Taking the LSAT

[Montanablue]

My little sister has decided to change her career direction and has started to prepare to take the LSAT.

For those of you that are lawyers or are in law school, what did you do to prepare for test? How long did you study? What is a reasonable score (one that would get you into a good but not necessarily top 20 school). She really can't be tutored because of finances, but she's willing to spend a lot of time studying on her own.

My family doesn't know any lawyers, so she doesn't really have many resources to give her advice. There are LOADS of websites out there, but they all contradict themselves! They also seem to be aimed at ppl trying for top 10 or top 20 schools, and I don't think that's really her goal - she just wants to go somewhere solid.

Any advice - or resources - would be appreciated. She asked me if I could do some polking about for her.

 

[CharlieJ]

I teach for Kaplan Test Prep. Our programs are amazing, but quite expensive. However, she can go to Kaplan's LSAT page and see if there are any free practice tests around her area. LSAT Preparation | Guaranteed LSAT Results with Kaplan Test Prep

If not, she may be able to take it for free online; she would have to call to find out. 1-800-KAP-TEST

With the knowledge from her practice test, I would then recommend she buy the Kaplan LSAT guide, available online or from most major book stores. I think it's $20-$30, but it covers mostly the same material as the $1400 classes. The drawback is that you don't have a teacher to guide you through the material and answer your questions.

 

[fredtgreco]

It has been a long time since I took a standardized test (LSAT in 1995), but I always prepared the same way - for the SAT, GRE, and LSAT. Take as many tests as you can. Take them over and over and over again. The same "types" of questions appear over and over again.

 

[KMK]

I used to work for Kaplan as well (SAT) and can vouch for their thoroughness.

 

[VictorBravo]

Like Fred, it was a long time ago, 1988, but I purchased several books with older tests or simulated tests in them. I practiced taking the tests under the time constraints set out.

The frustrating thing about it all was that I kept scoring kind of low on the practice tests--in the 50th to 70th percentile range. I figured I needed to get into at least the 85th percentile range to go to the school I wanted to attend.

So when I took the actual test I was surprised to score in the 99th percentile. It must have been the yellow balloons in the car question, because even a year later my classmates were complaining about that one. Back then the scoring was different so I couldn't say what a good score is now. There are lists of LSAT ranges schools will accept.

One other side story, when I was done taking the LSAT, I was walking out of the testing hall when I overheard another guy say to his friend, "Next time I get a bright idea to do something like this, why don't you just whack me on the head with a hammer--it'll be less painful. . . ."

 

[Edward]

They had a different scoring system back when I took it, so I wouldn't be able to say what a reasonable score is now. In the old days, the verbal SAT score was a reasonable predictor. And I think it still keys to how well she does generally with standardized tests. Good verbal SAT or ACT scores, and she'll probably do well with the LSAT. Weak standardized scores indicate it will be a more difficult exam. (And I'd say the same for the Multistate Bar Exam.)

I went over the sample test questions that came with materials - I didn't bother with any commercial prep material. But I do very well on standardized tests, not well at all on memory work.