LSAT Prep Schedule

My calendar for LSAT preparation:

1 Year Prior to test Date: Create an outline or schedule for prep. Pick a test date.

1 Year to 6 Months prior: Gather information about the LSAT itself.

6-4 months prior: Begin earnest preparation. I recommend completing a diagnostic test, but only for the practice. I personally have heard only that the diagnostic scores are poor predictors of actual test performance. Take note of the type of questions, and I think it is always good to indicate when you are guessing on an answer, so later you can go back and study that one as well.

4 - 2 months prior: Begin diligent preparation. I found it easiest to spend 2-3 weeks on each question type individually. Read about them, complete practice problems, work slowly through the very hardest ones.

2 months prior: Spend a little extra time with question types that are still giving you trouble. At this point, I would recommend learning strategies for managing your time while completing the test.

4 weeks prior: Schedule some time aside to take a full length practice exam under conditions as close to real as possible. Make sure you have all your registration materials available for the test date.

3 weeks prior: Review your practice exam results. Try to target areas that you scored poorly on. This is also a great time to practice on the hardest questions you can find.

2 weeks prior: Now is when I would work on my test taking strategies. Get your timing down, learn to look for obvious right or wrong answers, those kinds of things.

1 week prior: If you gave your email address to the LSAC search service, you can expect to begin receiving emails wishing you luck from various law schools. I also started carrying my prep materials everywhere with me, and spent my free time looking over them. Do not cram, but do try to immerse yourself in LSAT goodness.

3 days prior: Make sure everything is in order for your test date (ID, pencils, snack, bottle of water in clear plastic bag, proper admission ticket printed). Also, I would highly, highly, highly recommend driving to the test site and locating parking. The tests are generally early in the morning, and looking for parking or getting lost should not be a reason you are late or miss your test.

2 days prior: Cram a bit. Try not to panic. Say a prayer. I slept with my book under my pillow. Try to relax.

1 day prior: Seriously, relax. Don't even open your books. Eat a nice dinner, do a quick workout, and go to bed at a reasonable time. Aim for a solid 8 hours of sleep. Relax. At this point, you have done all you can, and you did good. Now just let it happen.

Day of: Be calm and confident, get a good score, move on with your career!