Study Strategies for the LSAT

Studying for the LSAT is the only way to score well on the exam. The LSAT does not test your knowledge about math or history. It is a test of critical thinking skills. Your main strategy is to understand the sections and sharpen those skills.

Here is a breakdown of the scored sections of the test:

Reading Comprehension
Four passages that are 400 to 500 words long
Sets of five to eight questions after each passage
Total of 26 to 28 question in the whole section
35 minutes to complete

This section tests your ability to read and understand dense material. You must answer multiple choice questions that refer to the passage such as identifying key points.

Practice reading through material quickly. This means finding points quickly and getting the gist of the passage. The writing will be academic and no doubt boring. You must stay focused on the task. You won’t have time to reread an entire passage when taking the test so you must be sure to actively read the passage the first time around.

Logical Reasoning
Passages are three to four sentences long
There will be one question per passage
About 25 questions in the section
35 minutes to complete
There are two Logical Reasoning sections in the exam

This section tests your ability to dissect an argument. You will be asked questions about assumptions of the argument, flaws and logical conclusions.

You must carefully read the passages. The more you practice the test questions the more you will realize that the questions fall into certain categories. Test prep books will identify the structure of the questions and the types they fall into. Check them out.

Read questions carefully. The LSAT can be tricky. You may know the point of the question but the question might be tweaked to throw you off.

Analytical Reasoning aka Logic Games
Four logic games that present statements, rules or conditions
Five to eight questions per game
Total of 24 questions in the section
35 minutes to complete


This section tests your ability to understand relationships and draw conclusions from them.

This is the most feared section of the exam. It is also where students show the most improvement. The trick to the section is to understand the type of game that is put forth. Then you must set up a diagram so you can visually see the information. A test prep book or online tutorial is a great way to learn about the types of games the LSAT uses.

You may find that you need to take a test prep course, online tutorial or buy books on LSAT preparation. Do what you need to do to get comfortable with the material and hone your critical thinking skills. Preparation is key to beating this test.

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