Law School Discussion

I hope you guys don't think I'm butting in, but three of my friends took Testmasters in NY, and said the exact same thing. They said that the PS bibles are pretty much exactly what is taught in the course. The difference is that the course has workbooks with hundreds of problems separated by question type that you work through, instead of the 3-6 problems at the end of each chapter in the PS bibles.

They said that the good thing about the course was that it kept them disciplined and got them to do a lot of problems. Also, they had simulated proctored courses and of course, a very good instructor to explain any questions they had.

I guess this information is also based on heresay, huh? haha

Thanks for sharing this information! Even though it technically still qualifies as hearsay, at least it isn't the type of hearsay where you are quoting what someone else told you what they heard their friend say.

This information definitely helps support my initial conjecture that Testmaster's approaches and techniques are similar to those of Powerscore. (But for those people reading this post who aren't 155 ATM, please don't hesitate to contribute your experiences and opinions, because I would definitely appreciate hearing more info on this topic.)

I think studying several choice areas (e.g. formal logic, types of logical flaws) on my own will be very helpful in reducing the amount of new mental processing I have to do in class.

One more thing. The reason why they tell you not to study beforehand is so they can look good for marketing purposes. An ill-prepared student will almost always have bigger gains than one who studied beforehand. If you study dilligently beforehand using the PS materials, it's very likely that you'll experience very little gains from the course, much of it coming just from doing the homework and drills.

That was my guess as well. Although, from what I've seen and heard, studying the Kaplan prep materials can cause you to be confused, so maybe the Testmasters admins do have a point if you are thinking of prepping through those materials.

I recently purchased the Powerscore Logic Games Bible, Logical Reasoning Bible, and Logic Games Setup Book. I've also acquired several preptests from my friends who have previously taken the LSAT.

To ensure that I have learned all applicable strategies, I intend to enroll in the Testmasters prep course for the December 1st exam. However, the Testmasters admins have repeatedly mentioned that they do not want students to self-study prior to taking their course.

I agree that self-studying, and especially taking preptests, may skew my learning during the Testmasters course's administration. I especially do not like the idea of my practicing a preptest that will later be used to diagnose my progression in the Testmasters course, since that will definitely skew the diagnosis.

However, the Testmasters course is compressed into a 2-month period. There is little chance I can study all 30-some-odd preptests in that 2-month period, while at the same time going to class and carrying out my non-LSAT-related activities. In addition, an NYU-law grad friend of mine, who scored a 175 on his LSAT, credited his going through each and every LSAT preptest with his high score. Hence, I'd like to begin studying the Bibles and going through preptests right now.

But before I begin, I'd like to hear what other people have to say on this topic. What are your thoughts regarding this approach?