[originally from http://discuss.princetonreview.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=6&Message_ID=3610561, If you'd like to see the entire archived thread, please go here.] Go to Propeller Head's advice. Date: September 14, 2002 04:21 PM Author: John Galt Subject: Self Study Hey guys, a couple people on another thread asked about inexpensive but effective LSAT study methods. Since the three of us have followed BK's self-study plan I thought I would start a thread devoted to the topic. If you have any advice or information then please chime in. I have never taken a test prep course so I cannot speak on them with authority; however I know course instructors and students, and they claim without exception that there is nothing in a course that you cannot learn on your own, especially with the aid of published preparation guides (e.g., Kaplan, PR, LGB). In addition, they all claim that even WITH a course there is a direct relationship between the amount of time one studies and the resulting score. This implies that a course does not short-circuit that natural learning process, but rather supplements it with helpful strategies. Several posters on this board have used an alternative, much less formal method. Since it is less formal there are many adaptations of it, but most variations involve taking one or two released LSAT exams every week for several months. I will tell you exactly what I have done and what my results have been thus far, and I hope that others will jump in and share their experiences as well. I started studying with a Kaplan preparation book. The book described the sections of the test in general terms and provided strategies for each section. It also included artificial full-length exams that helped me get used to the length of the exam. While I was studying that book I ordered about twenty exams from LSAC, the Logic Games Bible from PowerScore, and a speed reading book. I spent the next month and a half focusing on the LGB and the speed reading book. When I finished both of those books I started taking one real exam each Saturday morning. During the week I would work on the sections that gave me trouble on the previous Saturday. I would typically retake the difficult sections until I got a perfect score on them. This is difficult at first. You do not have much material with which to work, so there is not a LOT you can do during the week. But after the first month or two you have a backlog of old tests which you can erase and retake for additional practice. You forget the specifics of each question over time, so putting a test down for a month and then retaking it helps you recognize correct answers due to the principles you have studied rather than the specific content of the question. If you choose to use this method then I have a few suggestions. First, begin with a general prep book like the one I used. I did not want to use real test questions to learn the mechanics of the test. Second, save the most recent exams until the end (but make sure that you have AMPLE time to go over them). The test has changed somewhat in recent years so you do not want to finish with tests from the early 1990's. At the same time you do not want to leave three weeks for the last eight tests, because you will likely want to devote much more time to the more recent questions. Third, be aware that you will likely encounter diminishing returns. My improvement over the last four months has been negligible (though I took a break for two of those four months). Finally ask questions on the PR board. Most of the people here are helpful. The price of this method depends on the materials you purchase. I suggest a generic prep book, LGB, both "Books of Ten," and all of the single exams from LSAC. Those publications will cost you $194 plus tax, shipping and handling. I took the test in June and cancelled (a long story for another thread). I do not have an official score but my first prep score was 159 and my highest prep score was 177. My average score (mean and median), over 35 exams, was in the lower to mid 170's (172 - 174). **EDIT** I created this thread in mid September. It is now late November and I realized that I never updated this with my October score. I do not want to reveal my score until I am through the application process but I will say that I hit my target - the method I described in this post produced the intended results. Good luck! |
