How to Score Higher on the LSAT

Co-authored by Nathan Fox, JD

Last Updated: May 25, 2021 References

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is one of the primary metrics that law schools use when evaluating applications. The test consists of a variety of multiple-choice questions, as well as a writing sample, to test skills necessary to succeed in law school. Fortunately, plenty of information and practice materials are available for the LSAT, which makes it easier for you to prepare and score higher on the test.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing for the LSAT

1
Familiarize yourself with the LSAT format. The format and types of questions on the LSAT aren’t a secret, and you can familiarize yourself with what to expect. ^{[1]
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.} The LSAT is comprised of five sets of multiple-choice questions, separated into 35-minute sections. ^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source} At the end of these sections, a final 35-minute section goes toward a writing sample, which isn’t scored but is sent along with your LSAT score to each law school to which you apply. ^{[3]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source}
- One of the five multiple-choice sections isn’t scored either, but this section mostly includes newer questions, which the governing LSAT board tries out for future iterations of the test. ^{[4]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Law School Admission Council
  Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
  Go to source}
2
Familiarize yourself with what the test measures. The LSAT doesn’t actually measure knowledge of law proceedings but merely the types of skills necessary to succeed in law school. The three major types of multiple-choice questions on the LSAT include: ^{[5]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source}
- Reading comprehension questions - These measure your ability to comprehend complex texts with accuracy while drawing conclusions from the content.
- Analytical reasoning questions - These questions test your ability to comprehend the relationships between certain objects and to draw rational conclusions from the structure of those relationships.
- Logical reasoning questions - These questions measure your ability to analyze and evaluate ordinary-language arguments, as well as your ability to complete them.
3
Take practice tests. ^{[6]
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.} The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is the body that administers the LSAT, and they offer a free online sample test, which you can find here . ^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source} This sample test is the actual LSAT from June of 2007, so you can see the exact types of questions you can expect. ^{[8]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source}
- Don’t panic if you do poorly and run out of time on your first sample test. This is normal.
- Other sample tests are available online and through official LSAT testing centers. You should also look into these tests, so you can take several with fresh questions that you don’t already know.
4
Try out different test strategies. The LSAT is a test of time management on the questions just as much as it is in logic and comprehension. Finding the strategy for questions that both maximizes correct answers and time efficiency is essential. Try different ways of approaching the different sections to find out what works best for you. ^{[9]
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.}
- For example, when it comes to the long texts in the reading comprehension sections, some students prefer to closely read the text before reading the questions, whereas other students prefer to read the questions associated with the text before reading it. ^{[10]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Law School Admission Council
  Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
  Go to source}
You can find numerous logic puzzle tests online and in official LSAT tutoring locations to help develop skills related to the analytical and logical reasoning sections of the LSAT. Practice these often in addition to the examples you see on the practice tests.
If you’re not happy with your scores on the practice tests, then consider taking a prep course or investing in official LSAT study guides. Though these materials usually aren’t cheap, you may see substantial differences in your scores when you have some help as opposed to going it on your own. ^{[11]
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.}
7
Do not forget the writing sample. Though the writing sample isn’t scored as part of the actual test, it’s still submitted to law schools along with your application, and therefore, weighed in the admission process. The writing sample for the LSAT takes the form of a decision problem wherein you must choose between two courses of action or positions on an argument. ^{[12]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source}
- The question will be formulated in a manner that makes each position defensible, so there’s no right or wrong answer, only how well you can back up the position you choose. ^{[13]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Law School Admission Council
  Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
  Go to source}
- Practice writing these types of samples with a focus on clear, concise, and precise arguments that you have organized logically.
- You can find two official practice topics from LSAC here . ^{[14]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Law School Admission Council
  Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
  Go to source}
It’s just as important to practice under the real-world conditions of the LSAT as it is to practice with accurate question types. Acing reading comprehension doesn’t do any good if you spend all 35 minutes on two questions. As you get more comfortable with the format and different question types, ensure that you hold yourself to the same time constraints as you’ll experience during the actual test. ^{[15]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source}
As you prepare for the LSAT, expect to give yourself a full fifty hours of study time and practice tests to prepare for the real thing. ^{[16]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Taking the Test

You can find the schedule of available LSAT test dates here . ^{[17]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source} If you have an LSAC account, you’ll receive your score by email around three weeks after your test date, so remember to coordinate when you take the test with the due dates for applications at your respective law schools.
As with any other test you’ve taken over the years, you’ll perform better with a full night of sleep the night before and a good breakfast the morning of the test. You can’t concentrate of long text passages and logic questions if you’re tired and/or hungry.
3
Start with the easier questions. Every question on the LSAT is equally weighted, and you receive points for correct answers, but you do not receive deductions for incorrect answers. ^{[18]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source} On a test where a 65% puts you in the 75th percentile, this means that maximizing the number of questions you answer correctly is more important than agonizing over individual questions where you get stuck. ^{[19]
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- This also means that you shouldn’t be afraid to skip questions where you get stuck and come back to them after less time-consuming ones.
4
Give the proper amount of time to each question. While you might not end up doing each question in order, ensure that you focus completely on each question when you get to it. Some of the questions have “trap” answer choices, which are specifically meant to be more difficult for students rushing through the test. ^{[20]
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- Additionally, do not try to get creative with regard to how some of the answers could apply. Use the process of elimination for each answer, focusing on why answers are wrong rather than how they could be right. ^{[21]
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As previously stated, you are not penalized for answering a question incorrectly. ^{[22]
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Trustworthy Source
Law School Admission Council
Nonprofit organization which supports law schools and students in the applications process and administers the LSAT
Go to source} This means that in the final minute of each section, you should fill in any empty bubbles from questions you skipped or haven’t gotten to. ^{[23]
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Research source} Even if you fill in ten bubbles at random, you have the odds of getting two right and potentially increasing your score by two points. ^{[24]
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How can I improve my LSAT score fast?

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon
Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Nathan Fox, JD

LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Answer

It's important to avoid forcing yourself into an abbreviated study plan when studying for the LSAT. Most people need at least three months of studying to even find out what scores they are capable of achieving. I recommend studying for five to six days a week for at least three months.

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How to Score Higher on the LSAT

Steps

Preparing for the LSAT

Taking the Test

Expert Q&A

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