Legal Guide

3 Tips for Getting a Great Score on the LSAT

The LSAT exam is the first step towards a career in law, so it’s natural that everyone interested is looking to get the best possible score. Still, the exam is quite extensive and requires extensive preparation, especially if your goal is to get accepted by a prestigious law school like Harvard or Stanford.

When you put the pressure and the amount of studying together, it’s no wonder that so many candidates feel overwhelmed. Still, a career in law won’t be that much different (in terms of stress), so it’s best to find ways to deal with everything.

In this spirit, here are a few tips that helped me through both the LSAT exam and law school.

What is a Great LSAT Score?

Before I move onto tips, I thought it best to have a look at your final goal - the LSAT score. More precisely, let’s discuss just how good of a score you need.

Well, that depends on the law school of your dreams. For instance, if you’re interested in the top 10 law schools, your score needs to be 170+. However, if you’re happy with a regular, but excellent, law school, you have good chances with a score of 155 to 160.

In addition, the score is also judged in comparison with the other results in your year. As such, if the majority of test-takers have a result of 160 and above, you may need a higher score than 170 to get into a top school.

Still, it’s important to know that even small improvements in your skills and knowledge can make a difference in the end. The range of differentiation is narrow, which is why even one extra point in your final score can be helpful.

#1: Choose the Best Prep Course

A preparatory course will bring you closer to the score you want because it provides the best resources and access to the best teachers. Still, not everyone’s learning rhythm is the same, which is why it’s important to select the best LSAT prep training course for your needs.

While there are candidates who can keep up with the preparation on themselves, a prep course is the best option for most. This is true because a course provides structure and teaches you how to learn and understand different principles. Also, it gives you a sense of progress and monitors your level through testing and quizzes.

#2: Timing is Everything

If you plan on studying a few weeks before the exam (or the week right before), you should be prepared for a low score. You can prepare for the LSAT and you can improve your score, but not if you don’t take it seriously!

Candidates who are serious about acing this test start learning at least six months in advance (sometimes even a year!). This way, you’ll have time to get familiar with the exam structure, analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and other skills required.

As the date of the exam draws near start intensive preparation (about two months in advance) and practice taking mockup tests.

#3: Understand your Answers

This is an exam that will test your skills, not your memory powers!

As such, each concept must be learned and understood. Also, while taking tests, make sure you understand why a certain answer is correct and why the others aren’t. This practice will help you understand how the exam works and you’ll clarify a lot of concepts that may seem confusing while studying.

Wrap Up

In conclusion, if you work hard and believe in your abilities, your chances to get the score you want (or better) increase. A career in law is not the easiest path in life, but it can be a beautiful journey, with lots of accomplishments over the years. So don’t lose hope even if things don’t go your way - it takes a persistent person to get where you want to go!


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