LSAT Prep Schedule Forum

[Kobsky]

Hello,

I am just beginning my LSAT prep and have taken just one diagnostic test in which I scored a 167. Being a sophomore in college, I am trying to balance LSAT studied with my other academics. I am shooting for a perfect score and I plan on taking the official LSAT in about a year. With such a large time period being devoted to prep work, I need to have a weekly study schedule. If anyone can provide me with such a schedule it would be extremely beneficial. Thanks!

[LSAT Blog]

I haven't created a year-long week-by-week plan (yet, anyway!), but I have created 7-month week-by-week plan, as well as a 7-month day-by-day plan linked here.

That's probably the closest you'll find to what you're looking for. To extend to a year, I would suggest incorporating more PrepTests, and spreading out the work over the year-long period (doing less each week than what you would do if you were studying for only 7 months).

Hope this helps!

(Mods, please let me know if link is not ok, and I'll remove it.)

[TLSanders]

The last thing in the world you need is a week-by-week, year-long schedule. At the level you're testing, if you have the capacity to get a perfect score, it won't take you nearly a year to get there. And, while repetition is useful (even critical), there is such a thing as too much of a good thing--overkill can result in a downturn. If you're hell bent on beginning your prep now, do it with at least an open mind toward taking the June test and prepare as if that's your goal. You can always push it back in the unlikely even that it's necessary.

[Dave Hall]

Hello,

I am just beginning my LSAT prep and have taken just one diagnostic test in which I scored a 167. Being a sophomore in college, I am trying to balance LSAT studied with my other academics. I am shooting for a perfect score and I plan on taking the official LSAT in about a year. With such a large time period being devoted to prep work, I need to have a weekly study schedule. If anyone can provide me with such a schedule it would be extremely beneficial. Thanks!

I agree that from where you're starting, if you try to work for a whole year you're likely to want to gouge your eyes out before all's said and done.

But, if you want to work for that long, on your own with materials from LSAC, I recommend that you start your prep at PrepTest 30 (it's right around here that I believe the modern PrepTest era begins). Work chronologically upward for 10 weeks, doing roughly two tests per week. Do 1 or 2 test sections a day, 4 or 5 days per week (I'm trying to save you from the eye-gouging!). Each day, your job is to understand each question in the section—what the test writers want from you, why the right answer is right (you can use the free video explanations for all the modern tests at my website to help with this part), and then how to replicate that answer in future.

After 10 weeks, you'll be at roughly PrepTest 50 and should have a good idea of what the test looks like and how to attack it. Now it would be OK (and probably necessary, if we're going to fill an entire year of studying) to fold in some of the older tests. Suggest that you do PT 50 alongside PT 1, and continue as above for the rest of the year.

Here are some tips for achieving the kind of understanding I'm talking about in the Logical Reasoning section:

Part (A)

Go through an entire LR section, looking at each question. For each one, answer the following questions:

1. What exactly does the question demand from you? (You must be able to answer for 26 of the 26 questions)

2. What can you expect the right answer to do? (You must be able to answer for 26 of the 26 questions)

3. What can you expect the right answer to sound like? (You must be able to answer for at least 22 of the 26 questions)

4. What is one wrong answer likely to say? (You must be able to answer for 26 of the 26 questions)

Part (B)

Then, go back through that section (without bothering with questions this time) and read each passage. For each, answer the following questions:

1. What is the main conclusion of the argument? (You must be able to answer for at least 20 of the 26 passages - no main conclusion for Inference and Resolution Questions!)

2. What is wrong with the argument? (You must be able to answer for at least 16 of the 26 passages - several passages don't exhibit flawed reasoning)

3. How is this flaw typical of others you've seen? (You must be able to answer for at least 10 of the 16-19 passages that exhibit flaws)

4. Which words are likely to be most important in determining the correct answer (no matter what question you might be asked)? (You must be able to answer for at least 20 of the 26 questions)

If you cannot answer all eight of these questions in the proportions indicated, then you do not yet have a strong enough grasp of the fundamental principles involved, and you'll know what you need to work on!

Feel free to email or PM me if you'd like more help.