The LSAT® is designed to provide law schools with information about a prospective student's ability to think logically and formulate arguments. It is organized into five sections which focus on logical and analytical reasoning skills and reading comprehension. An experienced LSAT® tutor works with students to strengthen these skills, calm test anxiety and develop personalized test-taking strategies tailored to the student's individual learning style. As repeating the LSAT® results in law schools evaluating the average between a student's two scores, many students choose to take classes or hire a tutor prior to their first attempt.
LSAT® tutors work individually with students, either in person or on-line. Although focused test preparation is strongly recommended by law school admissions personnel, private tutoring is only one of several options available. Group classes, informal study groups and individual practice with study books or through on-line programs offer alternative study opportunities. Private tutors offer the ability to personalize both the pace of instruction and the strategies used to help students approach the test with an individualized plan.
Logic games constitute a significant portion of the LSAT®. An experienced tutor provides students with specific strategies for solving these problems. First, an LSAT® tutor should explain the basic structure typical of most logic problems. The tutor should then help his or her student practice recognizing the fundamental structural elements and applying consistent solution strategies until he or she is comfortable solving them within a specified amount of time. In addition, a strong tutor should be able to modify strategies to accommodate a specific student's strengths and weaknesses, thereby increasing his or her chances of a good performance.
Reading comprehension problems also figure prominently on the LSAT®. Tutors help students recognize the salient features in the text. LSAT® passages typically assess a student's ability to spot relevant arguments, supporting data and counter-arguments in a situation. A qualified LSAT® tutor will help the student focus his or her reading to look for logical arguments and structure within each passage. Guided practice generally facilitates the ability to identify relevant information and answer pertinent questions quickly.
A qualified LSAT® tutor should have experience successfully tutoring other students for the current test and should be able to provide references. Many tutors also teach group classes and are familiar with the aspects of the test that are frequently challenging for most students. In addition to a thorough understanding of the subject matter, tutors should have access to the most recent testing modifications and should understand the expectations held by most law school admissions departments.