I’ll be taking the LSAT in December but don’t have the bucks to shell out for a course. I’d greatly appreciate any advice on picking a good prep book.
Well, my only experience with test prep books is for the GRE, not the LSAT.
I very much found that Kaplan was trying to show dumb people how to do well. Princeton Review treated me less like an idiot.
Get *all * of them, particularly those with practice tests in the back and practice, practice, practice. With the timer on. One book may offer hints and help tips, but another one may actually teach you something. My favorite book was the third one I bought; people learn differently. But most of all, you’ll want to practice the timed tests. As much as possible. Good luck.
Buy one or two of the books of 10 old tests, depending on how much time before you take the exam. The only prep I did was completing one of the books on a schedule - properly-timed tests, one a day for 4 days and two a day for the next 3, I think it was - and my score went up 10 points from my first practice test to the actual test, with some fluctuation above that on my last test the night before. I find it helped my frame of mind, and I got to recognize the question types in the logic games that seem to make or break everyone. Of course, the athlete in me worries that I peaked about 12 hours early. :smack:
Alternatively, if you try this out and you find that you’re having serious trouble with a particular section (hackwheezelogicgamescough) that you don’t think you can work out before the test, pick up the Kaplan book. It breaks things down by section. My parents bought it for me and I read through it after the test - it seemed very helpful.
- Ace309, That 1L Who Just Answers “I did alright” While Smiling On The Inside.
Princeton Review has a great course, and I would consider it a requirement prior to sitting for the LSAT, not an option.
If you get stuck (or misunderstand something and not realize it) with just a book, where will you turn?
Find the money for an LSAT prep course (or more than one). It is an investment in your future that will pay huge dividends.
The LSAT is not a test of legal knowledge, it is a test of alternative ways of thinking and problem-solving. Very very few people could pass it without a good brain-retraining session.