Common LSAT Approach Mistakes That Lower Your Score

Common LSAT Approach Mistakes That Lower Your Score

Common LSAT Approach Mistakes That Lower Your Score: Students make the LSAT much more difficult for themselves by committing common mistakes in how they take the test. In this post, we cover common LSAT approach mistakes, and how to fix them during your prep!

Common LSAT Approach Mistakes That Lower Your Score

1. Tackling every question presented, in order, on Logical Reasoning

This is the most common of the LSAT approach mistakes we see. Some people find it impossible to not figure out the answer to a question the first time they see it. They agonize over what to choose, and spend minutes going back and forth between options.

This is the worst approach you can take to answering Logical Reasoning questions. Unlike the SAT from your high school days, the LSAT doesn’t penalize you for incorrect answers by shaving off an additional fraction of a point. Furthermore, all LSAT questions are worth the same amount. Some sections have more questions than others, but every single question is worth one point. It’s a terrible waste of time to use four of your precious minutes on the LSAT to answer one question, because, chances are, you’re not going to get to the last few questions in that section. You’ll lose points approaching the test this way. You’re most likely sacrificing points later in the section to satisfy your need to answer the one in front of you now.

So, as you go through LSAT questions, consciously break yourself of this habit! Make a point skip any questions you struggle with and come back to them later. Remember, it doesn’t matter what order you answer questions in, as long as you answer them! You’re much more likely to score well if you see every question and come back at the end to any you struggle with.

2. Not peeking ahead in Logic Games and Reading Comprehension to see what you are up against.

Unlike Logical Reasoning, Logic Games and Reading Comprehension group their questions by game and passage, respectively. Students commit the next of our LSAT approach mistakes by not strategically attacking these sections.

There are two things to keep in mind. The first is to screen what you approach by knowing your strengths and weaknesses. So, if you are good at linear games and struggle with grouping, use this to your advantage. Take time to read each Logic Game, figure out what type it is, and do the ones you are most comfortable with first! This way, if you struggle with a certain game type, you are not taking away from time you could be using getting points on what you know well. This works in Reading Comprehension as well. If you process articles about historical events better than ones about philosophy, do those passages first.

Secondly, you can also strategically approach games or reading passages based on how many questions they contain. If a Logic Game has seven questions, that means the other three only have sixteen between them. So, it might help you to focus on this game, since it has more weight to it than the others. This holds true for Reading Comprehension as well. If one passage has more questions after it, you’ll gain more of an advantage making sure you complete it than you would one that has less. Balance these two approaches to get the most out of these sections!

3. Forgoing inferences in Logic Games.

The last of our common LSAT approach mistakes is specifically for Logic Games. Most people develop some sort of approach, using a diagram, to tackle these questions, which is good! However, many takers stop one step short of getting the most out of the diagram. It’s not enough to simply sketch out the diagram. You need to use the inferences provided by the rules to add information to it!

It’s easy to diagnose this mistake. If you find yourself drawing a diagram, and not adding any inferences to it, you’ve fallen into this trap. True, it is difficult to make your brain pause before jumping into the questions. You don’t get any points for having an awesome diagram. However, pausing for a minute to fully take in and analyze the rules means that you will probably spot inferences sooner than you would if you just dive in headfirst. So, make a conscious effort to pause after you’ve drawn your diagram and shorthanded the rules, and think about their implications. This will save you time working through the problems, and allow you a clearer head to think about any you struggle with.

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