TestLessons

LSAT Primer

Pick your path, lock runway and LR/RC emphasis, protect LSAC’s LawHub PrepTests. No Games. Prompts tutor between official tests — not instead of them.

Download printable PDF Open prompts

Printable Workbook (separate from this page)

The printable PDF is a multi-page workbook you can write on: paths, fill-in lines, a miss log, and a test-day checklist, with headers, footers, and page numbers. It is built for printing — not a browser print of this page. Download it above.

What the Current LSAT Is

The LSAT is LSAC’s law-school admissions test — still the only standardized exam accepted by all ABA-accredited U.S. law schools. Since August 2024, Logic Games (Analytical Reasoning) is off the scored test. You sit four 35-minute multiple-choice sections: two scored Logical Reasoning (LR), one scored Reading Comprehension (RC), plus one unscored experimental that can be LR or RC and can appear anywhere. Score scale 120–180. LSAT Argumentative Writing is separate from the multiple-choice score.

LawHub PrepTests are score truth. We push LR volume, blind review, and RC precision. Prompts are the thinking layer between PrepTests — not a substitute for real LSAC material. If Games books still own your shelf, you are training a retired sport. If the format is already clear, go to Start Here, pick one path, and lock runway + LR/RC emphasis in the decision box.

Start Here · Pick One Path

Circle one path on the PDF. Tonight actions below match the paper workbook.

No Baseline Yet

No recent timed LawHub PrepTest (or honest full-form section scores) in hand

  • Confirm LawHub / Official LSAT PrepTest access on your device
  • Schedule one timed PrepTest this week — before heavy untimed AI volume
  • After scores: write LR/RC section feel + total below; run Overview; start a miss log

Official first: LawHub PrepTest #1 (timed) = score thermometer

Have Scores · 4–10 Weeks Out

At least one timed LawHub PrepTest (or solid section scores) and more than ~14 days to test day

  • Paste total + section notes into the Score Plan prompt — ranked fixes, not a syllabus dump
  • Tag misses: conceptual / process / careless / timing — protect the weaker of LR vs RC
  • Put the next timed PrepTest on the calendar before stacking only untimed third-party drills

Official first: Next LawHub PrepTest or official timed sections on the calendar

Final 2 Weeks

≤14 days to test day

  • Stop new content rabbit holes and any remaining Games queues
  • Run Test Day; lock experimental mindset (any section can be unscored)
  • Light mixed LR/RC only; protect sleep and logistics

Official first: No brand-new full PrepTest in the last 2–3 days unless you still need timing calm

Your study plan

LawHub's free official LSAT PrepTests come first. Your answers and ticks stay in this browser only.

Enter your test date and weekly hours to fit the plan to your time.

  1. Baseline · Week 1

  2. Build · Middle weeks

  3. Test and adjust · Every 1–2 weeks

  4. Final weeks · Last 14 days

How a study plan stretches or shrinks to the days you have Three example plans drawn as bars of equal length, each split into up to four phases: 1 Baseline, 2 Build, 3 Practice tests, 4 Final 14 days. With 2 weeks to go the plan is only the final 14 days. With 6 weeks it is 7, 14, 7 and 14 days. With 16 weeks it is 7, 59, 32 and 14 days. The last 14 days are always the final block and a baseline week appears from 21 days out. A plan that fits your days Example dates. Bar length is the time left. 1 Baseline2 Build3 Practice tests4 Final 14 days 2 weeks to go · Compressed plan 4 Final 14 days only 6 weeks to go · Standard plan 1 2 3 4 7 · 14 · 7 · 14 days 16 weeks to go · Full plan 1 2 3 4 7 · 59 · 32 · 14 days Rules the plan uses Last 14 days: always the final block.Baseline week: from 21 days out.Practice tests: about 35% of the middle.
The plan stretches or shrinks to the days you have left. Example dates, not a prediction. Yours uses your own test date.Source: The phase maths of the study plan above, which is the same for every exam.

Current Format · LR + RC (No Games)

Current LSAT only (August 2024+). Full history lives on the site primer page. Do not train Logic Games as primary. Writing is separate from the multiple-choice score.

Most of the scored points sit in Logical Reasoning. Reading Comprehension is one scored section and can also appear as the experimental. The experimental is unscored but feels real — you will not know which section it is while you take it. Argumentative Writing is administered separately and does not fold into the 120–180 multiple-choice score.

  • Four 35-minute multiple-choice sections per test
  • Scored: two Logical Reasoning + one Reading Comprehension
  • One unscored experimental (LR or RC) that can appear anywhere
  • Logic Games / Analytical Reasoning removed (August 2024+)
  • Score scale 120–180 (multiple-choice)
  • LSAT Argumentative Writing: separate administration; not part of the MC score
  • Question-level difficulty varies — pacing and skip discipline matter
  • Official practice: LawHub PrepTests = score truth

Runway · LR vs RC Emphasis

There is no honest universal “8-week content mountain” for every applicant. Lock a runway from your PrepTest signal and calendar — then decide whether this cycle is LR-heavy, RC-heavy, or balanced. Stop rewriting the plan every Sunday from forums.

  • Short runway (~4–6 weeks) with a baseline already: miss-log repair + timed sections beat opening new book series. LR still gets most volume unless RC is the floor.
  • Longer runway (~8–12+ weeks) or no baseline yet: Week 1 = timed PrepTest + miss log. Then LR families with blind review; RC precision weekly so it does not rot.
  • If RC is the floor: do not “save RC for later.” Comparative and dense passages need frequency, not one heroic Sunday.
  • If LR is the floor: tag families (assumption, flaw, strengthen/weaken, etc.) and blind-review before more timed volume that only repeats the same miss.
  • Games materials: archive them. Study Split hub tab if you need to re-plan LR vs RC hours.
  • Write runway length + LR/RC emphasis on Your study plan. Score Plan owns the 14-day map after a PrepTest.

Hub tabs: Score Plan after a PrepTest; Study Split for LR vs RC hours; Missed Question for official questions you got wrong; Self-Assess if the fork is fuzzy.

Set a Real Score Target

Pull school medians and your realistic range on the 120–180 scale. Rough context only — not guarantees: ~150–154 around many medians (build core LR process); ~160–164 competitive for many programs (tighten RC + hard LR); ~170–180 elite process under time. A single fantasy number without a PrepTest baseline is weaker than “162 because school X’s median sits near there.”

150–154
Around median — build core Logical Reasoning (LR) process
160–164
Competitive for many schools — tighten Reading Comprehension (RC) + hard Logical Reasoning (LR)
170–180
Top band — near-perfect process under time

Prep Principles

  • Drill Logical Reasoning (LR) heavily—it is most of the scored test now.
  • Use official PrepTests timed; blind review thoroughly.
  • Don’t invest major time in Games materials for current tests.
  • Tag Logical Reasoning (LR) question families (assumption, flaw, strengthen, etc.).
  • AI tutors process; PrepTests prove scores.

If You Are Balancing Work · Classes · Apps

  • LawHub PrepTests are the thermometer. AI is the tutor between PrepTests — not a substitute score.
  • Protect calendar blocks like meetings. Two focused 50-minute LR sessions beat one exhausted Sunday marathon.
  • Blind review is part of the session — not optional homework you skip when tired.
  • Tell one person your test date so ID, arrival window, and writing appointment are not a 48-hour surprise.
  • If energy is trash three days straight: sleep and one timed section with review beat guilt-buying another Games book.

High-ROI Traps

Logic Games nostalgia

Drilling Analytical Reasoning for a post–August 2024 test trains a retired section. Archive the Games stack.

Untimed volume without blind review

Racing explanations or only checking the key teaches speed theater. Blind review is where LR process actually moves.

RC as dessert

Saving all Reading Comp for “later” leaves one scored section soft while LR gets all the love.

Treating every section as scored

One section is experimental. Panic-recalculating mid-test burns time. Plan experimental mindset in Test Day.

AI volume ≠ LawHub signal

Prompts explain and repair. Timed PrepTests tell you whether the total moved.

8-Week Skeleton (default mid-cycle)

Week 1 · Baseline & map
  • Timed LawHub PrepTest (or dated plan for it)
  • Start miss log (conceptual / process / careless / timing)
  • Score Plan prompt after the PrepTest
  • Write target + hours on Your study plan
Week 2 · LR foundation
  • LR family block (tag question types)
  • Timed LR section + blind review
  • Log top miss tags
Week 3 · RC precision + LR keep-alive
  • RC passage set (include comparative if weak)
  • Timed RC or mixed section + review
  • Short LR keep-alive so LR does not rot
Week 4 · Mixed + mid-point signal
  • Mixed timed LR/RC
  • Mid-point LawHub PrepTest or two timed sections
  • Score Plan prompt — adjust emphasis
Week 5 · Weak intensive
  • Missed Question prompt on top 1–2 tags
  • 2–3 timed weak sections with blind review
  • Mastery check: same tag fewer times?
Week 6 · Stamina
  • Full timed PrepTest
  • Pacing checkpoints (skip discipline)
  • Light review of strong areas only
Week 7 · Repair
  • Top 3 miss tags only
  • Official timed practice (not new book series)
  • Sleep consistency
Week 8 · Taper
  • Short LR/RC drills only
  • Logistics + writing appointment checklist
  • Test Day prompt
  • Sleep priority

Miss Log (copy rows as needed)

After every timed section or LawHub PrepTest: log misses. Repair the top two tags before random new topics.

* Tags: conceptual · process · careless · timing · (optional type: assumption / flaw / strengthen / weaken / inference / comparative RC / …)

Columns on the PDF: Date · LR/RC · Tag* · What I missed · Fix tomorrow. Print the workbook for blank rows.

The missed-question review loop Five steps, then repeat. 1 Paste one miss: the question, your answer, the right answer and why you picked yours. 2 See why the right answer is right, using the words, lines or steps that prove it. 3 Label the mistake: content gap, wrong method, misread, careless or timing. 4 Write a one-line rule. 5 Practise the weak spot with similar questions or official practice. Then return to step 1 with your next miss. Turn a miss into a rule The review loop in our Missed Question prompt. 12345 Paste one missSee why the answer is rightLabel the mistakeWrite a one-line rulePractise the weak spot Question, your answer, the rightanswer, and why you picked yours. Find the words, lines or stepsthat prove it. Content gap · wrong method ·misread · careless · timing. One sentence you can use on thenext question like it. Try 2 similar questions, or drillthat type on official practice. Then repeat with your next miss. Use it on your 3–5 most important misses. Trust the official answer key.
Every miss gets a label and a one-line rule.Source: The review steps in the TestLessons Missed Question prompt for the LSAT (Current Format).

Which free prompt to open next

Each row is a free prompt on testlessons.com/tests/lsat/. Open that tab, press Copy Prompt, paste it into the chat app you already use, and replace each [BRACKETED] part with your real details. Use the reply to study; use an official practice test to see where your score really is.

Score Plan · right after you take an official LSAT PrepTest on LawHub and want a two-week plan built from your real scores.

Done when: A dated 14-day plan aimed at your top 3 fixes, with the next official practice on the calendar

Missed Question · after reviewing an official LSAT PrepTest on LawHub. Paste one question you got wrong; use it on your 3–5 most important misses.

Done when: You can say why the right answer is right, name your mistake, and you have a rule for next time

Study Split · after a timed PrepTest, to decide how to divide your hours between the two scored question types.

Done when: A weekly split between LR, RC, timed PrepTests and blind review

Test Day · three days before your test, to plan light review, logistics and sleep.

Done when: Logistics confirmed on the official site; a calm 3-day plan with no new topics

Open LSAT (Current Format) prompts →

Final 72 Hours

  • LSAC account / appointment confirmation and ID name match
  • Know start time in the correct time zone; test-center or remote rules per LSAC
  • Writing appointment status known (separate from MC score) — not a surprise the week of
  • Experimental mindset written once: any section may be unscored; do not bleed time guessing which
  • Light review of YOUR miss-log patterns only — no new Games packs or brand-new book series
  • Run Test Day prompt once if logistics or anxiety are messy
  • Sleep > extra full PrepTest the night before

Background & Purpose

Optional depth (the paper workbook opens with a short “what it is,” then paths).

The LSAT is LSAC’s law-school admissions test—and still the only standardized exam accepted by all ABA-accredited U.S. law schools. LSAC’s job for the test is straightforward: help schools make sound admission decisions by assessing critical reading, analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and persuasive writing—the skills that show up in first-year casework.

LSAC leans hard on the validity claim you should actually know: studies have consistently shown the LSAT to be the single best predictor of first-year law school performance, even better than undergraduate GPA. They also pitch it as the only admissions test that helps you pressure-test whether law school is the right path before you sink years and debt into it.

Format reality since August 2024: Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games) is off the scored test. You get four 35-minute multiple-choice sections—two scored Logical Reasoning, one scored Reading Comprehension, plus one unscored experimental that can appear anywhere. Score scale 120–180. LSAT Argumentative Writing is separate from the multiple-choice score. If your shelf is still full of Games books, you’re training a retired sport.

We push LR volume, RC precision, timed PrepTests, and blind review. LSAC’s LawHub is the real measure of your score; prompts are the thinking layer between PrepTests—not a substitute for real LSAC material.

  • Four 35-minute multiple-choice sections per test
  • Scored: two Logical Reasoning + one Reading Comprehension
  • One unscored experimental section (Logical Reasoning (LR) or Reading Comprehension (RC)) that can appear anywhere
  • Logic Games / Analytical Reasoning removed (August 2024+)
  • Score scale 120–180
  • LSAT Argumentative Writing administered separately (not part of MC score)
  • Question-level difficulty varies—pacing and skip discipline matter
  • Real PrepTests > imitation volume for score prediction

Why Your LSAT Score Matters

Backed by published research — not a score guarantee. Schools still use multiple factors.

LSAT is the best single predictor of first-year law school grades

1L — stronger alone than undergrad GPA alone

LSAC’s multi-year correlation studies find LSAT scores predict first-year law school performance better than undergraduate GPA alone—and LSAT + GPA is the strongest combination schools use.1, 2

Your score now is almost entirely Logical Reasoning and Reading

LR+RC — Logic Games are gone from the scored test

Since August 2024, the scored LSAT is two Logical Reasoning sections plus Reading Comprehension. Prep that still centers Games wastes time you need for argument structure and dense reading under the clock.1

What To Do With This

  • Train full 35-minute LR and RC sections; treat every section as scored (experimentals happen).
  • Blind review after timed work—rewire process, don’t just check answers.
  • Official PrepTests / LawHub = score truth; AI prompts repair method between official work.

Sources

  1. Law School Admission Council. Sharing our predictive validity studies for 2020–2024 (and related multi-year correlation study summaries). Finds LSAT best single predictor of first-year law school performance; LSAT + UGPA strongest combination. Link
  2. Wightman, L. F. (and related LSAC technical reporting). Predictive validity summaries commonly cite median LSAT–FYA correlations near .41 vs UGPA near .26, with multiple correlations near .49 for the combination — the classic benchmark later cycles continue to echo in rank order. Link

Next On The Site

  1. Circle your path and runway on page 1; fill in Your study plan
  2. Open the hub prompt that matches this week: testlessons.com/tests/lsat/
  3. Free prep stack (LawHub first): testlessons.com/tests/lsat/free-prep-stack/
  4. Self-Assess if the split is fuzzy: testlessons.com/tests/lsat/approach/
  5. Logical Reasoning clinic: testlessons.com/tests/lsat/logical-reasoning/
  6. Reading Comprehension clinic: testlessons.com/tests/lsat/reading-comprehension/
  7. Resources + avoid list (no Games primary): testlessons.com/tests/lsat/resources/
  8. Book or protect the next timed LawHub PrepTest before another pure-untimed week
Open LSAT (Current Format) Prompts Self-Assess Download PDF

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