Monday, March 17, 2014

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Best Books for LSAT Prep

What are the best books for LSAT prep?
Studying for the LSAT can be a difficult (not to mention costly) endeavor. With literally hundreds of books on the market for LSAT preparation, it is difficult for many test takers to decide what to buy.

When I took the LSAT, I needlessly spent hundreds of dollars on LSAT prep books in order to figure out what worked and what didn't.

Luckily, you can learn from my mistakes. There are a handful of truly excellent books for LSAT prep out there, and the rest aren't worth the money. If you stick with my recommendations, you will have the best LSAT prep books currently on the market & you can avoid spending money on books that aren't likely to be as helpful in you preparation studying to take the LSAT.

First, a couple of ground rules that you need to be aware of before you begin buying books to prep for the LSAT:

  1. Don't buy any book that doesn't use real, official LSAT questions from previously administered exams. There are many books out there that develop their own LSAT questions to use in their materials. If you only follow one piece of advice, please don't use LAST prep books unless they only use actual, official LSAT questions from previously administered exams!
  2. Stock up on plenty of official LSAT preptests. The LSAT is a very learnable exam. Unlike many standardized tests, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) actually publishes the questions and answers from previously administered LSATs. Take advantage of this! The best way to improve your score is to study these past exams as you prepare. 
This list of the best LSAT prep books from 180testprep.com provides an excellent list of the top books to study for the exam. In addition, you are going to want to buy plenty of practice LSATs from this list of LSAT preptests.

You should also check out our review of the Logic Games Bible.

With these resources in hand, you are well on your way to LSAT success! Good Luck!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible Review



LSAT Logic Games Bible
PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible
by
LSAT Logic Games Bible - Editor's Rating
by

RATING: 10/ 10

Overall, the LSAT Logic Games Bible gets a 10/10. The Logic Games section of the LSAT is generally the most difficult section for most test takers. However, it is also the most learnable section of the exam. The LSAT Logic Games Bible breaks this section of the exam down and makes it much more approachable.

Before I studied with the Logic Games Bible, I was missing between 5 and 8 questions on each Logic Games section of the LSAT. After I read the Logic Games Bible and implemented the techniques that I learned, I rarely missed a logic games question. On exam day, I got every Logic Games question correct on the real LSAT.

TL;DR - Don't take the LSAT without using the Logic Games Bible!

Today, we decided to provide an in-depth review of the Logic Games Bible. If you are reading this review, you are probably sifting through reviews in an effort to find the best books to master the LSAT. If you take the time to read this review, not only will you have a better understanding of the logic games section of the LSAT, you will also know how to use the Logic Games Bible to significantly increase your overall performance on the LSAT.

The PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible (LGB) is undoubtedly the best LSAT prep book to learn the analytical reasoning (logic games) section of the LSAT.

The LSAT Logic Games Bible is "a comprehensive system for attacking the logic games section of the LSAT," according to Powerscore.

The book lives up to this claim. PowerScore breaks down the logic games section of the lsat by game type, and provides the reader with great strategies to attack each of the game types.


LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapter 1 of the LSAT Logic Games Bible outlines the basics of the LSAT logic games section. The chapter gives basic tips on how to approach LSAT logic games, how to setup and diagram LSAT logic Games, and provides a good foundational understanding that will help you along your way. I would recommend that anyone who picks up a copy of the LSAT logic games bible starts by understanding every word in Chapter 1 before moving on.




LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapter 2 - Linear Games
Chapter 2 through Chapter 5 of the LSAT Logic Games Bible contains the real meat. These are the chapters that readers will learn the most from. Each chapter introduces, explains, and provides a system for setting up and attacking each of the types of LSAT logic games that most commonly appear on the exam. I honestly don't know how I ever would have mastered the logic games section of the LSAT if it weren't for these four chapters of the LSAT Logic Games Bible.

Chapter 2 of the LSAT Logic Games Bible covers the type of LSAT logic game that is generally the easiest: Linear Games.

Chapter 2 also includes many tips and tricks that will help readers as they move on to the other, more difficult types of LSAT logic games, so you will probably get the most out of the LSAT Logic Games Bible if you start with Linear Games.

According to the LSAT Logic Games Bible, Linear Logic Games are games in which "one of the variable sets is chosen as the 'base' and is diagrammed on a straight line..." Basic Linear Games involve variable sets that have fixed, linear positions.

In other words, basic linear LAST logic games will require your setup or diagram to be set up in a straight line. For example, basic linear games may require you to determine what order 5 people can stand in a line, or what movies a viewer will watch on 6 consecutive days of the week, or which of 7 lane each swimmer will race in, or in what order a band will play 8 songs.)

A feature of basic linear games is that only one variable will be placed in each available slot (e.g., people standing in a single-file line, the movie viewer will only view one movie each day, only one swimmer per lane). As a result of this limitation, these basic linear LSAT logic games are generally the easiest.

The LSAT Logic Games Bible breaks down basic linear games in chapter 2. After explaining what basic linear logic games are, chapter 2 of the LGB provides a solid approach on how to represent rules found in the stimulus of these LSAT logic games.

In other words, the LGB provides readers with a consistent way for you to incorporate a graphic representation of each rule into your diagram. By consistently following the LGB method, you will be able to setup and diagram each LSAT logic game.

Accurate and effective setups/diagrams make it much easier to answer questions, and are therefore essential to success on the Logic Games section of the LSAT. Before I found the LSAT Logic Games Bible, I had read the Kaplan and Princeton Review methods for setting up Logic Games, and the PowerScore method taught in the LSAT Logic Games Bible was much more effective & easy to understand.

Chapter 2 ends with an extensive number of practice drills that are very helpful to solidify the concepts within the chapter and learn how to consistently and accurately diagram this game type.


LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapter 3 - Advanced Linear Games
Chapter 3 of the LSAT Logic Games Bible covers advanced linear games. Advanced linear LSAT logic games are similar to the basic linear games covered in chapter 2 of the Logic Games Bible. However, advanced linear games contain more variable sets, making them more complicated (and more difficult) than basic linear games.

For example, a basic linear game might require you to determine what lane each of several swimmers will race in. An advanced linear game might require you to determine what lane each swimmer raced in AND what place each swimmer finished.

Due to the added difficulty of advanced linear lsat logic games, it is advised that you first have a solid understanding of basic linear games (covered in chapter 2 of the Logic Games Bible) before moving on to advanced linear games in chapter 3.

Chapter 3 follows basically the same format as Chapter 2. Many of the concepts that you learn in chapter 2 for basic linear games will apply to advanced linear games, and chapter 3 of the LGB simply builds on those core concepts. Chapter 3 of the LGB does an excellent job in this respect, and readers who understand the concepts from chapter 2 will be in a great position to learn the new diagramming techniques and strategies that the LGB teaches for advanced linear games.

Like the drills in chapter 2, the drills in chapter 3 of the logic games bible use real lsat questions to solidify the concepts that are taught throughout the chapter.


LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapter 4 - Grouping Games
Chapter 4 of the LSAT Logic Games Bible covers grouping games. Grouping LSAT logic games "require you to analyze the variables in terms of which ones can and cannot be together" according to the Logic Games Bible.

Chapter 4 of the LGB includes a system for classifying each type of grouping game in order to better understand how to attack the game, diagram it properly, and systematically answer the related questions.

Grouping games are generally a bit more difficult than linear games, but the LSAT Logic Games Bible does an excellent job of making these games more approachable.

LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapter 5 - Combination Games
Chapter 5 of the LSAT Logic Games Bible covers combination games. Combination LSAT logic games include elements from both linear games and grouping games. As a result, before moving on to chapter 5 of the LGB, it is very important to understand the concepts covered by chapters 2, 3, and 4 of the book.

Once you understand the basic concepts necessary to successfully attack basic and advanced linear logic games as well as grouping logic games, chapter 5 does an excellent job of teaching readers to learn how to put these two concepts together and attack combination games.

LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapters 6 and 7
Chapters 6 and 7 of the LSAT Logic Games bible cover some of the less common LSAT logic game types including pure sequencing games (LBG chapter 6), and Pattern, Circular Linearity, and Mapping logic games (LGB chapter 7).

Although these games are less important to master (since you are less likely to see them when you take the LSAT), it is good that the LSAT Logic Games Bible covers these concepts. You don't want to be totally surprised if you happen to run into one of these rare game types when you take the LSAT, and spending some time on these chapters will prepare readers in the unlikely event that they run into one of these games on exam day.

LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapter 8 - Advanced Techniques
Chapter 8 of the LSAT Logic Games bible is titled "Advanced Features and Techniques." This chapter is helpful to read after you already have a solid understanding of how to attack each type of LSAT logic game.

This chapter of the LSAT Logic Games Bible covers the concepts of Numerical Distributions, Limited Solution Sets, Identifying templates and possibilities, and includes drills that are helpful to solidify each of these concepts.

LSAT Logic Games Bible Chapter 9 - Section Strategy and Management
Chapter 9 of the LSAT Logic Games Bible covers general LSAT Logic Games section strategy and section management. This chapter includes very helpful information and tips on how to manage your time, how to use a timer, how to bubble answers, guessing strategy, and general information on how to prepare for test day.

I feel that this information is general enough and important enough to read before you ever start working on logic games. I'd recommend reading Chapter 1 first, then reading Chapter 9 before you start learning basic linear games in Chapter 2.

LSAT Logic Games Bible Appendix One - Comprehensive Game Classification
Appendix One of the LSAT Logic Games Bible is often overlooked by many people. Don't make this mistake!

The Comprehensive Game Classification guide that is included in the LSAT Logic Games Bible is, in my opinion, one of the most important features of the LGB. The guide breaks down each logic games section of every previous LSAT preptest by game type.

Using the classification guide, you can easily locate particular LSAT game types on any LSAT preptest. This allows you to drill a specific game type over and over. Rather than haphazardly working through random logic games sections, you can quickly locate every basic linear game and drill yourself by working on only basic linear games.

Buy the Powerscore Logic Games Bible on Amazon

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Best LSAT Books

I have hand-picked the best LSAT books that you will need as you study for the LSAT.

I spent about $500 on dozens on books when I was preparing for the June 2008 LSAT exam, and I don't want others to make the same mistakes as I did. Many of the prep materials that I purchased were useless, other books were decent, and several books were absolutely essential.

Before I discovered what books worked and what books didn't, I was able to increase my LSAT score on practice preptests from about 153 to 160. At 160, I hit a plateau and struggled for weeks to improve. It wasn't until I finally started utilizing the top LSAT material when I was finally able to see real gains in my score.

I earned a 177 LSAT score on exam day thanks to a few select prep materials that helped me master the   Law School Admissions Test. On my Best LSAT Books blog, I will provide information on these books, including reviews and tips on how to use the top-notch publications to improve your LSAT score and efficiently prep for the LSAT.

Over the coming weeks, I will post additional articles. In the meantime, check out a list of the best lsat prep books at http://lawschooli.com