The LSAT presents a myriad of challenges for test-takers. Some find reading comprehension difficult to slug through; others find logic games particularly challenging; while other still are stymied by the complexities and variances of logical reasoning questions. But almost universally, what all test-takers agree on, the single biggest challenge of the LSAT: TIME. This month, our team of LSAT experts give you time saving tips for each section of the test in a series we call, “Beat the Clock”. For information on all our LSAT prep programs, please visit kaplanlsat.com.

One thing I can’t stand is misuse of the word ‘irony.’ (I know, you’ve heard it before – the only thing ironic about Alanis Morissette’s song is that there isn’t any irony involved, and the Philosophy majors in the back are already snickering about Jean-Paul Sartre.) Something isn’t ironic just because it’s funny, or a bummer, or unexpected – a situation is ironic when the results are the opposite of what’s expected.

There’s actual, situational irony in the fact that students get so stressed out about the experimental section on the LSAT. At least once a week, I have a student pull me aside after class to tell me how worried he is about the experimental section and how it’s going to affect his LSAT score. The most common worry is that there’ll be an extra Logic Games section, since that’s the section the most students have trouble with, but I occasionally have students worry about an extra Reading Comprehension section wearing them out as well.

Well, there’s good news and bad news. Bad news first: there’s a 25% chance you’re going to have a Logic Games section as your experimental section, and a 25% chance you’ll have Reading Comp, along with a 50% chance of Logical Reasoning showing up. The good news is that it doesn’t matter a bit.

The experimental section is most likely to show up in your first three sections. It won’t be scored, but it’s there to serve two functions. First, it’s there to test out new questions that are going to be used on future LSATs. It’s easy to see if questions are somehow pathological – if top scorers are getting them right, the questions are probably good, but if the top scorers get them wrong, the question is flawed. It’s also a way to test wrong answers. Since answers are designed to be wrong in specific ways, a specific wrong answer being picked often on an experimental section is a way to test if that answer is a good one.

The second function is to serve as a signal for future tests. Before Comparative Reading was introduced as a Reading Comprehension section type, it appeared several times in experimental sections. Similarly, a few cycles before the rare games we talk about in our tutorials showed up, they were tested out in experimental sections. Since there haven’t been any Mapping or Process games in experimental sections recently, there’s a very good chance you won’t have to worry about one on Test Day.

Keep in mind also that not everyone will receive the same experimental section. Since there are different versions of the test, your experimental section might differ in timing AND in type from the person you studied with.

So what’s the irony? People spend so much time stressing over how the experimental section can hurt them that it actually ends up hurting their scores. Keep in mind that the experimental section is not scored, but the questions are designed to be real LSAT questions in the future. They can all be answered using the same techniques you’ve been preparing for months now. With that in mind, don’t waste any energy trying to figure out which section is experimental, and don’t change your preparation at all. It can’t hurt you if you don’t let it.

September test scores are out.  Some of my clients do not feel that their scores are indicative of their true ability, and we’re discussing the pros/cons of retaking it on December 5th.  Check out my July 20th post "Thinking about retaking the LSAT?" where I address the topic.

What they are more concerned about, however, is whether the December administration will put them at a disadvantage because it is late in the admissions cycle.  I’ll address that today.

When law schools indicate a deadline date of February 1, March 1, March 15, etc., they understand that the December LSAT is a popular one, and they know that many qualified applicants will come out of that test.  Yes, spots will have already been filled, but spots are still open, too.

To get the competitive edge, you want to make sure that your application is in that first batch that are completed once the scores become available.  Let me explain.

Remember, you can apply to law school at any time.  You do not need to have taken the LSAT.  Your letters of recommendation and transcripts do not need to have been received by LSAC.  You can apply as soon as you’ve completed the application, and written your personal statement, addendum (if needed) and resume.  Once the Admissions Office receives this material, it will request your LSAT score, transcripts and letters of recommendation from LSAC. 

Here is the key…LSAC will send out this information to the law schools to which you applied only when all of the material - LSAT score, transripts and letters of recommendation - has been received.

If you choose to take the LSAT in December, your goal should be to submit your application beforehand or soon afterwards.  If you haven’t already done so, make sure to ask your recommenders to write your letters now.  And, submit the transcript request form to your registrar now if you haven’t yet done so.  You want to ensure that this material is received by LSAC as soon as possible.

A number of Admissions Offices close the week between Christmas and New Year’s.  Faculty are away on vacation.  It’s a very quiet time. By submitting your application before or soon after you take the test, you give the Admissions Office time to request your material from LSAC so that once your score becomes available, LSAC will mail out your packet, the Admissions Office will receive and file it, and your application will be considered complete and go to the Admissions Committee for review come the first of the year when everything picks up again. 

I’m going to take a brief break from discussing the personal statement to reiterate an entry I wrote about a month before the June LSAT administration. Only this time I’m addressing those of you taking the September LSAT.

I know you’re eager to submit your application as soon as possible. For the next few weeks, however, I encourage you to concentrate all of your efforts on the LSAT rather than thinking about what to write for your personal essay(s), or what schools you should apply to.

Consider: What if the time you spent working on your statement could have resulted in your scoring one point higher on the LSAT? What difference can one point make? The difference between being accepted…or not. Everyone is on the bubble somewhere. Said differently, everyone is competitive for a certain range of schools. But what’s also true is that the next level of schools can be brought into reach with a more competitive LSAT score or a more polished, introspective and engaging personal statement.

Encouraging you to spend the next few weeks focusing on improving your LSAT score is said not to discount the importance of well written personal statements and addendums (when necessary), rock solid recommendations and the various other components of the law school application. All these are critical pieces of your overall application, but you’ll be best served to devote your post-LSAT time to these aspects. It is much more advantageous for you to use the time now to earn a higher LSAT score than it is to be the first person to apply to a school. Click here to learn more about our LSAT prep options.

If you haven’t already done so, you should submit your transcripts to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) as well as select your recommenders and ask them to write your letters. It doesn’t take too much time, and you’ll be advancing the application process while preparing for the LSAT.

Good luck!