How to Study for the LSAT
If you’re just starting out, the best advice I can give you is to be careful and methodical in how you structure your studying. There should be three distinct phases in your test prep timeline:
Phase 1: Accuracy
Think of it this way: For any given question, there are a number of things you have to do in order to answer the question correctly, ranging from simple tasks, like reading the questions and clicking on one of the answer choices to more complicated, intellectual tasks, like identifying the conclusion and evaluating whether there is a gap in the reasoning.
When you take a timed section or a mock exam, the LSAT is testing whether you can do those things…but (relatively) quickly. Well, in order to do those things quickly…you have to know what they are in the first place. This is what the first phase of your studying should consist of: figuring out how to answer the questions accurately. This entails developing certain intellectual skills, gaining a better understanding of certain concepts, and nurturing good test-taking *habits*. In my opinion, this is the most important phase and it should take the longest.
Use the questions in PTs40–55 — broken up by section and type — for practice or “drilling.” You want to make sure you develop habits and strategies that are mindful of the time limit you will inevitably have, but timing should otherwise not be a consideration.
Phase 2: Speed
This is when you introduce the element of timing into your studying more directly and start taking timed sections. Use PTs56–60. It should be the shortest/most flexible phase.
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One of your priorities should be to develop a strategy for each section that maximizes your overall score. This might mean, for example, adopting a strategy in which you only attempt to answer the first 20 LR questions as opposed to all 26. This would give you more time to answer each of the first 20 (and generally easier) questions, which might mean that although you’re attempting fewer questions, because you’re getting more of them correct, it actually produces a higher score (18/20 vs. 16/26).
More importantly, however, the true purpose of this phase of your test prep in my view is more about recalibrating how you study — and learning how to run diagnostics — more than achieving a certain score. Take the time to reconsider whether you know how to review effectively (PSA: don’t do “blind review”). Try to move beyond the “struggling with X question type” paradigm and focus on the deeper patterns are likely at play: skills, habits, and concepts.
Phase 3: Endurance
This is when you should start taking mock exams. Make it a priority to emulate test-day conditions as closely as possible, e.g. use LawHub to take the exam, enforce time limits strictly, take the exams in one sitting, don’t “end early” even if you have a lot of time left over, etc.
Now that you know how to answer the questions correctly — and quickly — it’s time to see whether you can answer them correctly and quickly over the course of a nearly 3–4 hour long grueling exam! Is your mind as sharp on Section 4 as it was on Section 1? (No, of course not. You will get tired — and what happens when people get tired? — they revert to habits. That’s why habits were so important in the Accuracy phase!)
Beyond building up your test-taking endurance, this is also a crucial time for improving your performance. Although I do believe the practice of taking multiple mock exams over the span of a short period of time does actually help you improve, it’s important to recognize that the bulk of your improvements will originate from the studying you do in-between your mock exams. The lessons you learned about the efficacy of your studying in the previous phase should serve you well here!
Use a good mix of recent exams. When I was in your shoes, I took 30 mock exams during this phase, but I don’t think that many are necessary — at least not for everyone. Use your best judgment. And be sure to leave a handful in case you need to retake!
