The LSAT Reading Comprehension section is just one of the three multiple-choice sections on the LSAT test. The other two are Analytical Reasoning (logic games) and Logical Reasoning. The Reading Comprehension section contains four 400-600 word passages, each with 5-8 questions, for a total of approximately 27 questions to complete in 35 minutes. Of the 4 passages, one is a “comparative reading” section that is made up of two related shorter passages. Skills tested include drawing inferences, finding the main idea, understanding intricate text and the ability to compare and contrast. Topics covered in the reading passages include the humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and the law. The purpose of this section is testing your ability to effectively read and analyze complex details as is often required in the practice of law.

Just like the other question types on the LSAT, the key to mastering the Reading Comprehension section is to first understand the question types and then to practice, practice, practice. Strategies that will help you effectively read each passage and answer the questions include active reading and note-taking. In order to master Reading Comprehension, you must learn to remain focused as you read 400-600 words of dense, not so interesting text. By actively involving yourself in the reading process, you will be much better equipped to answer the questions that follow. As you read, look for clues in the text that will lead you to understand key concepts from each passage including:

• Main idea
• Explicit details
• Details inferrable from the text
• Contextual clues to the meaning of complex words or phrases
• Passage structure
• Author’s viewpoint
• Contrasting viewpoints

Knowing the types of details that are likely to be needed to answer the questions will help you be a focused, active reader and avoid merely skimming the passages.

The LSAT Reading Comprehension questions test you on your understanding of explicit and implicit details. Getting in the habit of marking up the passage as you read will help you find and remember key parts of the LSAT Reading Comprehension passages. Part of your preparation process should be figuring out the best level and kind of highlighting and notating that will help you most in answering the questions. As you gain experience through practice, you will learn which details are important for answering questions. Techniques like writing notes next a paragraph can help you keep track of key ideas and structural elements.

Always practice using a timer as test takers often find it difficult to read 4 dense passages and answer 27 questions in just 35 minutes. At the end of your 8-12 week LSAT prep period, your goal should be to be able to read a passage and answer 7 questions in about 8-9 minutes.

Studying for the LSAT? Manhattan Prep offers a free LSAT practice exam, and free Manhattan LSAT trial classes running all the time near you, or online. Be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter!

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Thank you to everyone who joined us for our last open house on May 21st to learn about the rewarding teaching opportunities with Manhattan Prep. We’re gearing up again for another great event – and we would like to extend an invitation for you to join us for our next online open house on June 22nd. Here’s the scoop:

We are seeking expert teachers throughout the US who have proven their mastery of the GMAT, GRE or LSAT and who can engage students of all ability levels. Our instructors teach in classroom and one-on-one settings, both in-person and online. We provide extensive, paid training and a full suite of print and digital instructional materials. Moreover, we encourage the development and expression of unique teaching styles..

All Manhattan Prep instructors earn $100/hour for teaching and tutoring – up to four times the industry standard. These are part-time positions with flexible hours. Many of our instructors maintain full-time positions, engage in entrepreneurial endeavors, or pursue advanced degrees concurrently while teaching for Manhattan Prep. (To learn more about our exceptional instructors, read their bios or view this short video.

Learn about how to transform your passion for teaching into a lucrative and fulfilling part-time career by joining us for this Online Open House event!

To attend this free event, please select from one of the following online events and follow the on-screen instructions:

Sunday, 6/22 from 8 – 9pm ET

To teach the LSAT at Manhattan Prep:

//www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/EventShow.cfm?EID=3&eventID=1374

To teach the GMAT at Manhattan Prep:

//www.manhattangmat.com/classes/details/13792

To teach the GRE at Manhattan Prep:

//www.manhattanprep.com/gre/EventShow.cfm?EID=3&eventID=752

About Manhattan Prep

Manhattan Prep is a premier test-preparation company serving students and young professionals studying for the GMAT (business school), LSAT (law school), GRE (master’s and PhD programs), and SAT (undergraduate programs). We are the leading provider of GMAT prep in the world.

Manhattan Prep conducts in-person classes and private instruction across the United States, Canada, and England. Our online courses are available worldwide, and our acclaimed Strategy Guides are available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. In addition, Manhattan Prep serves an impressive roster of corporate clients, including many Fortune 500 companies. For more information, visit www.manhattanprep.com.

//youtu.be/fi1Do93UizU

Please join us for an exciting, online open house to learn about the rewarding teaching opportunities with Manhattan Prep.

We are seeking expert teachers throughout the US who have proven their mastery of the GMAT, GRE or LSAT and who can engage students of all ability levels. Our instructors teach in classroom and one-on-one settings, both in-person and online. We provide extensive, paid training and a full suite of print and digital instructional materials. Moreover, we encourage the development and expression of unique teaching styles..

All Manhattan Prep instructors earn $100/hour for teaching and tutoring – up to four times the industry standard.  These are part-time positions with flexible hours. Many of our instructors maintain full-time positions, engage in entrepreneurial endeavors, or pursue advanced degrees concurrently while teaching for Manhattan Prep.  (To learn more about our exceptional instructors, read their bios or view this short video.

Learn about how to transform your passion for teaching into a lucrative and fulfilling part-time career by joining us for this Online Open House event!

To attend this free event, please select from one of the following online events and follow the on-screen instructions:

About Manhattan Prep

Manhattan Prep is a premier test-preparation company serving students and young professionals studying for the GMAT (business school), LSAT (law school), GRE (master’s and PhD programs), and SAT (undergraduate programs).  We are the leading provider of GMAT prep in the world.

Manhattan Prep conducts in-person classes and private instruction across the United States, Canada, and England.  Our online courses are available worldwide, and our acclaimed Strategy Guides are available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.  In addition, Manhattan Prep serves an impressive roster of corporate clients, including many Fortune 500 companies.  For more information, visit www.manhattanprep.com.

We are very excited to announce that the Manhattan LSAT 4^th Edition Strategy Guides for Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension, are now available. Sold individually, or as a set, the new edition sets itself apart from others with enhanced curriculum, including new and innovative drills and exercises based on feedback from our students. While the 4^th Edition of our books teaches the same overall, tried-and-true Manhattan Prep LSAT strategy, it breaks the process down into more detail and provides more in-depth instruction than ever before.

What are the 3 LSAT Strategy Guides (4^th Edition)?

Offering a streamlined and innovative approach to the LSAT, the Set of 3 LSAT Strategy Guides (4^th Edition) includes both real LSAT questions from real LSATS and drills designed and written by the world’s best 99^th-percentile scoring instructors. Created and field-tested by Manhattan Prep’s expert curriculum team, they are a must-have resource for any student preparing to take the exam.

What do you get?

The set of 3 LSAT Strategy Guides includes:

• All three of Manhattan LSAT’s strategy guides (Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension)

• Three free LSAT INTERACT™ Lessons – Called “the best self study method out right now”, our dynamic digital learning platform will help you kickstart your studies.

• Full access to Manhattan LSAT’s proprietary analysis tool, the LSAT Tracker, which allows you to watch your progress and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses to improve testing performance.

Who should use the LSAT Strategy Guides?

The Strategy Guides are designed to teach you the LSAT from start to finish. They are a perfect way to begin your LSAT preparation if you’ve never laid eyes on an LSAT before. That said, they also make great supplements for those who have already been studying but struggle with certain areas or tasks. For example, if you find that you have a difficult time choosing between “similar answers,” the Similar Answers drill in our Reading Comprehension guide is just what you need. 

Where can I get the LSAT Strategy Guides?

You can buy the 3 LSAT Strategy Guides as a set or individually (Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension) on Amazon or on our website starting today!

Let us know what you think in the Comments section below. Good luck and happy studying!

Years ago, I was at my mind-numbingly dull data entry job and taking my lunch break at my desk with the receptionist when I heard the strangest first date idea, ever.

“We went to Bikram yoga.”

I dropped my bag of pretzels—“lunch” on my salary. I had only just moved to New York but had lived there long enough to learn about Bikram. It was the really sweaty, hot yoga where people wore hardly any clothes, got bright red, and lost control of their bodily functions. I had even been to a class once, at the insistence of a friend. I hadn’t gone back, because I had been so thrilled to leave it alive, and because it cost twenty bucks per.

She went on a first date to Bikram?

“It was his idea. We both wanted to try it so we were like, sure, why not?”

Eventually, she tells me, she married him. She was talking about her husband.

That story came to mind recently and got me thinking. Why not integrate the LSAT into a first date in some creative way? If doing camel pose in 105 degrees can lead people to the altar, what else is possible?

Date Idea #1: Do a logic game together.

I know, I know. But talk about a moment of truth. Forget fake fake chatty chatty, “Oh I LOVE camping” (no, you don’t), “I would never treat a girl like that” (sure you wouldn’t)—you guys go for a full-on logic game showdown on your first date? That’s some authenticity, right there.

Also, how a person acts when he is outperformed can be very revealing.

Date Idea #2: Attend a free LSAT event.

There are so many reasons this makes a brilliant date that I don’t know where to start. Okay, I’ll settle on: afterward, you’ll be so happy to be out of there, you’ll both seem like the most charismatic people ever, post-event. You’re setting yourselves up to win with hardly any effort during drinks, afterward—all you have to do is be more interesting than four paragraphs about Canadian common law and a room of timid strangers.

Free LSAT event: the ultimate wingman.

Date Idea #3: Arrange to meet up after you take the LSAT.

Talk about lowered inhibitions.

You just finished the LSAT. AIN’T NOBODY BRINGING YOU DOWN!

Or, if on the contrary it didn’t go quite that well, what have you got to lose?

Either way, you are in a good state for a first date because seriously, the stakes are zero. This person may or may not be cool, but you’re just along for the ride, because you just took the LSAT. No matter what happens, you’re not going to sweat it. You have three weeks to kill.
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Myth #1: Just take as many tests as you can.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this story:

“I knew a guy who just took, like, 40 LSAT in a row over 2 weeks. He hardly slept or ate, he just like, took LSATs, until he got a 180.”

You know what? I’d put money on it: Either that guy started at a 172, or he is an urban legend. (I’ll let you guess which I think is more likely.)

In general, you’ll hear Manhattan Prep teachers say over and over again, quantity does not trump—or match—quality when it comes to LSAT preparation. It is better to take 1-2 tests per week and spend twice as long reviewing them as you did taking them than it is to squeeze in 4 or 5 tests and rush through your review, if you even have time to review at all.

You will learn logic by studying logic methodically, systematically, and dedicatedly. Not by binging on logic problems, hoping that the sheer volume will somehow leak into your brain.

Myth #2: Memorize all the tricks and tactics, and you’ll get a 170+.

The LSAT, I’m sorry to tell you, does not boil down to a set of tips and tactics and “gotcha” solutions. While devices like mnemonics and rules of thumb such as, “The word ‘thus’ indicates a conclusion” are certainly useful, they should not be relied on to carry your score. They should be used as supplements to logical thinking, in other words, not replacements for logical thinking.

Be wary of study methods, people, and books that appeal to your wishful thinking—while tricks and tactics can be helpful, they cannot substitute for rigorous study of the actual concepts being tested, no matter how good they are.

Myth #3: Learn conditional logic, and you’re set.

Conditional logic—the kind of logic that goes, “If X, then Y,” and all its variations—is all over the LSAT. There’s no question about that. And for this reason, learning it is essential. There’s also no question, there.

But a common pitfall is believing that learning conditional logic and applying it across the board is the solution to breaking 170, and that’s just not the case.

Many questions on the LSAT not only don’t require conditional logic, they become more convoluted and even impossible to solve when cast through the lens of conditional logic. (And there is very little if any conditional logic on the Reading Comprehension section.)

The better plan is to learn condition logic backwards and forwards, yes, but then, learn how to recognize where it should be applied and where it should be set aside to wait for you while you use the other tools in your kit.

Now keep up the good work!

Do you promote positive social change? Do you work for a non-profit? Manhattan Prep is offering special full tuition scholarships for up to 16 individuals per year (4 per quarter) who will be selected as part of Manhattan GMAT’s Social Venture Scholars program. SVS program provides selected scholars with free admission into one of Manhattan GMAT’s live online Complete Courses (a $1290 value).

These competitive scholarships are offered to individuals who (1) currently work full-time in an organization that promotes positive social change, (2) plan to use their MBA to work in a public, not-for-profit, or other venture with a social-change oriented mission, and (3) demonstrate clear financial need. The Social Venture Scholars will all enroll in a special online preparation course taught by two of Manhattan GMAT’s expert instructors within one year of winning the scholarship.

The deadline is fast approaching!: March 28, 2014! 

 Learn more bout the SVS program and apply to be one of our Social Venture Scholars here.

If you’re just getting started with the LSAT, one thing you might be considering is when you should take the test.

The LSAT is offered four times a year—February, June, October, and December. October is by far the most popular administration, partly because it falls at the beginning of the admissions cycle and partly because it gives college students the chance to spend their summer studying.

However, if you’re willing to start studying a little earlier, I’d encourage you to consider the June LSAT. Here are a few reasons why the June test might be the right choice for you:

• The June LSAT is the only LSAT offered in the afternoon. This is BIG. If you’re like me and think the true purpose of mornings is to lie in bed drinking coffee while watching House of Cards, then the June LSAT is a great choice. By taking the LSAT when you are normally awake and alert, you’ll likely perform better and feel more refreshed throughout the test.

• You’ll be done sooner. That might not sound like such a compelling factor, but consider how busy the next few months will be for you. Essay writing, school visits, recommendation requests, endless application forms… do you really want to be doing all that while studying for the LSAT? Getting the test out of the way in June will reduce your stress and give you time to focus on your applications.

• Taking the June LSAT can improve your law school admissions chances since it allows you to apply at the start of the admissions cycle. Most law schools accept applicants on a rolling basis. This is important because—even if you’re a very strong candidate—you may not get in if you apply too late. This is especially important if you’re applying to a top law school.

• The June LSAT lines up better for students on the semester system. It might seem tempting to spend the summer studying, but if you take the October LSAT, that will likely fall in the middle of midterms. Not such a great plan.

• If you take the LSAT in June, you’ll be able to retake in October. Of course, we hope you won’t have to retake! But the LSAT can be a daunting undertaking, and test day is often fraught with shenanigans. Do yourself a favor and have a fallback plan ready. If you take the October LSAT, your only real retake option is the December LSAT, which pushes you to the very back of the admissions cycle. However, if you take the June LSAT, you have the option to retake in October—which still lets you apply relatively early.

We have several classes starting this spring that are designed to get you ready in time for the June LSAT. Take a look at what we have coming up:

WASHINGTON D.C. LSAT COURSE – Starts March 3^rd

PHILADELPHIA LSAT COURSE – Starts March 3^rd

BOSTON LSAT COURSE – Starts March 10^th

BERKELEY LSAT COURSE – Starts March 9^th

IRVINE LSAT COURSE – Starts March 10^th

WESTWOOD LSAT COURSE – Starts March 10^th

BOULDER LSAT COURSE – Starts March 11^th

NEW YORK LSAT COURSE – Starts March 11^th

SAN DIEGO LSAT COURSE – Starts March 13^th

AUSTIN LSAT COURSE – Starts March 27^th

Take $100 off on us with the code SPRINGSTUDY14

Today, Manhattan Prep is so excited to announce that we are expanding our Manhattan LSAT in-person complete course to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hosted at the beautiful City View. Right in the heart of downtown Philly, we think it’s exactly the right spot to host our Philadelphia LSAT course to better serve the growing need of students in the area, who have requested our expansion to Philly. Seats are filling quickly, so be sure to register before it’s too late!

Philadelphia LSAT Class Starts: March 03, 2014

Philadelphia LSAT Class Ends: June 02, 2014

Time: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30PM

Location:

The Hub CityView, 14th floor 30 South 17th Street, Center City
Philadelphia PA 19103

In addition to over 60 hours of live instruction, LSAT students in Philadelphia will receive the following resources:

Class Recordings

Unlimited access to On Demand Class Recordings of our Complete Course (60 hours, taught in our interactive online classroom.)

Office Hours Session

Weekly 30-minute Office Hours Sessions in Philadelphia (one-on-one private instruction with a Manhattan LSAT teacher dedicated to answering students’ questions.)

Official Full-Length LSAT Exams

As a student, you’ll receive access to every exam ever released by LSAC. With every exam at your fingertips, you’ll be set to practice LSATs from start to finish.

Manhattan LSAT Strategy Guides

• Reading Comprehension
• Logic Games
• Logical Reasoning

Games Intensive Lessons

As part of our in-personal Philadelphia LSAT class, you’l be given unlimited access to On Demand Class Recordings of our 6-session logic games intensive course (18 hours, taught in our interactive online classroom.)

 Additional Online Resources

• LSAT Workshop Recordings: Over 30 hours of homework review sessions and workshops reviewing recent LSATs. Dig deeper into your practice and recent trends.
• Online Labs: Guided lessons and exercises that help you practice LSAT techniques.
• LSAT Tracker: Break down your results from your practice PrepTests. Learn your strengths and weaknesses with our proprietary analysis tool.
• Syllabus: your customizable syllabus will help you create and follow a study plan.

Why Manhattan LSAT in Philadelphia?

• 99th Percentile Teachers – Our teachers are the best in the industry. With 99th percentile LSAT scores and proven teaching abilities, they equip our students with the skills to earn top LSAT scores.
• 170+ Focus – Our curriculum is designed for students seeking a 170+ score. Our comprehensive and flexible strategies prepare you for any curve ball the LSAT throws your way.

Personalized Attention – Our classes are small and personal. Capped at 10 in-person or 15 online, our classes ensure quality instruction designed to be both challenging and engaging.

MANHATTAN LSAT COURSES NOW AVAILABLE IN THESE NEW CITIES…

PHILADELPHIA: //www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/EventShow.cfm?EID=1&eventID=1257

BERKELEY:

//www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/EventShow.cfm?EID=1&eventID=1252

and SANTA BARBARA:

//www.manhattanprep.com/lsat/EventShow.cfm?EID=1&eventID=1279

So you woke up early on Saturday morning, scrambled some eggs, stuffed your wallet, pencils, and passport-size photo into the Ziploc bag you remembered to buy at midnight the night before, and took yourself an LSAT. But it didn’t go as well as you hoped. You’re considering canceling your score, but you’re not sure if it’s the best idea. Here are the critical questions to consider.

1. Was this LSAT considerably different than your usual practice test experience?

Did you only complete 3 games or reading comp passages when you usually complete 4? Or did you become violently ill? If you know you bombed the LSAT, then you should cancel unless all your goal schools are firmly committed to only considering your best score. You can find out which schools focus solely on your highest score on their websites. For example, Harvard averages your scores (“and considers them,” which means your highest may still be what really counts); Northwestern takes your highest; most schools are even fuzzier than Harvard. But unless you know you’ll score higher next time and that that higher score will be what counts, don’t keep a score that youknow is too low for you. 

2. Was this LSAT below your practice scores, but only your best ones, and/or only by 2-3 points? 

If you were at the bottom of your score range or slightly below it, the question becomes: which is a more accurate reflection of how you’ll perform on the next “real” LSAT—how you were scoring on practice, or how you scored in a real test setting? This is a time to be very honest with yourself. Did you give yourself slightly more time during practice? Did you “count” questions right that you thought you should have gotten right? If either of these, or something similar, is true, then your “practice scores” weren’t accurate. It is also important to consider how anxiety plays a role in your life.

To say, “but I was anxious so it’s not a reflection of how I’ll score next time” only makes sense if you are going to work on your anxiety between now and then. I see many students who think that going in and bombing because they were nervous is something that’ll just solve itself on its own before the next administration—unfortunately, I havenever seen that happen. If you got a lower score than you think you should and think you may be able to do better, but you believe anxiety played a role in this last test-disaster, cancel your score only if you plan to work on your anxiety between now and June. Yoga, exercise, meditation, long practice exams with focused calming techniques, therapy—whatever your preference, be committed to trying whatever it takes.

3. Are you going to put in the work to do better next time? 

Along the same lines, you can’t just sit on your laurels (that’s the first time I’ve ever used that word, and hopefully the last). Even if you were steadily scoring higher on practice, you’re going to have to maintain working in order to maintain your skills. More likely, you actually want to improve between now and the next test. Questions to ask yourself are: do you have time to devote to studying? Do you have energy? Do you have motivation? It’s fine to take a break, first, especially since you’ve probably been working your butt off in the last week or so before the test, but after that 1-2 week break, you’re going to have to dive back into LSAT-prep land. Are you willing and able?

4. What do you actually need to achieve your goals? 

All of the above should be considered in light of what you actually need to score in order to feel comfortable applying to your goal school. If you’re in the school’s median LSAT range, and you didn’t bust, i.e. score WAY lower than you have been, and you don’t have a GPA in the crickets-zone, keep the dang score. Work on making your personal statement awesome. If you are below the 25th percentile, the questions above become relevant: how likely are you to do better next time?

If you determine that realistically, the odds of your doing better under your life circumstances are not worth the risk (and so you don’t cancel), and yet you anticipate you have scored below the 25th percentile of your target schools, I suggest revisiting your goals. Play around with the LSAT/GPA calculator that the LSAC helpfully provides while you wait for your score. Still apply to your goal schools if you want—I’m not saying you shouldn’t—but at least consider adding more schools that are within a safe range for your anticipated score.

Take a deep breath, and consider this as rationally as you can. It’ll be okay.

If you want to take it again… 

If you are concerned you bombed it–or just didn’t do as well as you know you can–and therefore have decided to take it again, check out upcoming in-person and online classes at Manhattan LSAT.

If you are bidding X –> Y goodbye (for now)…

Now that you’re LSAT-free, it’s time to turn your attention to the rest of your law school applications. Check out the blog at jdMission for all kinds of tips and strategies on applying to law school, from writing your personal statement to getting letters of recommendation. You can also sign up there for a free consultation with an admissions consultant.

Regardless, I hope you are all proud of yourselves for showing up on Saturday and giving it your best. It’s not an easy test or a short day, so give yourselves a big pat on the back for taking on the challenge. Just think–now you have a hundred gallon-size Ziploc bags to last you through 2014!