LSAT study guide
LSAT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The LSAT (Law School Admission Test), administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), is the standardized admission test for prospective law students applying to JD programs. LSAC describes it as an integral part of law school admission and states that studies have consistently shown the LSAT to be the single best predictor of first-year law school performance, even better than undergraduate grade-point average. The primary part of the exam is a four-section, multiple-choice test, and every test taker is also required to complete a written essay called LSAT Argumentative Writing. LSAC advises candidates to familiarize themselves with the different question types so they can optimize their preparation. Topics on this exam: Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. The LSAT study guide has 2 sections and about 702 words.
01Logical Reasoning: Argument Structure, Assumptions, and Answer-Choice Traps
Every Logical Reasoning stimulus is either an argument or a set of facts waiting to become one. Find the conclusion first - the claim the author wants you to accept - then ask what the premises actually prove. The distance between what is stated and what is concluded is where the answer lives. Conditional reasoning: from "if A then B" you may infer only the contrapositive (not B, therefore not A).
345 words, about 2 min02Reading Comprehension: Structure, Viewpoints, and Question Types
Reading Comprehension rewards someone who can name the parts of a passage: the thesis, the supporting evidence, the opposing view, the concession, and the author's final verdict. As you read, tag whose voice is speaking. A sentence beginning "Critics contend" does not state the author's view, and many wrong answers are built on exactly that confusion. Main point versus primary purpose: purpose is a verb phrase (to reconcile two theories, to criticize a method), while main point is the central claim.
357 words, about 2 min