As a law student preparing for the LSAT, it is important to understand the format and structure of the exam and what type of questions will be asked on it. There are three components to the LSAT, each of which requires careful and serious planning prior to taking the exam. The first part is the verbal section, which includes a variety of written questions posed to the student by a series of examiners. The second section requires the student to physically demonstrate a series of facial expressions, gestures, and voice inflections in order to answer a question. Finally, a response is given in the form of a written response, which must be comprehensible, original, and refundable within two minutes.
Although the LSAT is offered at many law schools nationwide, only a select number of institutions have taken the time to fully prepare their students for the LSAT. At my law school, we have seen a significant increase in the number of law school applicants turning in their applications to us for this critical exam. Unfortunately, the majority of these applicants are not taking the time to properly prepare for the exam and do not have a clear understanding as to what they should be doing or why they need to do it. If you plan to take the LSAT, here are a few things that you should definitely do before you hit the bar.
First, make sure you have a strong grasp on all of the material covered in the required two-course course required for taking the LSAT. This course, aptly named the “LSAT Law School Preparation” course, is designed to help potential law school applicants achieve a superior legal education and prepare them for the LSAT exam. While studying for the exam, the student will take several core legal studies classes, as well as the elective courses that are required for passing. If you are an undergraduate student, you will need to earn at least a 3.0 GPA on all of your classes, although you will likely already have a satisfactory grade average (unless you dropped a class and didn’t declare it).
Second, be sure to research and learn about the different types of LSAT test simulators that are available to use at your law school. Currently, there are two types that are currently available: The simulation software that are available on laptops; and, The simulators that work on tablet devices. Each type of simulator will allow you to take a simulated exam that will simulate the challenges that are likely to occur on the LSAT test. This includes everything from physically walking into a court room, taking down notes, preparing for long-cases or short ones, reading the questions, preparing for curve balls and other type scenarios that can occur during the LSAT test. Not only will this save you time and money if you have to go to court, but it will also give you a sense of accomplishment when you come out ahead of all of your competitors on the test day. Since everyone has passed the LSAT test, there is nothing left to beat it.
Third, use a review guide for the LSAT. While this may not be an option for all of your classmates who took the exam, if you are one of those people who didn’t and still feel pretty confident that you know what you are doing, then by all means, use a study guide. Not only will a review guide walk you through all of the different topics that you need to cover when taking the exam, but it will also give you practice questions that you can answer with ease and confidence. These types of tests are designed to make taking the actual LSAT experience as easy and comfortable as possible. Most review guides will walk you through the entire process of answering the multiple choice section, reading the questions, writing the answers, working with diagrams and much more.
Fourth, utilize your connections. Most law school deans and professors at the law schools you are interested in attending will have taken and passed the LSAT. If they haven’t, or have failed the test, use them as well. There are always connections within the legal profession, so don’t be afraid to ask your connections for advice on passing the exam. They may just be able to give you a few tips that will give you an edge over the competition.
Lastly, read every review you can find. There are plenty of review materials out there on the internet that can help you prepare for the LSAT. You can also contact the admissions office at any law school that you are interested in attending. Ask them for specific tips and information on how to prepare for the exam. These methods will undoubtedly help you pass your LSAT and become a strong legal careerist.