LSAT 2-Month Study Guide
Two months is a perfect amount of time to spend studying for the LSAT. In the following study guide we’ve laid out a study calendar, materials, and tips that will help you succeed on the LSAT. This post references Kaplan’s LSAT book, but the study plan will be equally helpful if you use a different book.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Top LSAT Study Tips
- Top LSAT Study and Practice Materials
- Model LSAT 2-Month Study Plan
- Personalize Your LSAT Prep
Top LSAT Study Tips
Top LSAT Study and Practice Materials
Here’s what you’ll need to start working through the following 2-month model LSAT study plan.
- Kaplan LSAT Prep Plus 2022-2023: This is Kaplan’s foundational book for students studying for the LSAT on their own. It lays out the most effective methods for each test section, strategies to use for each question type, and hundreds of drills and official, released LSAT questions. NOTE: This book, along with a separate lesson book, is included in all of Kaplan’s LSAT prep courses.
- If you have an LSAT book other than Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus, you can still benefit from following the model study plan below. Simply find coinciding readings and activities in the book you have with the ones listed in the model study plan.
- Official LSAT PrepTests: The Law School Admissions Council [LSAC], the organization that creates and administers the LSAT, releases three official tests every year as practice exams. These released tests are called PrepTests, and working through them is a must for serious LSAT prep. You can buy PrepTests individually, but it’s worth it to buy at least several. There are three ways to acquire multiple PrepTests:
- LSAC Prep Plus [digital]: You can access 70 digital PrepTests through your subscription to LSAC’s Official LSAT Prep Plus. Although paper PrepTests are helpful, it’s also useful to have access to PrepTests in the same digital format in which you’ll be experiencing the LSAT on test day. The free version of the subscription, Official LSAT Prep (no plus), will give you access to two PrepTests.
- 10 Actual, Official LSATs [print]: Over the years, LSAC has released PrepTests in sets of 10. Purchasing a set of 10 is less expensive and more convenient than buying 10 individual test booklets. However, much of the content overlaps with the digital tests in the Official LSAT Prep Plus bundle, so don’t buy both.
- Kaplan LSAT Prep Course [comprehensive – recommended]: Each Kaplan LSAT prep course—all of our live online, on-demand, and private tutoring options—include PDFs of every released PrepTest. In order to ensure that all Kaplan students also have access to all digital study options, our courses are discounted by the price of LSAC’s Official LSAT Prep Plus. Kaplan LSAT courses also include complete explanations and analyses of all released questions, whereas LSAC PrepTests provide you only with answer keys and score conversion tables. Comprehensive analysis and feedback allow for true LSAT prep personalization.
- Kaplan LSAT Flashcards: While not required for the following model study plan, this deck of 400 games, questions, and drills provides you with study opportunities on the go or as a way to mix up your studying when you’re tired of just books and tests. Some flashcards treat the LSAT as a memorization test, which it is not, but Kaplan’s LSAT Flashcards provide analytical exercises that help you prepare for LSAT test day inference, reasoning, and deduction.
- If you do not have access to Kaplan’s LSAT Flashcards, use whatever flashcards you have.
Model LSAT 2-Month Study Plan
To make the most out of your 2-month LSAT study plan, consider the following:
- Two months is the optimal LSAT prep schedule for many students. While you can make great score improvements with one intense month of study, practice, and review, most expert LSAT faculty will recommend a longer schedule if one is possible for you. While three months will be great for some students who have very busy schedules, it can be hard to sustain your focus for that length of time. So, two months hits the sweet spot for many individual preppers. Once you’ve taken a full-length practice test under timed conditions, compare your score to your goal score. Then, factor in the amount of time you’ll have to study. Are you looking for an LSAT score improvement of, say, 10 or even 15 points? Are you working or going to school during your prep? Do you have other family obligations? Use your answers to those questions to tailor the following schedule to your personal needs. If it turns out that a 2-month plan isn’t the right fit, Please check out Kaplan’s model 1- and 3-month study plans. For more insight, chat or call a Kaplan LSAT expert about your study plans.
- Adapt the model to meet your needs. No model study schedule will be exactly right for you. Apply the principles illustrated here to your own calendar, and then keep the times you’ve allocated to LSAT study and practice free from other obligations and interruptions. Depending on your work, school, and family schedule, you’ll need to shift the assignments listed here to fit your life. Throughout the model plan, you’ll find notes to help you make those adjustments to get most of your study and practice time. After the model, there is an important section with additional tips on how to personalize your LSAT study and practice.
- Keep in mind that while the chapters listed in the study plan below are specific to the Kaplan LSAT Prep Plus 2020-2021 book, you can likely find coinciding chapters in whatever LSAT book you have. If you don’t have the Kaplan book, take some time before you begin studying to customize your study plan by identifying readings for each assignment and writing them down.
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 1
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 1
| Week 1 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT² | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 1: LSAT Reasoning | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 7: Logical Reasoning Method | Work/School – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT7 |
| Afternoon | Get started: – Read Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus “Introduction: About the LSAT” – Create LSAC Prep Plus account for digital practice | Take a “diagnostic test.” Take a full-length official LSAC PrepTest to establish a baseline score.³ | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 2: Logic Games Method – Chapter 3: Logic Games Overviews, Sketches, and Game Types | Work/School – no LSAT | Mixed mastery practice – 1 or more logic games – 10+ Logical Reasoning questions – 1 or more Reading Comprehension passages⁶ | Day off – no LSAT7 |
| Evening | Register for your official test at www.lsac.org.¹ | Review the “diagnostic”: – Check your results by test section and question type. – Catalog what you got right and wrong.⁴ | LSAT Flashcards review – Ch. 1 of LSAT Prep Plus covers Formal Logic, so drill with the cards on this subject. | Logic Games mastery practice – min. 2-4 Strict Sequencing Games⁵ | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 11: Reading Comprehension Method | Personal – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT⁷ |
Notes:
- Register for your official test as soon as possible. The rest of your study plan is designed to lead up to your official test day.
- This model study plan leaves a few blocks per week LSAT-free to reflect the reality of students’ lives. Adapt your personal work, school, and family schedule as necessary. This 2-month plan has slightly more “off time” than the 1-month option and slightly less than the 3-month alternative.
- Use a recent PrepTest. Kaplan LSAT prep courses always have a Diagnostic test and other assessments at the beginning of the course experience to help students self-assess.
- See the “Personalize Your LSAT Preparation” section following the model study plan for more details about why and how to do this.
- Targeted mastery practice is one of the more difficult things for self-preppers to do well. In comprehensive Kaplan LSAT prep courses we’ve set aside more than 3,000 officially released questions for Mastery Practice assignments arranged by question type and difficulty so that our students can practice exactly what they need when they need it (and avoid the time and hassle of tracking down the right questions among all the PrepTests). For more helpful hints, see the “Personalize Your Last Preparation” section following the model study plan. Note: This particular assignment is illustrative of the importance of Mastery Practice in general. Strict Sequencing games are by far the most common game type, and you’ll want to spend more time practicing them than any other game type. A good mastery practice session should include between 10-20 questions followed by thorough review.
- At this point, focus on consistently using the methods you’ve just learned for each section, and don’t worry too much about your performance. Later, as you study strategies for individual question and game types, note the types you miss to identify your strengths and areas of opportunity.
- Keeping one full day per week LSAT free is recommended. Use it for exercise, errands, and anything you feel you “should be doing” during your study and practice time. It may not be on Saturday for you but find some time for the study-life balance.
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 2
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 2
| Week 2 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 12: Passage Types and Question Types | Work/School – no LSAT | Logic Games mastery practice – min. 1 Strict Sequencing games – min. 1 ea. Matching and Distribution games | Work/School – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
| Afternoon | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 8: Argument-Based Questions | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 4: Logic Games Rules and Deductions⁸ | Work/School – no LSAT | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – min. 10-20 Argument-Based Questions⁹ | Work/School – no LSAT | Mixed mastery practice – 1 or more logic games – 10+ Logical Reasoning questions – 1 or more Reading Comprehension passages | Day off – no LSAT |
| Evening | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – min. 10-20 Argument-Based Questions | Logic Games mastery practice – min. 1-2 Strict Sequencing games – min. 1-2 Loose Sequencing game | Reading Comprehension mastery practice – min. 2-4 passages and question sets | LSAT Flashcards review: Now that you’ve covered the basics of every test section, you can use the entire deck. | Reading Comprehension mastery practice – min. 2-4 passages and question sets | Personal – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
Notes:
- Starting in Week 3, we’ll hold Mondays for full-length tests (or endurance practice, as we at Kaplan call it). Because you have two months to prepare, it’s better to get a couple weeks of methods and strategies under your belt before taking your second full-length practice test.
- During the first 2-3 weeks, the schedule will be heavy with mastery practice. Later, as you’ve learned the majority of question types, we’ll increasingly integrate timing practice into the mix.
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 3
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 3
| Week 3 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 9: Assumption Family Questions (pp. 545-642)¹³ | Work/School – no LSAT | Reading Comprehension mastery practice – min. 2-4 passages and question sets | Work/School – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
| Afternoon | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – Identify areas you need to reread or review; take time to go back over them in light of what you’ve been learning.¹⁰ | Endurance practice – Take a full-length PrepTest (approx. 2½ hours)¹¹ | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 5: Logic Games Questions | Work/School – no LSAT | Mixed mastery practice – 1 or more logic games – 10+ Logical Reasoning questions – 1 or more Reading Comprehension passages | Day off – no LSAT |
| Evening | LSAT Flashcards review or additional mastery practice as time permits | Review your full-length test: – Check your results by test section and question type. – Catalog what you got right and wrong.¹² | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – min. 10-20 Assumption Family Questions | Logic Games mastery practice – min. 1 Strict Sequencing games – min. 1 ea. Selection, Matching, and Distribution games | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – min. 10-20 Argument-Based and Assumption Family Questions | Personal – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
Notes:
- Many of the skills on the LSAT build on and reinforce one another. Taking a little time each week to go back to earlier sections of your study will help you build confidence and mastery.
- Find the right day/time in your week for full-length testing. You’ll want to take full PrepTests under “test-like” conditions when you have an uninterrupted block of time during which you can turn off your phone and disconnect from all social media, email, etc.
- Always budget time to review the full test (questions you got wrong and those you got right to assess where you can increase speed and efficiency).
- Chapter 9 is a very long chapter covering the most important (and some of the most challenging) LR question types. That’s why we break it up into two days of reading and work.
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 4
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 4
| Week 4 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 9: Assumption Family Questions (pp. 643-712) | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 6: Logic Games Perform Quiz | Work/School – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
| Afternoon | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – Identify areas you need to reread or review; take time to go back over them in light of what you’ve been learning. | Endurance practice – Take a full-length PrepTest (approx. 2½ hours)8 | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 13: Reading Comprehension Perform Quiz | Work/School – no LSAT | Timing practice – take and review 1 35-min Reading Comprehension section from a PrepTest – (if your schedule permits) take and review 1 35-min Logic Games section¹⁴ | Day off – no LSAT |
| Evening | LSAT Flashcards review or additional mastery practice as time permits | Review your full-length test: – Check your results by test section and question type. – Catalog what you got right and wrong. | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – minimum 10-20 Assumption Family Questions | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – – review passages from Chapter 13 – read and watch Spotlight: Reading Comprehension – Managing the Section | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – review logic games from Chapter 6 – read and watch Spotlight: Logic Games – Managing the Section | Personal – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 5
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 5
| Week 5 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 10: Non-Argument Questions | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – review questions from the end of Chapter 10 | Work/School – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
| Afternoon | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – Identify areas you need to reread or review; take time to go back over them in light of what you’ve been learning. | Endurance practice – Take a full-length PrepTest (approx. 2½ hours)8 | Work/School – no LSAT | Reading Comprehension mastery practice – minimum 2-4 passages and question sets | Work/School – no LSAT | Timing practice – take and review 1 35-min Logical Reasoning section from a PrepTest – (if your schedule permits) take and review an additional 35-min Logical Reasoning section | Day off – no LSAT |
| Evening | LSAT Flashcards review or additional mastery practice as time permits | Review your full-length test: – Check your results by test section and question type. – Catalog what you got right and wrong. | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – minimum 10-20 Non-Argument Questions | Mixed mastery practice – min. 2 logic games – min. 10 Logical Reasoning Argument-Based and Assumption Family questions | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – at the end of Ch. 10, read and watch Spotlight: Logical Reasoning – Managing the Section | Personal – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 6
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 6
| Week 6 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT | Logic Games mastery practice – minimum 2-4 games¹⁵ | Work/School – no LSAT | Reading Comprehension mastery practice – minimum 2-4 passages and question sets | Work/School – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
| Afternoon | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – Identify areas you need to reread or review; take time to go back over them in light of what you’ve been learning. | Endurance practice – Take a full-length PrepTest (approx. 2½ hours) | Work/School – no LSAT | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – minimum 10-20 Qs of mixed types | Work/School – no LSAT | Timing practice – take and review 1 35-min Logic Games section from a PrepTest – (if your schedule permits) take and review 1 35-min Logical Reasoning and/or Reading Comprehension section | Day off – no LSAT |
| Evening | LSAT Flashcards review or additional mastery practice as time permits | Review your full-length test: – Check your results by test section and question type. – Catalog what you got right and wrong. | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Logical Reasoning section + review | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Reading Comprehension section + review | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Logic Games section + review | Personal – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
Notes:
- As you integrate more Timing practice into your study schedule, you can follow up with Mastery practice on the question types you most need to review.
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 7
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 7
| Week 7 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT | Logic Games mastery practice – minimum 2-4 games | Work/School – no LSAT | Reading Comprehension mastery practice – minimum 2-4 passages and question sets | Work/School – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
| Afternoon | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 14: LSAT Writing | Endurance practice – Take a full-length PrepTest (approx. 2½ hours) | Work/School – no LSAT | Logical Reasoning mastery practice – minimum 10-20 Qs of mixed types | Work/School – no LSAT | Mastery Practice – min. 10-15 Qs in area of greatest opportunity Timing practice – min. 1 35-min section (your choice) + review | Day off – no LSAT |
| Evening | LSAT Flashcards review or additional mastery practice as time permits | Review your full-length test: – Check your results by test section and question type. – Catalog what you got right and wrong. | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Logical Reasoning section + review | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Reading Comprehension section + review | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Logic Games section + review | Personal – no LSAT | Day off – no LSAT |
LSAT Study Schedule: Week 8
2-Month LSAT Study Schedule: Week 8
| Week 8 | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Family Time – no LSAT | Work/School – no LSAT | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – review chapters and sections for question types you’ve identified as needing additional attention | Work/School – no LSAT | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Logic Games section + review | Rest up for tomorrow! – Light review only – No reading or testing | Test Day: Go and crush your LSAT! |
| Afternoon | Kaplan’s LSAT Prep Plus – read and work through – Chapter 15: Countdown to Test Day | Endurance practice – Take a full-length PrepTest (approx. 2½ hours) | Work/School – no LSAT | Mixed Mastery Practice – min. 10 questions from Q-types or game types in which you need additional practice | Work/School – no LSAT | Rest for tomorrow | LSAT Test Day |
| Evening | LSAT Flashcards review or additional mastery practice as time permits | Review your full-length test: – Check your results by test section and question type. – Catalog what you got right and wrong. | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Logical Reasoning section + review | Timing practice – min. 1 35-min Reading Comprehension section + review | Method, Strategies, and Tactics review – Use your own notes and the LSAT Prep Plus book to go over your approach to each section of the LSAT. | Rest for tomorrow | LSAT Test Day |
Although the sample LSAT study plan above effectively balances study and practice across each section of the LSAT, the most productive way to study for the LSAT is to tailer your practice to your individual strengths and weaknesses. We’ve created a list of LSAT customization tips, along with some examples of how a Kaplan LSAT prep course can help you personalize your LSAT prep.
Whether or not you are using Kaplan resources to study for the LSAT, following a study plan like the one above can help you organize your study time effectively, gain confidence for LSAT test day, and achieve your LSAT score goals.
