The 8-Week LSAT Study Plan
Eight weeks doesn’t sound like a lot of time to prep for the LSAT, but you can do it.
You have eight weeks to study for the LSAT. Eight weeks. 60 days. 1,440 hours. 86,400 minutes. I think I just stumbled into a “Rent” song.
No matter how you shake it, eight weeks doesn’t sound like a lot of time to prep for the LSAT. Quite frankly, it isn’t.
In order to get ready for the June LSAT in the next eight weeks, you’re going to have to focus. You don’t have time to waste, and you’ll need to make sure you’re studying as efficiently as possible.
Let’s walk through an eight-week LSAT study plan, as well as how to maximize your efficiency each week.
Guidelines for the Eight-Week LSAT Study Plan
- Don’t study for the LSAT for more than an hour at a time (unless you’re taking an LSAT PrepTest or working on endurance). Your brain stops learning at that point. If you’re putting three hours in one day, do that over three one-hour sprints.
- Always be taking notes, and do so by hand. Don’t copy; rephrase what you’re reading. Then, quiz yourself, and summarize your notes even more.
- An LSAT study session should have an agenda. That agenda should detail more than just reading a certain number of pages or answering a certain number of questions. You should have a specific LSAT skill that you want to work on.
- You’re going to get things wrong when practicing for the LSAT. This is good! Now you know what to work on. The most important part of learning is figuring out how not to get that wrong next time. Definitely keep track of these takeaways in an LSAT Strategy Log.
- Mix it up. Studies show interleaving your work (jumping between topics) is better than blocked work (sticking to the same topic) for long-term retention. If your study session is Logic Games (LG)-focused, throw in a few Logical Reasoning (LR) questions, or a Reading Comprehension (RC) passage.
- Take at least six LSAT PrepTests. Take no more than 15 PrepTests. Analyze them all using LSAT Navigator. This will let you see where your natural strengths and weaknesses are. For most people, eight to 12 is the sweet spot. Yes, I know this runs against all the information out there. Remember, correlation doesn’t equal causation. Numbers show the “Just keep taking PrepTests!” camp to be an unrepresentative sample.
Alright, guidelines established. Let’s talk big-picture, week-to-week. This will be a little vague so that it works with any materials you might have.
The Eight-Week LSAT Study Plan
Key:
LG = Logic Games
LR = Logical Reasoning
RC = Reading Comprehension
Week 0
Take a diagnostic LSAT. Score it. Cry a bit. Stop worrying about it; you’re going to get better. Next, analyze your diagnostic test using LSAT Navigator.
Week 1
Goal: Develop a basic understanding of each section.
Focus
- LR: Learn about argument structure. Learn about the assumption family of questions. Learn about inference questions. Learn about answer choice analysis.
- LG: Learn the basics of Ordering and Grouping games.
- RC: Learn how to approach passages.
End-of-week
- Go back over your notes.
- Summarize them.
- Quiz yourself.
- Create some flashcards.
- Work on a few mixed problem sets (1-2 games; 1-2 passages; 10-15 LR questions).
Week 2
Goal: Solidify the basics of each section.
Focus
- LR: Work on identifying assumptions in arguments. Work on anticipating Inferences, and on eliminating wrong answers. Go over the basics of the other question types (Explain a Result; Identify the Disagreement).
- LG: Get practice on basic games. Work on question strategy. Practice quickly testing out answers. Identify rules to build frames around (multiple diagrams that represent all possibilities).
- RC: Read. Like, a lot.
End-of-week
- Go back over your notes.
- Summarize them.
- Quiz yourself.
- Create some flashcards.
- Work on a few mixed problem sets (1-2 games; 1-2 passages; 10-15 LR questions).
Week 3
Goal: Learn more-complex concepts from each section.
Focus
- LR: Work on advanced conditional logic. Learn to characterize assumptions as classic flaws (e.g., Correlation vs. Causation). Create “buckets” of wrong answer types and use those to help with eliminations.
- LG: Work on games with Twists (mismatches; subgroups; characteristics; etc.). Develop your inference and framing skills.
- RC: Develop a process for each question type. (Should you go back to the passage? Answer based on your big-picture understanding?)
End-of-week
- Add advanced concepts to your notes at relevant points.
- Do a few sections.
- Take your first PrepTest.
Week 4
Goal: Finish learning concepts from each section.
Focus: Go over any remaining materials from your prep books. Add to and revise your outlines.
End-of-week
- Finalize your outlines into one Master LSAT document.
- Do a few sections.
- Take your 2nd PrepTest.
Weeks 5–6
Goal: Assess strengths/weaknesses; review weaknesses.
Focus: Use your Navigator analysis of PrepTests 1 and 2 to adapt your study plan. Fully review all questions. Identify areas of weakness (not just question type; what traps do you keep falling for?). Review your materials for those areas, and review your outline.
End-of-week
- Mix sections into this week.
- Take your 3rd PrepTest (Week 5). Take your 4th PrepTest (Week 6).
Week 7
Goal: Focus on test-taking strategies and mixed question sets.
Focus: Get better at taking the test. Skip questions. Work on timing. Figure out what order you’re going to tackle material within a section, and develop timing guidelines (e.g., Get through first 10 LR questions in 11 minutes).
End-of-week
- Mix sections throughout this week.
- Take your 5th and 6th PrepTest.
Week 8
Goal: Focus on test-taking strategies and mixed question sets.
Focus: Practice what you’ll do on test day. Work on strengths (since it’s a little late to develop substantially). Have complete, finalized timing strategies and skipping guidelines.
End-of-week
- Rest!
- Take your 7th and 8th PrepTests.
It’s going to take focus. It’s going to take hard work. But if you follow along with this schedule, using whatever materials you have at your disposal, you’ll be ready on test day.
Need resources?
- Don’t forget to use our test review and analysis tool, LSAT Navigator, to analyze all of your PrepTests.
- For prep materials, I recommend Manhattan Prep LSAT Strategy Guides.
- If you need expert teaching to get yourself to the next level, remember that you can try the first session of any of our online or in-person LSAT Complete Courses for free.
And don’t forget to Follow Manhattan Prep LSAT on Facebook to receive updates about live broadcasts from me, featuring tips and tricks to master the test.
Matt Shinners is an LSAT Instructor and the LSAT Program Manager for Manhattan Prep. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Matt owns a perfect 180 LSAT score and has made a career combining his passion for teaching with knowledge of the test to help students achieve their goals. Manhattan Prep is a leader in LSAT prep, with courses engineered using the latest techniques in learning science to optimize high-level learning. Sound interesting? You can try the class for free.
