Common Mistakes on the LSAT (Law School Admission Test)

Note: The LSAT is a skills test, not a knowledge test. It measures reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and critical thinking. The upcoming change (August 2024) eliminates Logic Games, but for now, we will cover the current format with an eye toward the transition.

A. Logical Reasoning (LR): The "Stimulus Skim" Disaster

Logical Reasoning makes up half your score (two sections). Students lose points not because they can't think logically, but because they read carelessly.

• Mistake 1: Predicting the Answer Before Understanding the Flaw

  • Scenario: A stimulus presents an argument. The question asks, "Which of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the reasoning?" The student identifies a general flaw (e.g., "correlation vs. causation") and immediately hunts for an answer that mentions that concept.

  • Why it's a trap: The LSAT knows you are looking for buzzwords. They will place an answer choice that mentions "correlation" or "causation" but applies it to the wrong part of the argument, or describes a different flaw entirely.

  • Fix: Paraphrase the flaw in your own words, specific to the argument, before looking at the answer choices. For example: "The author assumes that because the policy worked in City A, it will work in City B, ignoring differences between the cities." Then match that specific idea to the choices.

• Mistake 2: The "Necessary" vs. "Sufficient" Confusion (Again, but Deeper)

  • Scenario: A "necessary assumption" question asks what must be true for the argument to hold. The student picks an answer that would guarantee the conclusion (a sufficient assumption), which is usually stronger than what is actually required.

  • Fix: Apply the Negation Test rigorously. If negating the answer choice destroys the argument, it's correct. If negating it leaves the argument intact, it's wrong—even if it sounds helpful.

B. Logic Games (LG): The "Frozen Brain" Moment

*Note: Logic Games are being removed after June 2024, but for current test-takers, they are make-or-break.*

• Mistake 3: Not Sketching Immediately

  • Scenario: The student reads the setup for a sequencing game (seven clients scheduled over four days). They try to hold the rules in their head while reading the first question. By the time they get to the answer choices, they have forgotten Rule #3.

  • Fix: The moment you finish reading the setup and rules, your pencil should be moving. Even if you don't fully understand the game yet, start sketching. A visual representation (even a messy one) offloads the cognitive burden from your brain to the paper.

• Mistake 4: Testing Every Answer Choice on "Which One Could Be True?" Questions

  • Scenario: The question asks, "Which one of the following could be true?" The student starts with answer choice (A) and tries to make it work. It fails. They try (B). It fails. By the time they get to (D) or (E), they have wasted 3 minutes and are frustrated.

  • Fix: On "could be true" questions, work backwards from the rules. Take the most restrictive rule and see which answer choices violate it immediately. Eliminate the violators. You will often narrow it down to one or two choices without ever building a full diagram.

• Mistake 5: Forgetting the "If" Question Scenarios

  • Scenario: Question 12 begins with "If M is scheduled for Wednesday..." The student solves that specific scenario, finds the answer, and moves on. Then Question 13 also begins with "If M is scheduled for Wednesday..." and the student starts from scratch.

  • Fix: If a question adds a new "if" condition, that creates a temporary world. Use the deductions you made for that world to answer all subsequent questions that share that same "if." Write "If M Wed" at the top of your scratch space and keep it there until the questions change.

C. Reading Comprehension (RC): The "Passion" Trap

• Mistake 6: Getting Interested in the Topic

  • Scenario: The passage is about the migratory patterns of Arctic terns. The student finds it genuinely interesting and starts reading for pleasure, absorbing facts about bird migration.

  • Fix: You are not reading to learn about birds. You are reading to find the structure and the author's opinion. Where is the counterargument? What is the main point? Treat every passage as a boring, abstract structure. If you get interested, you get lost in the weeds.