The LSAT is hard.  There’s no getting around that.  But it is a learnable test.  If you know how to prepare for the LSAT, you can study for the LSAT and improve in a pretty dramatic way.  Study hard and study right, and you will get better at the LSAT.  There are three things you need to do to get a great LSAT score.

1. Master grammar and logic

The LSAT is a test of grammar and logic.  Read that again.  If you get good at grammar and logic, you get good at the LSAT.

Grammar?  Yes, really.  Grammar.  Grammar is the law of language. The language used in the LSAT is intentionally confusing, yet precise.  The LSAT tests your ability to parse and decipher complicated sentences.  Sentences with triple negatives, referential phrases, and clauses within clauses.

Let this sentence be a warning if you never thought that a lack of grammar analysis abilities impacts how many students do on the LSAT in a negative manner or if you don’t find yourself seeing that it’s not unclear from this sentence that it actually has such an effect.

After reading, you need logic.  Once you actually understand what the questions and answers say, you have to understand how the logic plays out.  Concepts like validity, conditional statements, and premises should be near and dear to your heart.

How do you get good at logic?  For starters, try to take courses like Introduction to Logic, or Formal Logic in undergrad.  But really, a good LSAT prep course will teach you all the logic you need for the LSAT.  If they don’t teach you logic, then they’re robbing you blind.

2. Practice until you want to stab your eyes out with a No. 2 pencil

Take as many real, timed, LSAT PrepTests as possible. There are enough old LSATs (over 70) available that you will lose all your friends before you finish all of them.

Take only real LSATs.  Most LSAT books that you see in the bookstore do not use real LSATs. They make up their own questions to avoid licensing fees.  Made up LSATs are a complete waste of time.  Stay the hell away.  The whole point of practicing is to get good at doing the LSAT, not Honest Sal’s LSAT-like Test.

3. Review your answers

So once you finished a practice exam, what’s the first thing you do?  You check the answers and grade your test right?  No, wrong.

You should do something we call “Blind Review”.  When you take the practice tests, you circle every question you are unsure about.  After the test is over, go through every one of those questions and take however long you need to on the question – without looking at the answer.  Then when you mark your test you will have two scores.  Your real score, and your blind review score.  If your blind review score is low, then you need to work on your grammar and logic.  If your blind review score is high, then you need to work on your speed.

This is a powerful way of learning that only works when you haven’t peeked at the credited answer!

What now?

So now you know the three things you need to do in order to do well on the LSAT.  If you want to test the waters, sign up for a free trial.  If you're ready to dive in now, register for the best and most affordable online LSAT Prep course you can get.

What are you waiting for?  Jump in, beat the LSAT, go to law school and become a lawyer.