Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog

LSAT Logic Games: Hierarchy of Rule Notation

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog - LSAT Logic Games: Hierarchy of Rule Notation by Christine DefenbaughLearning science has come a long way in recent years, and we’ve been learning with it. We incorporate the latest discoveries in learning science into our LSAT course to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your prep. Want to see? Try the first session of any of our upcoming courses for free.


In order to efficiently crush logic games, we need to face the fact that we’re human. Mortal. Imperfect. We make mistakes, we forget things – even things we knew 15 seconds ago! We put our keys down and forget where a few hours later, we spend 20 minutes looking for the sunglasses that are sitting right on top of our heads. It’s an epidemic condition, this ‘humany-wumany’ fallibility.

So, since implanting cyborg supplements is not yet possible in LSAT preparation, we’ve got to come up with a series of safety nets that give us the best shot at fighting the ever-present human amnesia. Read more

Learning Science and the LSAT – Part 4: Spiraling

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog: Learning Science and the LSAT - Part 4: Spiraling by Matt ShinnersLearning science has come a long way in recent years, and we’ve been learning with it. We incorporate the latest discoveries in learning science into our LSAT course to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your prep. Want to see? Try the first session of any of our upcoming courses for free.


The LSAT is a hard test. No doubt about it. When well under 100 people out of 100,000 taking the test every year get a perfect score (with even fewer of those getting nothing wrong), you’ve succeeded in making a hard test.

But while the test overall is difficult, that doesn’t mean that each step of answering questions is (those in a class might recognize that conclusion as a whole-vs-part flaw). To me, the difficulty of the LSAT isn’t that it asks you to make huge, difficult leaps; it’s that it asks you to do a whole lot of small steps without making a mistake.

What learning science tells us is that, to master these small steps, you need to do a few things: Read more

Take Your LSAT Practice Exam Like This to Maximize Your Score

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog - Take Your Practice LSAT Like This to Maximize Your Score by Matt ShinnersIf you practice how you play, you’ll maximize your chances of success. We’re hosting a series of Free Proctored LSAT Practice Exams leading up to the June 2016 LSAT. Find one that works for you here.


There’s a time and a place to work on some LSAT problems in your pajamas, with the TV on in the background, your dog in your lap, and a pizza on the way. All of those comforts will make it a little easier to suffer through a series of questions (as long as you can stay focused). And, in fact, studies show that having an ever-changing mix of stimuli around, triggering different senses, is a great way to get your brain to retain information.

However, when it’s time to sit down and take a practice test, it’s time to get serious. Read more

Announcing the Brand New LSAT Complete Course — Based on the Latest in Learning Science

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog - Announcing the Brand New LSAT Complete Course, Based on the Latest in Learning Science by Matt ShinnersLearning science has come a long way in recent years, and we’ve been learning with it. We incorporate the latest discoveries in learning science into our LSAT course to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your prep. Want to see? Try the first session of any of our upcoming courses for free.


Over the past month and a half, we’ve spent a lot of time around here discussing learning science. If you missed our articles on Interleaving, Forgetting/Spaced Repetition, or Scaffolding, please check them out now!

While knowing about each of those concepts can be helpful with your prep, it’s definitely a lot to take in. It’s even more to process, and then even more to come up with a study plan based on all of that.

Luckily, you don’t have to! Read more

#MovieFailMondays: Pitch Perfect 2 (Or, How Movies Can Teach You About Logical Fallacies and Help You Ace the LSAT)

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog - Movie Fail Mondays: Pitch Perfect 2 by Matt Shinners

Each week, we analyze a movie that illustrates a logical fallacy you’ll find on the LSAT. Who said Netflix can’t help you study? ??


Did you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person LSAT courses absolutely free? We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.


Pitch Perfect is a fantastic movie, a guilty pleasure with a soundtrack to which I go incognito on Spotify before listening. After taking in more money than anyone expected, they decided to release a sequel (which is the highest-grossing musical comedy of all time).

And if you’re worried that they couldn’t possibly match the original, you’ll be happy to hear that the sequel is pitch perfect, too. Read more

I’m in love with the June 2007 LSAT and I Need to Tell You All About It! – Part 2

by

Blog Banner for Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog - I'm in Love with the 2007 LSAT and I Need to Tell You All About It by Chris GentryThis is a continuation of a series of posts exploring the June 2007 LSAT in detail. My goal is to demonstrate where hidden opportunities lie; then, using these analyses as a template, you can find those hidden opportunities in other practice tests. And, of course, find them on test day! Why the June 2007 LSAT? Because this is the LSAT all potential test takers can freely access; this is where most test takers probably begin their prep. And I want to give you some help from the ground up, so to speak!


Miss our previous post? Check it out here.

In our continued struggle for LSAT mastery, there are many vital considerations: Read more

Learning Science and the LSAT – Part 3: Scaffolding

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog: Learning Science and the LSAT - Part 3: Scaffolding by Matt ShinnersLearning science has come a long way in recent years, and we’ve been learning with it. We incorporate the latest discoveries in learning science into our LSAT courses to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your prep. Want to see? Try the first session of any of our upcoming courses for free.


“Why can’t I do this homework? I understood the questions in class!”

Raise your hand if you’ve been there before. Now realize that no one around you knows why you’re raising your hand, and put it down. If you were reading this in class and just got called on, I apologize. Read more

#MovieFailMondays: The Goonies (Or, How Movies Can Teach You About Logical Fallacies and Help You Ace the LSAT)

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog - #MovieFailMondays: The Goonies

Each week, we analyze a movie that illustrates a logical fallacy you’ll find on the LSAT. Who said Netflix can’t help you study? ??


Did you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person LSAT courses absolutely free? We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.


Forget about Pixels for a second. I mean, most of you probably didn’t see it, and those who did probably blocked it from their memories. So let’s just say it doesn’t exist. This way, we can talk about Chris Columbus without feeling bad.

In 1985, Richard Donner, Steven Spielberg, and Chris Columbus collaborated on a little project that we all know (and love!) as The Goonies. If you’ve never seen this film, go, right now, and watch it. Read more

Learning Science and the LSAT – Part 2: Spaced Repetition

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog: Learning Science and the LSAT - Part 2 Spaced Repetition by Matt Shinners

Learning science has come a long way in recent years, and we’ve been learning with it. On March 23rd, 2016, we’re launching a new kind of class that will revolutionize efficiency and efficacy in LSAT prep. Intrigued? Try it out for free.


Missed Part 1 of our Learning Science and the LSAT series? Read it here!

Here’s a weird—yet true—statement: You can’t really learn something until you’ve forgotten it.

Huh? Read more

Two Simple Rules for Approaching Rogue LSAT Logic Games

by

Manhattan Prep LSAT Blog - Two Simple Rules for Approaching Rogue Logic Games by Allison BellDid you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person LSAT courses absolutely free? We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.


It’s your LSAT test day. Things are going smoothly. You’ve dominated the first and second logic games. You flip confidently to the third one and begin reading. Your stomach turns. This doesn’t look familiar at all! You have no idea what diagram to use! Rule number three looks like you’ll need the Rosetta Stone to crack it. If someone could take a picture of your face right now, you better believe you’d be an internet meme in no time flat. Thank goodness no cell phones are allowed. Read more