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LSAT For Dummies prepares readers for the exam by giving them proven test-taking strategies, detailed content review, and plenty of practice questions. Features of this edition include:
* 3 full-length practice tests -- two in the book plus a bonus exam online
* Review of foundational concepts for every section
* Complete explanations and additional practice questions for all question types
* 1-year access to an online test bank for self-directed practiceScott A. Hatch, JD, and Lisa Zimmer Hatch, MA, have prepared thousands of teens and adults to excel on standardized tests, gain admission to the colleges of their choice, and secure challenging and lucrative professional careers since 1987. They've taught paralegals and other legal professionals on a live-lecture, online, DVD, and independent-study basis through more than 300 universities worldwide. Together they've authored numerous law and standardized test prep texts, including GMAT For Dummies 2020, 8th Edition, ACT For Dummies, 7th Edition, and Paralegal Career For Dummies, 2nd Edition.
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 2
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 3
Part 1: Getting Started with the LSAT 5
Chapter 1: The L Team: The LSAT and Its Administrators 7
Getting to Know the Enemy 8
Taking a Quick Look at the Types of Questions 9
Analytical reasoning — playing games with your head 9
Logical reasoning — putting your arguing skills to good use 10
Reading comprehension — concentrating and remembering what you read 10
The writing sample — jumping the final hurdle 11
You Gotta Score! 11
Registering for the LSAT 12
Preparing for the LSAT 13
What really helps 13
Practice makes perfect 14
What Have You Done for Me Lately? The LSAC 14
Creating and administering the LSAT 14
Aiding in law school applications 15
Providing other goods and services 15
Chapter 2: Test-Taking Basics: Setting Yourself Up for Success 17
Planning Your LSAT Test-Taking Tactics 17
Maximizing your chances 17
Taking the straight or the winding road 18
Taking the occasional break 19
To Guess or Not to Guess 20
The joy of statistics 20
Is Choice (B) really best? 20
Increase your odds: Eliminate the duds 20
Readying Yourself for Battle 20
What to bring 22
What to leave behind 22
Life after the LSAT: What to Do Now? 22
Yeah, that worked for me 22
Wait, I can do better than that! 23
Chapter 3: The Lowdown on Law School Admissions 25
Choosing a Law School 25
Where to go for information 25
Important considerations 26
Keeping ranking in mind 28
Filling Out All the Forms — Applying to Law School 29
Pick more than one 30
How admissions work 30
Don’t forget the money 32
Part 2: Analytical Reasoning: Following the Rules of the Logic Game 33
Chapter 4: Gaming the Analytical Reasoning Questions 35
Analyzing the Analytical Reasoning Section 35
Setting Yourself Up for Success Step by Step 36
Get the facts, decide between ordering and grouping, and set up your game board 36
Consider the rules and modify your game board 37
Answer the questions 40
Attending to Some Analytical Reasoning Do’s 44
Take time to develop your game board 44
Pick your battles 44
Remember that four wrongs make a right 44
Stay calm 45
Decide which problem to confront first 45
Maintain your perspective 45
Keep practicing 45
Chapter 5: Proper Placement: Analytical Reasoning Ordering Games 47
Spotting Ordering Games 47
Becoming Chairman of the (Game) Board 48
Putting together the game pieces 49
Drawing the box chart 49
Recording the rules 49
Analyzing the rules 52
Answering Ordering Questions 56
Substitute condition questions 56
Completely determined order questions 58
Ordering the Approach to an Advanced Game 59
Chapter 6: Type Casting: Grouping Games 63
Classifying Grouping Games 63
Following the Rules of Division 65
Target rules 65
Joining rules 66
If/then rules 67
Expanding the Grouping Game Board 68
Mastering Practice Grouping Games 69
An in/out grouping game 69
A more complex grouping game 72
Part 3: Logical Reasoning: Picking Apart an Argument 77
Chapter 7: Analyzing Arguments: The Basics of Logical Reasoning 79
What You Can Expect in the Logical Reasoning Sections 80
Taking a Systematic Approach 80
Reading the question first 81
Reading the argument 81
Formulating an answer 82
Reading the answers and eliminating the wrong ones 83
Making a Case: Essentials of Informal Logic 84
Fighting fair: The elements of an argument 84
Getting from point A to point B: Types of reasoning 84
Chapter 8: Conclusions, Inferences, Assumptions, and Flaws in Logical Reasoning Questions 87
Jumping to Logical Conclusions 88
Using Your Noggin to Make Inferences 89
Making Assumptions 91
Finding Flaws in an Argument 92
Chapter 9: Strengthening and Weakening Arguments 95
Understanding How These Questions Work 95
Affecting cause-and-effect arguments 96
Analyzing analogy arguments 97
Stabbing at statistical arguments 98
Build It Up: Strengthen/Support Questions 99
Tear It Down: Weakening Questions 100
A Twist: EXCEPT Questions 100
Chapter 10: Examining Other Logical Reasoning Question Types 103
Reconciling Discrepancies and Paradoxes 103
Looking for paradox questions 103
Perusing a paradox example 104
Finding Points of Agreement and Disagreement 105
Assessing points that intersect and divide 105
Analyzing an agreement/disagreement example 106
Reasoning by Pattern 107
Finding pattern-of-reasoning questions 107
Patterning a reasonable example 108
Exploring Arguments Based on Principles 110
Pinpointing principles questions 110
Parsing a principles example 110
Figuring Out an Argument’s Structure 111
Spotting structure questions 112
Tackling a structure-of-argument example 112
Knowing the Role Played by a Claim 113
Determining a claim’s purpose 113
Trying out the role of a claim example 114
Part 4: Reading Comprehension: Read ’Em but Don’t Weep 115
Chapter 11: Rites of Passage(s): Types of Reading Passages and Questions 117
Presenting Reading Passages 118
Experimenting with natural science passages 118
Observing social science passages 119
Entertaining a humanities passage 119
Laying down the law-related passages 120
Approaching Reading Questions 120
Identifying the question type 121
Eliminating answer choices 124
Dealing with exception questions 125
Chapter 12: Safe Landing: Mastering the Approach to Reading Comprehension 127
Reading Comprehension Strategy 127
Skimming the questions 128
To read or not to read 128
Pacing Yourself through the Passages 129
What to read for 129
Getting the main point 129
Absorbing the author’s tone 129
Forming the framework: The passage’s outline 130
Using the digital tools 130
Deciding whether to work in or out of order 131
Starting with the Questions 131
Giving Sample Passage 1 a Shot: Influenza Vaccination 133
Reading and highlighting or underlining 133
Thinking about the passage 134
Knocking down the questions 134
Conquering Sample Passage 2: Manifest Destiny 138
Answering questions and highlighting or underlining 138
Answering the questions — full speed ahead 139
Part 5: The Writing Sample: Penning a Persuasive Argument 143
Chapter 13: Pick a Side, Any Side: Responding to the Writing Sample Prompt 145
Picking a Side — No Ridin’ the Fence 146
Walking through a Practice Essay 146
Organizing your argument 146
One topic, two different essays 148
Chapter 14: Practice Writing Samples 151
Topic 1: Choosing a Law School 151
Sample answer: Choosing Law School A 152
Sample answer: Fighting for Law School B 152
Topic 2: The Sporting Goods Store 153
Sample answer: Use state funds 154
Sample answer: Don’t use state funds 154
Part 6: The Real Deal: Full-Length Practice LSATs 155
Chapter 15: Some Rainy-Day “Fun”: LSAT Practice Exam 1 157
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 1 159
Section I: Analytical Reasoning 161
Section II: Logical Reasoning 166
Section III: Reading Comprehension 175
Section IV: Logical Reasoning 184
Writing Sample 193
Chapter 16: Practice Exam 1: Answers and Explanations 195
Section I: Analytical Reasoning 195
Section II: Logical Reasoning 208
Section III: Reading Comprehension 215
Section IV: Logical Reasoning 222
Answer Key for Practice Exam 1 230
Computing Your Score 231
Chapter 17: Perfecting with Practice: LSAT Practice Exam 2 233
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 2 235
Section I: Logical Reasoning 237
Section II: Reading Comprehension 246
Section III: Logical Reasoning 256
Section IV: Analytical Reasoning 266
Writing Sample 270
Chapter 18: Practice Exam 2: Answers and Explanations 273
Section I: Logical Reasoning 273
Section II: Reading Comprehension 280
Section III: Logical Reasoning 287
Section IV: Analytical Reasoning 293
Answer Key for Practice Exam 2 306
Chapter 19: Even More “Fun”: LSAT Practice Exam 3 307
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 3 309
Section I: Logical Reasoning 311
Section II: Reading Comprehension 320
Section III: Analytical Reasoning 329
Section IV: Logical Reasoning 333
Writing Sample 342
Chapter 20: Practice Exam 3: Answers and Explanations 345
Section I: Logical Reasoning 345
Section II: Reading Comprehension 354
Section III: Analytical Reasoning 362
Section IV: Logical Reasoning 374
Answer Key for Practice Exam 3 383
Part 7: The Part of Tens 385
Chapter 21: Ten (Plus One) Myths about the LSAT 387
The LSAT Doesn’t Have Anything to Do with Law School 387
You Can’t Study for the LSAT 388
You Must Take a Prep Course to Do Well on the LSAT 388
Some People Just Can’t Do Analytical Reasoning Problems 388
You Can Spot Difficult Questions Before You Work Them 388
B is the Best Letter to Guess 389
No One Reads the Writing Sample 389
Finishing a Section is Better Than Concentrating on Two-Thirds of It 389
A Great LSAT Score Guarantees Admission to a Great Law School 390
The LSAT is Used Only for Admissions Purposes 390
Your Score Won’t Improve if You Retake the LSAT 390
Chapter 22: Ten Kinds of Law You Can Practice 391
Business/Corporate 391
Criminal 391
Domestic Relations/Family Law 392
Employment/Labor 392
Intellectual Property 392
International 392
Personal Injury/Insurance Defense 393
Real Estate 393
Tax 394
Trusts and Estates/Probate 394
Index 395
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