The LSAT Reading Comprehension Skills

LSAT Reading Comprehension Skills

Many test takers assume that Logical Reasoning questions are the most challenging part of the LSAT, and focus the majority of their preparation efforts on mastering those sections. While Logical Reasoning questions are indeed challenging, concentrating on them exclusively is a mistake, as the Reading Comprehension (RC) section can be surprisingly and unexpectedly difficult. Rather than underestimating the difficulty of this section, it's important to devote ample preparation time to developing the skills associated with high test score success.

There will always be at least one Reading Comprehension section on the LSAT, and you may encounter two, depending on whether the unscored, experimental section consists of Reading Comprehension or Logical Reasoning questions. According to LSAC, the purpose of the Reading Comprehension section is to "measure the ability to read, with understanding and insight, examples of lengthy and complex materials similar to those commonly encountered in law school." This section requires a strong ability to process complex texts, analyze arguments, and extract key information efficiently. 

Test takers are given 35 minutes to complete the Reading Comprehension section, and will be presented with four reading sets. Each set will be followed by five to eight (5-8) questions. Three of the sets will contain a single reading passage, while one set will contain two shorter passages (generally referred to as Comparative Reading). Passages contain high-level vocabulary words, as well as sophisticated arguments and/or rhetorical structure. 

Passages are not drawn directly from the law or legal studies, as many test takers expect, but rather come from the humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and other areas more directly related to the law. No specialized knowledge is required to answer questions correctly. While you may possess specialized knowledge or have experience with a topic in a given passage, it is important to use only the information you are given when answering questions in order to avoid selecting an answer that makes sense or might be true, but doesn't best answer the question asked. 

In general, Reading Comprehension questions require you to perform the following tasks:

1. Read passages of text carefully and accurately.
2. Determine relationships among various parts of the passage or passages.
3. Draw logical or reasonable inferences from the material you have been given.

To excel on Reading Comprehension questions, you want to focus on developing and strengthening the following skills.

Active Reading

Success on Reading Comprehension questions depends on your ability to engage in active reading rather than passive skimming. Active reading involves thinking critically about the text you're reading, as well as asking yourself questions and making predictions as you go. 

Train yourself to read with a purpose and focus on things such as: 
- the author's tone
- viewpoint shifts within the passage
- how evidence is or is not incorporated
- anticipating the author's conclusion
- formulating questions based on the information you have or have not been given.

Identifying Main Ideas & Structure

LSAT passages are not intended to be entertaining or even interesting. They use high-level vocabulary words to convey academic content drawn from the law, science, humanities, and social sciences. Your ability to sift through the passages quickly and accurately to determine the main point, supporting evidence, and counterarguments is essential. 

To become familiar with this type of writing, consider reading academic or business-related magazines and journals, such as The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Atlantic, and other official and established media outlets. Read through articles the same way you would LSAT passages, searching for clues about the author's stance on the issue, information to help you predict the author's conclusion, the main idea of the article, etc. The more familiar you are with higher-level writing and challenging vocabulary words, the easier you will find LSAT Reading Comprehension passages and questions.

Many questions in the Reading Comprehension section or sections require reading between the lines. You must understand not only what is explicitly stated, but also pick up on and identify implied meanings, unstated assumptions, and logical conclusions. Make sure you are familiar with these terms and practice identifying them when preparing for the LSAT. The faster you are able to recognize how something functions in a passage, the faster you can use that information to answer questions.

Consider reading newspaper and journal articles on topics you have no experience with or even interest in. As you hone your skills at finding the main idea and identifying the structure of the argument in the article, you can also search for places where inferential thinking is required or unstated assumptions are needed. The more you practice using logical and inferential thinking, the easier it will become and the faster you will identify where authors are doing something similar in the LSAT's RC passages.

Efficient Time Management

Test takers have 35 minutes to complete the Reading Comprehension section, which means you must do your best to strike a balance between accuracy and speed. Test experts recommend spending roughly eight (8) minutes per passage, which should leave you a few minutes at the end to double check any particularly challenging questions. It is important to mimic testing conditions as closely as possible when preparing for the LSAT, so the more you practice reading passages and answering their associated questions using an 8-minute time limit per set, the faster you will generate answers and the easier it will be to manage your time on the day of your exam. 

Using effective test-taking techniques can also help with time management:

• Utilize passage mapping (summarizing key points in margins) to help you locate information quickly.
• Start by answering the questions you find easiest and work your way up to the most challenging questions in a given set.
• Don't spend too long on any one question. At times it may be best to take your best guess in order to move on to something where you can more easily earn points.
• Avoid flagging too many questions. While flagging one or two questions to return to can be a useful strategy, flagging too many may mean that you run out of time before you can return to review them. It may also waste precious time by dividing your attention, send you clicking back and forth through sections, or cause confusion from all the jumping around between passages.

Answer Choice Elimination

The LSAT often includes trap answers that are half-true, too extreme, or outside the scope of the passage. Learning to quickly eliminate wrong answers saves time and improves accuracy. The more incorrect answers you can eliminate, the better your chances of successfully guessing the correct answer, particularly on those questions where you are unable to predict the correct answer.

By mastering active reading, logical analysis, and efficient answering techniques, you can significantly boost your LSAT Reading Comprehension performance, as well as your overall test score. Focused and consistent practice is key to mastering the Reading Comprehension section, which means it is imperative that you give yourself plenty of time and ample opportunities to prepare for these unique types of questions.