Using Deliberate Practice to Build LSAT Skills

A career in law is one of the most lucrative but demanding paths you can take. The grueling trials begin right away as one starts to prepare for law school. There are many requirements and a lot of paperwork involved—certainly enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed.

The first step you need to consider is preparation for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). Like a career in law, preparing for the LSAT requires a lot of practice and discipline. The best way to prepare for the LSAT is by building your skills through deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice can help you hone your logical reasoning and analytical skills as effectively as possible. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re a process-driven person, you should consider incorporating deliberate practice into your study regime.

What Skills Does the LSAT Test?

The LSAT is a highly competitive standardized test that every law school hopeful must take to apply to an American Bar Association-accredited program. The exam tests an applicant’s reading, logical reasoning, and analytical skills. The test includes two kinds of questions: multiple-choice and written.

Each of the four test sections includes a multiple-choice section, and you can complete these in any order you want. The first three test sections are built around specific skills, while the fourth is an unscored variable section. This section isn’t fixed or predictable and can be based on any of the three skill sections.

The written part is a thirty-five-minute exam, taken separately from the multiple-choice section. You can take the written portion up to eight days before the multiple-choice exam.

Deliberate Practice and the LSAT

If you’re planning to take the LSAT for the first time, the amount of material you must cover to prepare adequately can feel impossible. Deliberate practice, which can be defined as the art of setting up a repetition-based system in a focused manner to master a particular skill set, can significantly help you improve your odds of scoring high on your first try.

Since the LSAT is a standardized test, preparing systematically should yield better results than studying aimlessly. Deliberate practice has helped thousands of LSAT examinees improve their logical reasoning and analytical skills, and using it will help you do the same as well. The most effective way to use it is to balance your strengths and weaknesses when making your study plan.

Putting Deliberate Practice Into Action

When putting deliberate practice into action, start by creating a rotating schedule of practice exercises for all three LSAT skill sections. This will allow you to develop all your skills in an incremental and balanced manner.

Avoid setting granular goals, which can lead to frustration when you don’t meet your target expectations. Build your skills slowly and methodically, and they will accumulate over time. Start with the basics of any skill and continue progressing to more advanced techniques as you improve. When you can, utilize practice resources offered by reputable testing programs. Many of these resources are available online for free—for example, Kaplan offers some of the best LSAT prep materials.

You can make adjustments to your study plan and routine by getting feedback from others, such as professors or anyone you know who has already taken the exam. Check for answers to questions you’ve missed on mock tests, identify any patterns in topics you struggle with, and make adjustments accordingly. Be sure you know where your strengths and weaknesses lie and work on improving your skills as a whole.

Practice Makes Perfect

A career in law demands exceptionally high levels of logical reasoning and analytical ability. While you may have a natural proclivity for critical thinking, the only way to fully develop all your skills is to practice them repeatedly until they’re perfected. Using deliberate practice to prepare for your LSAT will not only help you when you’re taking the exam, but will also prepare you for the rigors of life in the law.