1. Doing Nothing

Many people take the LSAT for the first time without preparing at all. Their attitude is usually something like this:

“I’ll take the test and see how I do. If things don’t work out, I’ll take it again.”

This might sound like a good idea, especially if you hate practicing for days or even weeks for an exam. But is it the best way to approach the LSAT?

Definitely not. The problem is that, when you apply to a law program, the school receives ALL of your reported LSAT scores. Even worse, many schools average your scores, which means that a low test score can come back to haunt you, even if you are more successful on your second or third attempt.
Smart test-takers won’t risk a low score. They are determined to prepare for the LSAT, so they head to their local bookstore in search of study materials.

2. Studying with Test-Prep Books
If you’ve already shopped around for test-prep books, you know that there is no shortage of LSAT titles on the market. As you stand before a huge shelf full of test-prep books, you might begin to think that the hardest part of preparing for this test is choosing the right book.

While almost any test-prep book will give you a basic idea of what to expect from the LSAT, many of them use simulated questions to teach their techniques. This is a major drawback since simulated questions are never as good as the real thing. As a result, they can easily give a false sense of confidence. The day of the test is the worst time to discover that you have been practicing with questions that are too easy.

Also, many people find it difficult to learn new skills from books alone. For this reason, one of the most popular methods of preparing for the LSAT is to take a live course.

3. Attending Live Courses
The most important feature of any live seminar is the instruction it offers. Live LSAT seminars are usually taught by someone who has “received a high score on his/her LSAT.” However, this is no guarantee that the instructor will know how to train you for success on the test.
Also, on a practical note, many students cannot afford the cost of attending live seminar courses. The prices of these courses are often inflated because of books and tapes that are sold as part of the instructional package. Besides, if you wanted to study from a book you wouldn’t sign up for a live course.

These disadvantages often lead some students to go it alone with official LSAT tests from previous years

4. Practicing with Past Tests

Unfortunately, the official practice tests published by LSAC don’t come with complete techniques for solving all of the questions. The reason for this is quite simple. Since the LSAT is intended to be an objective means of comparing candidates, it is not in LSAC’s interest to offer techniques that would significantly improve your score.

So, you’re essentially back where you started. What is the best way to use your time effectively and achieve the highest possible score on the LSAT?

To be continue