Kaplan Sample LSAT Class March 11, 2014

Reading Comprehension is primarily about following the signals of the author's r
easoning and paraphrasing the complex text in simple language.
When in doubt, always read a little further than you think you need to.
To find the correct answer in Reading Comp, don't stop following the author's th
ought prematurely. An example expounds on what the author has just said.
Strategic Reading requires reading for the big picture of a passage rather than
trying to absorb all of the details.
To master Reading Comprehension, you must learn to locate the keywords that the
author uses to highlight important parts of the passage.
Keyword types:
Logic (Evidence & Concl)
Contrast
Continuation
Illustration
Emphasis/Opinion
Sequence/Timing
The LSAT demands that there is one right answer and 4 wrong answers. Four answe
r choices are specifically written to have something wrong with them.
Predicting the nature of the correct answer BEFORE reading the answer choices is
a key Kaplan approach that will lead to more right answers!
Paraphrase the jargon and convoluted language in LSAT arguments to focus on the
heart of the matter.
Your analysis of LSAT arguments depends on learning common evidence and conclusi
on keywords.
The assumption is an unstated, yet necessary piece of evidence that must be true
to link the evidence to the conclusion.
The "danger zone" of a logical reasoning question, containing the most difficult
questions, appears in questions 14-22.
The LSAT is written to reward the students who move through the LSAT efficiently
.
The LSAT gives an easy question or two at the end of the LR section to reward th
ose who use time well and get those points.
Kaplan will teach you a specific method of attack for every question type in Log
ical Reasoning!
Read the questions carefully. Knowing precisely what the question asks is cruci
al!
When you have set up two options, the correct answer to what must be false has t
o be false in both options.
When answering a question about what could be true, it's often easier to locate
the choices that violate a rule and eliminate them.
Use your test booklet notation to highlight questions about which you are confid
ent, confused, or want to avoid.
When you have set up two options for a game, "if" questions often direct you to
just one of options.
Questions that begin with "If" give you a new limitation that applies only to th
is question.
When you know that a slot in the sketch is taken by one of two entities only, th
en show those possibilities in the sketch.
When a set of entities can fit into a sketch in one of two ways, draw out both o
ptions. This will show you the possibilities of the game.
Deductions are the key to mastering logic games. Find deductions by finding the
connections between rules!
The most important 4-letter word on the LSAT is ONLY.
Whenever the LSAT gives you a negative rule, ALWAYS ask what is the positive sid
e of that rule.
Whenever a rule refers to numbers, work out the specifics of the rule. In this
case, exactly one person goes twice.
Kaplan students learn to set up a game and work out the rules in a single master
sketch.
Don't assume that a logic game needs a convoluted sketch. Simple, clear organiz
ation is the goal!
To get a grasp of a logic game, determine the basic situation, the entities of t
he game, and the action you need to do with the entities.
The number one reason to take the LSAT seriously is because Admissions officers
ovewhelmingly rate it as the most important factor.
Law schools are competitive. Your LSAT score can help you claim one of those se
ats.
Want money to help pay for law school? A high LSAT score can help you get that!
The LSAT is important because it does indicate your likely performance in your f
irst year of law school.
Small gains in your raw score (around 1 per section) can allow you pass over tho
usands of other test takers!
151 is the 50th percentile score, and this is the score where many law school do
ors start opening to you.
Your raw LSAT score is based only on the number of questions you answer correctl
y. There is no penalty for wrong answers.
The LSAT consists of 5 35-minute multiple choice sections: 2 Logical Reasoning,
1 Reading Comprehension, and 1 Logic Games, plus one of those repeated as an exp
erimental section.