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Does the following question fill you
with anxiety? 
Welcome to the
LSAT. (The above is a sample question
from the Logical Reasoning section.) With LSAT scores
being an important part of your law admissions
packet, you need to put as much care and preparation
into it as you do the rest of your application.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is
that cramming in study-time doesn't necessarily
translate into a great LSAT score. While gaining mastery over the material is
extremely important, it is only part of your LSAT
success. How well you do really lies in your capacity to access information
while in the testing environment because these
tests don’t only measure what you know or how well you
know it; they also measure
how well you
take them.
Over-analysis, distractions, "freezing up," getting
fixated on answering questions and then running out of
time are often blamed for lower than expected scores. To
be successful on the LSAT, one must learn to overcome many personal
distractions, including self judgment, family and social
pressures, test anxiety, and stress.
When you are feeling confident, calm, focused and alert,
you're ready to tackle the LSAT. At this level, you can
have a "conversation" with the test - a dialogue where
you understand what the questions are really
asking. Your responses will come with ease and clarity;
in this state, it feels easy to pick the right answers. To help you get into the right frame of mind, try
incorporating some of the following tips into your test
preparation:
-
Drink more water.
-
Laugh.
-
Breathe deep and get fresh air (stop and
smell the roses…).
-
Sleep more (at least 7-8 hours a night).
-
Set a schedule for yourself and start
the day unrushed.
-
Learn to say "No" to projects or social
engagements that won't fit into your time schedule.
-
Exercise.
-
Do something nice for yourself every day.
-
Meditate, pray or spend some time in
quiet contemplation.
-
Be with friends.
-
Eat healthy.
-
Use the
Full Potential™ Audio series: a five hour audio
course that trains you HOW to be on the test: focused,
alert, relaxed and confident.
Utilizing these suggestions can help you get into
the best frame of mind and help you minimize your stress
– and maximize your LSAT score.
Oh, and for those keeping track? The
answer to the sample question is B.
-Contributed by Bara Sapir, founder and
executive director of
Test Prep New York™
, the first and only educational company to fuse
academic and strategy-based learning with holistic human
potential training. The Full Potential™ method ensures
that students reach their most relaxed, effective mental
state while preparing for and taking tests, easing their
experience and increasing their scores by targeting the
most pivotal traits of peak performance to give them a
critical edge.
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