding first year of law school.
January 3rd, 2008