LSAT Preparation

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized test required for admission to all ABA-approved law schools, most Canadian law schools, and many non-ABA-approved law schools. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.  The test is administered four times a year at hundreds of locations around the world.

Even before you begin the search for the perfect law school, you should develop a strategy to prepare for the LSAT. The format will be unfamiliar to most students unaccustomed to taking standardized tests. Count on spending as many as 200 hours if you want to do as well as you are capable of.

Taking the LSAT the June before you apply to law school (i.e., the June between your junior and senior year, if you are applying as a senior) is a very good idea. The September/October date is also possible, but won’t allow you as much time to prepare your applications.

While some students do well preparing for the LSAT on their own, most do best taking a “prep course” which teaches strategy and time management skills. MHC has a unique arrangement with Kaplan, which offers a discounted course at Mount Holyoke during J-term. Kaplan and Princeton Review also offer free timed practiced exams in the 5-College area; you should take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the format of the exam. If you are planning to study on your own, with out a prep class, consider teaming up with a friend or a study group.

A number of the Web sites (for example. testsherpa) provide practice questions, study suggestions, and even on-line practice tests. Take full advantage of these resources. And of course, the career library holds a wealth of LSAT preparation materials.