Info needed for a Rookie Forum

[Littlebunny]

Hi,
Would like to pass the LSAT and get into a Law school in Canada. All this test system sound a little bit strange for me coming from an other continent but I want to pass it.
I just read different type of topics over this forum and I am lost between the posts.
Can anybody be so kind to describe what steps do I have to follow to be able to pass the LSAT with success?
Which are the necessary books what I have to study? I mean the best ones. How many books do I have to study to be prepared for the LSAT? What do you mean about “bible”( I saw under different posts, how many bibles? And which books are these?)
Is anyone know how already pass the LSAT how are the questions, are they the same from year to year? And are they the same what I should find in the books? Let say if exists 10 books and I am studying all of them what is the chance to receive the exactly same questions from the studied material?
Is anything else to obtain the LSAT behind writing the test ? The LSAT is just testing or are they asking for something else history, comprehension in different kind of topics etc.?
Usually how long it takes to be prepared, if you are studying 24/7 ?

[typ3]

These are the bibles. http://www.powerscore.com/content_publications.cfm

Prep tests can be bought directly through LSAC or on Amazon.com

[tomwatts]

Would like to pass the LSAT and get into a Law school in Canada. All this test system sound a little bit strange for me coming from an other continent but I want to pass it.

Sounds like a trip to http://www.lsac.org might be in order here. Read that information first.

Can anybody be so kind to describe what steps do I have to follow to be able to pass the LSAT with success?

There is no "passing" or "failing." The test is scored between 120 and 180, and higher numbers are better. Anything below a 150 makes it pretty hard to get into any law school at all, and anything below a 160 makes it hard to be competitive at the law schools that most people are trying to get into. 170+ is expected for an application to the very top tier of schools.

Which are the necessary books what I have to study? I mean the best ones. How many books do I have to study to be prepared for the LSAT? What do you mean about “bible”( I saw under different posts, how many bibles? And which books are these?)

You want 1) a book that explains the test (a book of technique) and 2) a bunch of PrepTests (PTs). The PTs are previous LSATs from years past. There are many books of technique out there. The Powerscore Bibles are the ones already mentioned, but Kaplan publishes several, Princeton Review (who I work for) publishes Cracking the LSAT, and there are many others. There are a variety of ways of getting your hands on PTs, including ordering them directly from LSAC and getting them off Amazon.

Actually, the FIRST thing you want is the June '07 test, which is freely available off lsac.org (from here). The rest of this stuff you have to pay for, but that test is free, and it shows you what the questions look like.

Is anyone know how already pass the LSAT how are the questions, are they the same from year to year? And are they the same what I should find in the books? Let say if exists 10 books and I am studying all of them what is the chance to receive the exactly same questions from the studied material?

The questions are similar from year to year but not exactly the same. They ask the same types of questions over and over again, but the exact words change.

The PTs are real questions, and there is a finite number of them; anything that has its material drawn from PTs (which apparently the Bibles do) will duplicate questions you find in PTs you buy anywhere else. This is not usually a serious problem.

Is anything else to obtain the LSAT behind writing the test ? The LSAT is just testing or are they asking for something else history, comprehension in different kind of topics etc.?

There's no field of knowledge that you can study to do well, exactly. The test is a test of your logical thinking and analysis. Go get that June '07 test from lsac.org and you can see. All the information you need to answer the questions is on the page, and it's just a matter of applying the basic rules of logic to the information you have (in the time allotted). The logic is very rigorous.

Classes or books on formal or informal logic may to some extent help, and reading challenging and diverse material written in English will also help.

Usually how long it takes to be prepared, if you are studying 24/7 ?

Typically 2-4 months, but sometimes longer.

[HiLine]

Wow! There should really be something like an LSAT FAQ so that knowledgeable people like tomwatts doesn't have to waste time listing the basic, simple stuff over and over again to newbies.

[pattymac]

Are you Canadian?

If so, don't listen to anything any other Canadian says about the LSAT, admissions process, etc. unless they post on TLS.

For christs sakes, people in my major are worried about "passing the WRITING sample". The EFFING writing sample.

Take everything with a grain of salt here too, some stuff won't apply to Canadian applications. From what I understand, softs count for a lot.

But Tomwatts gave you some sound advice.

[pattymac]

Wow! There should really be something like an LSAT FAQ so that knowledgeable people like tomwatts doesn't have to waste time listing the basic, simple stuff over and over again to newbies.

Don't blame OP, come spend a day in a Canadian school and talk to some Canadians. You wouldn't believe how much BS flies around.

[LawandOrder]

With the way you write, there is a zero percent chance will you get a respectable score on the LSAT. Sorry.

[pattymac]

^ Oh, so you mean they DO grade the writing sample? :p.

OP, don't listen to lawandorder. There are plenty of success stories on here of people who learn english as their second language and do well on the LSAT. Work on getting your GPA as high as possible, especially if you want a Canadian school. Get the bibles, read through them thoroughly and take the practice tests. All of them.

[LawandOrder]

^ Oh, so you mean they DO grade the writing sample? :p.

OP, don't listen to lawandorder. There are plenty of success stories on here of people who learn english as their second language and do well on the LSAT. Work on getting your GPA as high as possible, especially if you want a Canadian school. Get the bibles, read through them thoroughly and take the practice tests. All of them.

That's true. Success stories of people who have learned English as a second language, not people who currently lack a command of the language and still succeed. Both the reading comprehension and logical reasoning sections have very nuanced language. It's very unrealistic to expect someone with a poor command of the language to be able to perform well.

[Littlebunny]

With the way you write, there is a zero percent chance will you get a respectable score on the LSAT. Sorry.

I asked for some advise and thanks for all who informed me. I am not interested in your opinion. I know my limits and abilities.
English is my fourth language and I learned on my own in a few month. I would like to see you where can you be in 4 month and if you can be that brave to take the LSAT and get in to a Law School.
And my advise for you: If you can’t say something positive don’t say anything at all. But probably a jerk like you can’t get it.

[shoop]

With the way you write, there is a zero percent chance will you get a respectable score on the LSAT. Sorry.

I asked for some advise and thanks for all who informed me. I am not interested in your opinion. I know my limits and abilities.
English is my fourth language and I learned on my own in a few month. I would like to see you where can you be in 4 month and if you can be that brave to take the LSAT and get in to a Law School.
And my advise for you: If you can’t say something positive don’t say anything at all. But probably a jerk like you can’t get it.

Congrats on learning rudimentary English so quickly. Do keep in mind, though, that opposing counsel (if you have ambitions of becoming a litigator) isn't going to cut you any slack for being ESL (EFL?), and clients (if you go the transactional route) aren't going to be any less pissed if you expose them to liabilities through poorly-worded contracts just because it's your fourth language. There's a difference between "brave" and being naive.

[LawandOrder]

With the way you write, there is a zero percent chance will you get a respectable score on the LSAT. Sorry.

I asked for some advise and thanks for all who informed me. I am not interested in your opinion. I know my limits and abilities.
English is my fourth language and I learned on my own in a few month. I would like to see you where can you be in 4 month and if you can be that brave to take the LSAT and get in to a Law School.
And my advise for you: If you can’t say something positive don’t say anything at all. But probably a jerk like you can’t get it.

While I certainly would not be able to learn a foreign language in four months and then take their version of the LSAT, I am also not trying to do that like you are. I encourage you to take the LSAT and then come back here and tell us all truthfully how well you did.