There is no one right way to prepare for the LSAT, and as you start your preparation, you have various options to consider. If you learn well through self-study, taking practice tests on LawHub™ — or with the extensive library of previously used LSATs that LSAC has published in book form — is a great option. If you believe you’d do better with guided study, there are good commercial preparation courses available.

Because every test taker is different, there is no single timeline that will be appropriate for everyone. In a lot of ways, the more pertinent issue isn’t the “timeline” but rather the “workload.” Test preparation involves looking at a lot of LSAT questions to develop familiarity with the test and to hone one’s reasoning and reading skills. If you have a schedule that allows you to take on a large test-prep “workload,” you might be able to dramatically improve your score in as little as a month. But others may need significantly longer. We often recommend three months as a sort of baseline answer to this question, but you should look closely at your own circumstances when deciding when to begin studying for the LSAT.

The vast majority of test takers will benefit from some kind of structured test preparation. But this does not need to involve paying for a commercial prep course. Indeed, many test takers do very well without taking a commercial LSAT prep course. Many test takers achieve success simply through self-study, designing their own study schedule based around practicing using published PrepTests.

The LSAT is a test of skills — specifically critical thinking skills as applied in the areas of reading and reasoning. The LSAT is designed to measure these skills precisely because they are skills that are essential for success in law school, and preparing for the LSAT helps to strengthen those very skills. So the good news is that preparing for the LSAT will benefit you not only on test day, but also in law school and beyond.