LSAT是美國法學(xué)院申請入學(xué)的參考條件之一，關(guān)于該考試法學(xué)院的招生委員會(huì)為大家提供了一些實(shí)用的參考建議，跟著出國留學(xué)網(wǎng)來看看如何有效的準(zhǔn)備美國法學(xué)院的LSAT考試，歡迎閱讀。
Now that the February LSAT has come and gone, many prospective applicants who haven’t taken the LSAT are beginning their preparation for the next test date, held this year on Monday, June 8. In this week’s post, we’ll discuss 16-week template preparation plans for three types of LSAT students.Before we get into the specifics for the three types of LSAT students we discuss below, there are two general thoughts on LSAT preparation applicable to all students.First, the backbone of any thorough LSAT preparation is to take full, timed practice tests. Although it is important to do targeted practice to address specific issues, full practice tests serve as a valuable diagnostic tool in addition to getting the student used to 35-minute sections and the sustained focus required to do well on all four scored sections. I advise my clients that they are likely not fully prepared until they have taken at least 30 full, timed practice tests.Second, the LSAT is not a test that rewards last-minute intense studying. We generally recommend that our clients spend at least three months (and in most cases, more than that) consistently studying for the LSAT, ideally devoting 10-15 hours per week. It is much better to do 150 hours of LSAT prep over 12 to 15 weeks than it is to try to cram 150 hours into the three weeks leading up to the test.
潛在的法學(xué)院申請者在參加LSAT考試時(shí)經(jīng)常感到焦慮。LSAT考試在法學(xué)院的錄取結(jié)果中扮演著重要的角色，需要大量的學(xué)習(xí)。亞利桑那大學(xué)的詹姆斯·羅杰斯學(xué)院和哈佛大學(xué)法學(xué)院接受GRE成績代替LSAT考試s希望其他的項(xiàng)目也能如此。哈佛大學(xué)在2016年進(jìn)行了一項(xiàng)研究，該研究得出結(jié)論:“GRE是一年級(jí)同等有效的預(yù)測指標(biāo)?！比欢?，絕大多數(shù)法學(xué)院仍然需要LSAT的考試成績。盡管作為一名招生顧問，我經(jīng)常遇到一些沮喪的申請者，他們抱怨LSAT與法律研究毫無關(guān)系，考試在為法學(xué)院學(xué)生做準(zhǔn)備方面起著關(guān)鍵作用。以下是申請美國法學(xué)院LSAT的方式方法等內(nèi)容。
問題一： LSAT 考試究竟是什么?
? Substance: The LSAT was specifically designed to test the aptitude of applicants interested in studying law.According to the Law School Admission Council's website, "The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to think critically; and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others."Analyzing, comparing and critically evaluating arguments is fundamental to the study and practice of law. As a law student, you will be asked to spot legal issues from a set of hypothetical facts and discuss the various legal consequences. You may also need to make policy arguments about the merits of certain laws and regulations.To excel on law school exams, you will need to have strong skills in analyzing, comparing, critically evaluating and drawing conclusions about arguments. Sound familiar? Those are the very skills the LSAT requires you to master.
實(shí)質(zhì)內(nèi)容:LSAT是專門設(shè)計(jì)來測試申請者是否有興趣學(xué)習(xí)法律的。根據(jù)法學(xué)院入學(xué)委員會(huì)的網(wǎng)站，“LSAT考試的目的是衡量在法學(xué)院取得成功所必需的技能:對復(fù)雜文本的閱讀和理解具有準(zhǔn)確性和洞察力;信息的組織和管理以及從中得出合理推論的能力;批判性思維的能力;以及對他人論證和論證的分析與評價(jià)。“分析、比較和批判性地評價(jià)論點(diǎn)是法律研究和實(shí)踐的基礎(chǔ)。作為一名法律專業(yè)的學(xué)生，你將被要求從一組假設(shè)的事實(shí)中找出法律問題，并討論各種法律后果。你還需要對某些法律法規(guī)的優(yōu)點(diǎn)進(jìn)行政策論證。要想在法學(xué)院的考試中脫穎而出，你需要具備很強(qiáng)的分析、比較、批判性評估和總結(jié)論點(diǎn)的能力。聽起來是不是很熟悉?這些是LSAT要求你掌握的技能。
Endurance and speed: The LSAT is also a test of endurance and speed. Composed of five multiple-choice sections, each 35-minutes long, and a 35-minute unscored writing sample, the LSAT is three-and-a-half hours of testing.At Harvard Law School, where I studied, in-class exams typically last between two and four hours, while eight hours are allotted for take-home exams. Note that bar exams last two days.You will need to become comfortable sustaining rigorous analysis and logical reasoning as a law student. The LSAT can help you build that critical thinking endurance.If the LSAT is a marathon in terms of endurance, it is also a sprint in terms of speed. You will have about one minute to answer each question if you divide your time equally between question types. That means you need to work efficiently and analyze problems quickly.Lawyers need to work hard and be good at thinking on their feet. This skill is not only applicable in dramatic courtroom scenes but also in depositions and negotiations, as well as when reviewing contracts and conducting due diligence. Clients charged by billable hours also appreciate efficiency.
耐力和速度：LSAT也是耐力和速度的考驗(yàn)。LSAT由五個(gè)多選擇部分組成，每組35分鐘，一個(gè)35分鐘的未打分的寫作樣本，LSAT考試的時(shí)間為三個(gè)半小時(shí)。在我就讀的哈佛法學(xué)院，在課堂上的考試通常會(huì)持續(xù)2到4個(gè)小時(shí)，而8個(gè)小時(shí)的考試則被分配給家庭考試。注意這兩天的律師考試。作為一名法律系的學(xué)生，你需要適應(yīng)嚴(yán)格的分析和邏輯推理。LSAT可以幫助你培養(yǎng)批判性思維的耐力。如果LSAT在耐力方面是一場馬拉松，它也是速度方面的沖刺。如果你把時(shí)間平均分配到問題類型之間，你將有大約一分鐘的時(shí)間來回答每個(gè)問題。這意味著你需要高效地工作并快速分析問題。律師需要努力工作，善于思考。這種技巧不僅適用于戲劇性的法庭場景，也適用于證詞的保存和談判以及審查合同和進(jìn)行盡職調(diào)查的時(shí)候。按照小時(shí)收費(fèi)的客戶也會(huì)欣賞比較有效率的人。
? Long-term study: Unlike the GRE, the LSAT does not test your knowledge of external subjects. In other words, you do not have to study math and vocabulary words to do well.While you do not need to have external knowledge to pass the exam, most test-takers would benefit from long-term study. The LSAT is not a test you can cram for. The reason for extended study is because the analytical and logical reasoning skills, as well as the format of the questions, are unfamiliar to the majority of test-takers.The Pre-Law Advising Office at the University of Massachusetts—Amherst suggests applicants develop a study plan of "at least 4-6 hours a week for at least three to four months prior to the test date."Guess what else requires long-term study? That's right – law school exams and the bar exam.Doing well in law school requires diligence and months of study leading up to finals. In many respects, your three years in law school are preparation for the bar. On top of that, you will have to commit to months of bar prep after graduation.The GRE also prepares students in many of the same respects. That is why schools like Harvard and the American Bar Association have accepted it as an alternative to the LSAT.Nonetheless, the LSAT is likely to remain a key criteria of law school applications for many years to come. Embracing the ways the exam will prepare you for a career in law may alleviate some test anxieties.
長期研究:與GRE不同，LSAT考試不測試你對外部性的知識(shí)。換句話說，你不需要學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)和詞匯就能考出好成績。雖然你不需要有外部知識(shí)來通過考試，但大多數(shù)考生都能從長期學(xué)習(xí)中獲益。LSAT不是一項(xiàng)你可以臨時(shí)抱佛腳的考試。延長研究的原因是由于分析和邏輯推理能力以及問題的形式，大多數(shù)考生都不熟悉。馬薩諸塞大學(xué)阿默斯特分校法律咨詢辦公室建議申請人在考試日期前至少3到4個(gè)月的時(shí)間內(nèi)制定一份“每周至少4 - 6小時(shí)”的學(xué)習(xí)計(jì)劃。猜猜還有什么需要長期研究?那是法學(xué)院的考試和律師考試。在法學(xué)院學(xué)習(xí)需要勤奮和幾個(gè)月的學(xué)習(xí)才能進(jìn)入最終的考核。在許多方面，你在法學(xué)院的三年都是為法學(xué)博士做準(zhǔn)備。最重要的是，你必須在畢業(yè)后堅(jiān)持幾個(gè)月的準(zhǔn)備工作。GRE考試也為學(xué)生們準(zhǔn)備了許多相同的方面。這就是為什么像哈佛和美國律師協(xié)會(huì)這樣的學(xué)校已經(jīng)接受了它作為LSAT的替代選擇。盡管如此，LSAT考試很可能仍將是未來許多年法學(xué)院申請的一個(gè)關(guān)鍵標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。欣然接受考試將為你的職業(yè)生涯做準(zhǔn)備，也許能減輕一些考試焦慮。
問題二：LSAT 考試該如何分配答題時(shí)間?
The aspect of timing is one of the key elements that distinguishes the LSAT from other standardized tests. Unlike the SAT, GMAT and GRE, the LSAT is designed to make students run out of time. Developing an effective time management strategy, therefore, is essential to maximizing your LSAT score.Before getting into section-by-section strategies, let's go through a couple of general principles that are applicable to all sections of the test. First, since every question is worth the same amount regardless of difficulty, answering the easiest questions first is the most time-efficient way to approach the test. Not only will easy questions take less time to answer, but you will also get them right more frequently. This means that easy questions will generate raw score points, which lead to scaled score points, much more quickly than hard questions.Second, unlike the SAT and many other standardized tests, there is no penalty for incorrect answers on the LSAT. You should therefore make sure to answer every single question, even if you can't spend much time on it. Spending even as little as 20 seconds often enables one to eliminate at least one answer choice and make a much higher-percentage guess on the remaining answer choices. This is 20 seconds well spent.
Now, here are strategies for the individual sections:
時(shí)間的方面是區(qū)分LSAT和其他標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化測試的關(guān)鍵因素之一。與SAT、GMAT和GRE不同，LSAT的設(shè)計(jì)目的是讓學(xué)生們沒有時(shí)間。因此，制定有效的時(shí)間管理策略對于最大化您的LSAT分?jǐn)?shù)至關(guān)重要。在進(jìn)入逐節(jié)策略之前，讓我們先看幾個(gè)適用于測試所有部分的一般原則。首先，既然每個(gè)問題的價(jià)值都是相同的，無論遇到什么困難，首先回答最簡單的問題是最省時(shí)的方法來進(jìn)行測試。簡單的問題不僅需要更少的時(shí)間來回答，而且你需要有更大的能力去獲得相應(yīng)的分?jǐn)?shù)。這意味著簡單的問題會(huì)產(chǎn)生原始的分?jǐn)?shù)，從而導(dǎo)致分?jǐn)?shù)比難的問題要快得多。第二，不像SAT和其他許多標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化考試，對LSAT的錯(cuò)誤答案沒有懲罰。因此，即使你不能在上面花太多時(shí)間你應(yīng)該確保已經(jīng)回答了每一個(gè)問題。哪怕只花20秒就能消除至少一個(gè)答案，并對剩下的答案做出更大的猜測。
下面是各個(gè)部分的策略:
Logical Reasoning
There is one significant time management difference between the logical reasoning sections and the other two sections. Since each question in this section is independent and requires no knowledge of a previous question, you can dramatically rearrange the order of the test so that you answer the easiest questions first and the hardest questions last. In general, questions get more difficult the farther into the section you go.More specifically, ask yourself three questions to determine the level of difficulty of a question and therefore how much time to spend on it:
? Do I still have difficulty understanding the argument after reading it twice?
? Is this a question type I tend to have difficulty on?
? Can I eliminate fewer than two answer choices?
If you answers to at least three of these questions is "yes," then you should cut your losses by spending 15 or so more seconds to come up with an educated guess and then move on to the next question.You should also save for last questions that are inherently time-consuming. The two question types I recommend skipping until the end are similar reasoning and similar flaw questions. These questions require analyzing six arguments – the argument in the question prompt and each of the five answer choices – and therefore generally take much more time than others.
邏輯推理部分
在邏輯推理部分和其他兩個(gè)部分之間存在一個(gè)重要的時(shí)間管理差異。由于本節(jié)中的每個(gè)問題都是獨(dú)立的，并且不需要了解之前的問題，所以您可以極大地重新安排測試的順序，這樣您就可以先回答最簡單的問題，最后回答最難的問題。一般來說，問題越深入回答起來也就越困難。更具體地說，問自己三個(gè)問題來決定一個(gè)問題的難度水平，因此要花多少時(shí)間在上面:
我讀了兩遍之后，還是很難理解這個(gè)論點(diǎn)嗎?
這是一個(gè)我容易遇到的問題嗎?
我能至少刪除兩個(gè)答案的選項(xiàng)嗎?
如果你至少回答了其中的三個(gè)問題，那么你應(yīng)該用15秒的時(shí)間來減少你的損失，然后再考慮下一個(gè)問題。您還應(yīng)該保存最后的問題，這些問題是非常耗時(shí)的。我建議跳過的兩個(gè)問題是類似的推理和類似的缺陷問題。這些問題需要分析六個(gè)論點(diǎn)，問題提示中的論據(jù)和五個(gè)答案中的每一個(gè)，因此通常比其他的要花費(fèi)更多的時(shí)間。
Logic Games
The logic games section contains four games, each of which has five to seven questions associated with it. Since jumping around from game to game is extremely difficult, it is impossible to use the logical reasoning strategy outlined above. Instead, you should rearrange the section by game as opposed to by question.I instruct students who don't consistently finish the logic games section in the 35 minutes allotted to spend approximately one minute at the beginning of the section determining the order in which to attack the games. To determine the most efficient order, look for game types that you are comfortable with and that do not contain any uncommon rules or characteristics. Avoid games that are unfamiliar to you or that you tend to find difficult.Just like in the logical reasoning section, you should avoid questions that are inherently time-consuming. There are two very uncommon question types that fall into this category: questions that ask you which answer choice makes the game "fully/completely determined," and questions that substitute a rule for another rule. These questions tend to come at the end of the third game in a section.
邏輯游戲
邏輯游戲部分包含4個(gè)游戲，每個(gè)游戲有5到7個(gè)問題。由于從游戲到游戲的跳躍是極其困難的，所以不可能使用上述的邏輯推理策略。相反，你應(yīng)該通過游戲重新排列，而不是通過提問。我指示那些在比賽開始前的35分鐘內(nèi)不堅(jiān)持完成邏輯游戲部分的學(xué)生，在決定攻擊游戲的順序的部分開始大約一分鐘。為了確定最有效的順序，查找您熟悉的游戲類型，并且不包含任何不常見的規(guī)則或特性。避免那些你不熟悉的游戲，或者你會(huì)覺得很難。就像邏輯推理部分一樣，你應(yīng)該避免那些本來就很耗費(fèi)時(shí)間的問題。有兩種非常不常見的問題類型屬于這一類:問你哪種答案的問題使游戲“完全/完全決定”，以及用另一個(gè)規(guī)則代替規(guī)則的問題。這些問題往往在第三局的最后一節(jié)結(jié)束。
Reading Comprehension
Like the logic games, it is impossible to jump from passage to passage. Unlike the logic games, however, it is difficult to quickly determine which passages you will likely find easier than others. The reading comprehension section therefore requires yet another strategy, this one focused on reading the passage as efficiently as possible.To read most efficiently, focus on the big-picture information and the passage's structure and avoid internalizing the details. Although many questions ask you about what appear to be minutia hidden within the passage, you can often get the right answer for even these questions by having a solid knowledge of the main point of the passage.By knowing the structure of the passage, you can quickly locate the information you need to answer the question instead of trying to internalize every detail in the passage, most of which won't be tested.
閱讀理解
就像邏輯游戲一樣，不可能從一段文章跳到另一段。然而，與邏輯游戲不同的是，很難快速確定哪些段落可能比其他的更容易找到。因此，閱讀理解部分需要另一種策略，這一項(xiàng)側(cè)重于盡可能有效地閱讀文章。最有效地閱讀就是指關(guān)注大圖片信息和文章的結(jié)構(gòu)，避免將細(xì)節(jié)內(nèi)在化。雖然很多問題會(huì)問你在文章中隱藏了什么細(xì)節(jié)，但即使是這些問題，你也可以通過對文章主旨的充分了解來找到正確答案。通過了解文章的結(jié)構(gòu)，你可以快速找到回答問題所需的信息，而不是試圖將文章中的每一個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)都內(nèi)在化，大部分文章不會(huì)測試的如此細(xì)致的。
問題三：一些過來人的案例
Student 1: A student with little or no experience with the LSAT and a history of difficulty with standardized tests.For this type of student, a comprehensive approach is best. This usually involves taking a comprehensive LSAT course in the early stages of preparation, then thoroughly reviewing the course content and practicing while simultaneously identifying and addressing major issues.
Weeks 1-4: Complete course work and all associated homework.
Weeks 5-8: In addition to your course work and homework, begin to take one to two practice tests per week.
Weeks 9-12: Continue taking practice tests, and add one additional practice test per week for a total of two to three tests per week. Analyze practice tests to identify major issues such as inference questions in arguments or ordering and sequencing logic games and thoroughly review associated course work and homework. Begin work with a tutor to help identify and address major issues.
Weeks 13-16: Take at least three practice tests per week. Continue to analyze practice tests to identify and address issues, but spend more time on extra practice questions and less time reviewing course materials to address those weaknesses.
學(xué)生1:很少或沒有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的的學(xué)生在準(zhǔn)備LSAT標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化考試的時(shí)候。對于這種類型的學(xué)生，綜合的方法是最好的。這通常包括在準(zhǔn)備的早期階段進(jìn)行全面的LSAT課程，然后對課程內(nèi)容和練習(xí)進(jìn)行全面的復(fù)習(xí)，同時(shí)確定和解決主要問題。
1 - 4周:完成課程和所有相關(guān)的作業(yè)。
5- 8周:除了你的課程作業(yè)和作業(yè)外，每周開始做一到兩次的練習(xí)測試。
9 - 12周:繼續(xù)進(jìn)行練習(xí)測試，每周增加一個(gè)額外的練習(xí)測試，每周進(jìn)行兩到三次測試。分析練習(xí)測試，以識(shí)別主要問題，如推理問題或排序和排序邏輯游戲，并徹底復(fù)習(xí)相關(guān)的課程作業(yè)和作業(yè)。與導(dǎo)師一起開始工作，幫助確定和解決重大問題。
13 - 16周:每周至少做三次練習(xí)。繼續(xù)分析實(shí)踐測試以確定和解決問題，但是要花更多的時(shí)間在額外的實(shí)踐問題上，少花時(shí)間復(fù)習(xí)課程材料來解決這些問題。
Student 2: A student with little to no experience with LSAT but with a history of performing well on standardized tests.Many students who have performed well on standardized tests in the past – especially those testing verbal skills, such as the SAT, GRE and GMAT – will likely be able to work out parts of the LSAT on their own. After taking five to eight LSAT practice tests, see where you stand and whether you would benefit from a comprehensive review or a tailored approach to target only areas of weakness.
Weeks 1-4: Take five to eight practice tests total and assess your preparation needs.
Weeks 5-8: Take one to two practice tests per week and begin a tutoring or self-study program that addresses specific needs.
Weeks 9-12: Continue taking practice tests, but adding a practice test per week to total two to three tests per week. Continue to address specific areas of weakness by reviewing tests and doing targeted practice problems.
Weeks 13-16: Take at least three practice tests per week. Extra study time should be spent primarily reviewing practice tests.
學(xué)生2:幾乎沒有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的學(xué)生但是在標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化考試中表現(xiàn)良好的歷史。許多在過去的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化考試中表現(xiàn)良好的學(xué)生——尤其是那些測試語言技能的學(xué)生——比如SAT、GRE和GMAT——很可能能夠獨(dú)立完成部分LSAT考試。在參加了5到8次LSAT的實(shí)踐測試之后，看看你的立場和你是否會(huì)從全面的評估中受益，或者僅僅針對那些薄弱的領(lǐng)域。
1 - 4:周進(jìn)行5到8次的練習(xí)測試，并評估你的準(zhǔn)備需求。
5 - 8周:每周進(jìn)行一到兩次的練習(xí)測試，開始一個(gè)針對特定需求的輔導(dǎo)或自學(xué)計(jì)劃。
9 - 12周:繼續(xù)進(jìn)行練習(xí)測試，但每周增加一次練習(xí)測試，每周2 - 3次。繼續(xù)通過檢查測試和做有針對性的實(shí)踐問題來解決特定的薄弱環(huán)節(jié)。
13 - 16周:每周至少做三次練習(xí)。額外的學(xué)習(xí)時(shí)間應(yīng)該主要用于復(fù)習(xí)練習(xí)測試。
Student 3: A student who is in the process of completing or has completed an LSAT prep course.For these students, the conceptual work should be mostly done. The goal for the remaining time before the test is reinforcement of key concepts and consistent practice.
Weeks 1-4: Review major concepts from your prep course and take one to two practice tests per week.
Weeks 5-8: Review minor concepts from your prep course and take one to two practice tests per week.
Weeks 9-12: Continue taking practice tests, adding a practice test per week to total two to three tests per week. Review practice tests thoroughly by reviewing every question you got wrong, every logical reasoning question that took more than two minutes to solve, and every logic game and passage that took more than 11 minutes to complete
Weeks 13-16: Take at least three practice tests per week. Review practice tests by reviewing every question you got wrong.
學(xué)生3:正在完成或已完成LSAT預(yù)備課程的學(xué)生。對這些學(xué)生來說，概念性的工作應(yīng)該多做。測試前剩余時(shí)間的目標(biāo)是強(qiáng)化關(guān)鍵概念和一致的實(shí)踐。
1 - 4周:復(fù)習(xí)你的預(yù)備課程的主要概念，每周進(jìn)行一到兩次的練習(xí)測試。
5- 8周:復(fù)習(xí)準(zhǔn)備課程的小概念，每周進(jìn)行一到兩次的練習(xí)測試。
9 - 12周:繼續(xù)進(jìn)行練習(xí)測試，每周增加一次練習(xí)測試，每周2 - 3次。通過回顧你所犯的每一個(gè)問題，每一個(gè)需要花費(fèi)超過兩分鐘時(shí)間來解決的邏輯推理問題，以及每一場耗時(shí)超過11分鐘的邏輯游戲和段落，來徹底復(fù)習(xí)練習(xí)測試。
周13 - 16:每周至少做三次練習(xí)。復(fù)習(xí)練習(xí)測試你的每一個(gè)問題。
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