When should I start studying for the LSAT?
This is one of the most common questions that we receive. Our response is like most responses you will likely encounter in the legal profession: it depends.
But the general advice we give to those who ask this question is that you should start studying for the LSAT around five to six months before you intend to actually take it.
The LSAT is currently offered nine times a year in the following months:
- January
- February
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- October
- November
So you have plenty of options and can plan your schedule accordingly. How do you know when is the right time to begin studying?
Take a Practice Test
Once you take that practice test, you’ll know your baseline starting score. Then you can determine how long you will have to study based on how many points you would like to increase.
We usually advise our students to make that determination based on the following guidelines:
- If you would like to increase your LSAT score by 10-11 points, then you should study for around 3 months (about 8 hours per week).
- If you would like to increase your LSAT score by 12-20 points, you should study for 4-5 months. (We have seen some students increase their scores by 12-20 points by studying for 3 months, however, we’ve never heard anyone say “I wish I had less time to study”)
- If you would like to increase your score by 20+ points, we recommend you study for at least 6 months. (We’ve had many students crush their goals, get scholarships, and completely change their range of schools. But there's no secret...it takes dedication and consistent practice)
When to take the official exam also depends on your individual circumstances. For those who are in college right now, winter break’s the perfect time to take that first practice LSAT exam.
Already graduated and working now? Having more time will give you the flexibility to balance your responsibilities, especially if you need to take a pause to focus on your job. Our course adapts to your schedule and we have lots of experience helping students tackle this exam while working full time!
You should also factor in the format of the current exam. If you are planning to go to law school in the next couple of years, start studying now and take the LSAT-Flex exam before it potentially changes back to its original format. Read our recent blog post on why you should take the LSAT-Flex exam and what those advantages are of this new online format.
Regardless of when you plan on taking the LSAT exam, it is always important to learn about the best steps to take from those who have taken the exam already. We can help you make those decisions with your unique goals in mind by helping create your LSAT preparation plan.
Download our free PDF checklist here
Reach out now to learn more about how we can help you! Email us at [email protected]
Posted: 1-7-2021
