Scott A. Hatch - LSAT for Dummies

LSAT For Dummies with Online Practice, 3rd Edition

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020950312

ISBN 978-1-119-71627-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-71629-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-71628-0 (ebk)

Welcome to LSAT For Dummies, 3rd Edition! This book contains updates to familiarize you with the LSATs Digital format so that youre comfortable with taking the test on a tablet. Even though the delivery is modern, the content of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) hasnt changed. You may have heard horror stories about the LSAT, especially about the infamous logic games. Yes, the LSAT is no walk in the park, but its not the hardest test in the universe. It doesnt require you to brush off your math and science texts from high school, and it doesnt expect you to remember anything from your history classes. It really just expects you to be able to read and analyze. If you can read carefully and quickly and then apply what youve read, you already have the skills you need to succeed on the LSAT.

This book helps you refine those skills and apply them to the particular tasks on the LSAT. If you go through this book and work through a healthy number of practice questions, you should have a good idea of what awaits you on test day.

First, allow us to tell you what this book can do: This book introduces you to the LSAT and helps you get a handle on how to take it. It describes the three types of multiple-choice sections analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and reading comprehension and provides guidance on how to handle them, with plenty of practice questions and explanations. It also touches on the writing sample, which is unscored but still merits a bit of attention. The first three chapters discuss some basics of law school admissions, test-taking strategy, and other logistical entertainment.

On to what the book cant do: This book doesnt give you a bunch of tricks to help you crack the LSAT. The LSAT isnt a nut; its a test, and to do well on it you have to apply your natural intelligence and experience. We give you plenty of advice on how to approach each question type to maximize your talents and train your mind to think in the most effective way.

Included in this book are three full-length practice tests, which you can use to try out the tips and techniques we provide throughout the chapters. The difficulty levels and thought patterns on the practice tests are similar to those on real LSATs. Actual LSAT test-prep instructors and LSAT-takers assisted us by massaging and tweaking the questions to make sure that theyre equivalent to the real LSAT questions. You can get real and valuable practice by using the questions in this book. But the fact is, no one makes real LSAT questions but the real Law School Admission Council (LSAC). If you want real LSAT questions, get yourself some LSAT PrepTests, which are real LSATs administered in previous years. Thats the most authentic practice you can find, and we highly recommend it. (You can order these official tests in text or digital form from the LSAC website: www.lsac.org . They come with answers but [in most cases] not explanations, so theyre great practice, but to figure out why your answers are right or wrong, you should work through this book first to get a sense of how the questions work.)

To help, we italicize any new LSAT-related terms that youre likely to be unfamiliar with the first time we use it.

Because this book is a test-prep, you probably want to read most everything here. Besides, we worked really hard on this book! However, if youre pressed for time or just have a short attention span, you can skip the sidebars and any text marked with a Technical Stuff icon without missing out on too much.

We make a few assumptions about you, the reader (we hope you dont mind):

• Call us crazy, but were guessing youve signed up to take the LSAT or youre at least seriously considering taking the LSAT.
• We know, of course, that youre not a dummy. Youve likely received or are in the process of receiving an undergraduate degree and are no stranger to thinking analytically. You simply need guidance regarding how to apply your already sharp skills to the unfamiliar question types on the LSAT.