LSAT prep
LSAT Flashcards — A Complete System for Post-2024 LSAT
Since August 2024, Logic Games is gone and Logical Reasoning is doubled. Ellie's decks are built for the current two-LR-section format.
The Law School Admission Test is administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and remains the primary admission exam at every ABA-accredited US law school. The August 2024 administration was the last with Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games); starting with the same test administration cycle, Logic Games was replaced by a second Logical Reasoning section. The current format is: two scored Logical Reasoning sections (~25 questions each, 35 minutes each), one scored Reading Comprehension section (27 questions, 35 minutes), one unscored experimental section (LR or RC), and one unscored writing sample delivered separately.
The scored score range is 120–180. Median administered score is around 152. Competitive scores for T14 law schools are 170+; for T50, 160+. The August 2024 format shift meant students no longer needed to master Logic Games, but it made Logical Reasoning weigh roughly 2/3 of your scored score. Every point of LR improvement now counts double.
Ellie's decks are built around Logical Reasoning question type recognition and the formal logic rules underneath them. LR is intensely pattern-based — the LSAC recycles ~11 canonical question types across every administration, and each type has a small set of correct-answer characteristics and wrong-answer traps. Flashcards on those patterns produce measurable score gains; flashcards on RC passages don't.
The 11 Logical Reasoning question types — the deck's backbone
Every LR question falls into one of these types. Each has a canonical stem, a canonical correct-answer profile, and 2–3 canonical trap answers. Card them all.
- Necessary Assumption — 'the argument depends on which of the following?'
- Sufficient Assumption — 'which of the following, if assumed, allows the conclusion to be properly drawn?'
- Strengthen — 'which most supports the argument?'
- Weaken — 'which most undermines the argument?'
- Flaw — 'the argument is vulnerable to criticism because...'
- Method of Reasoning — 'the argument proceeds by...'
- Parallel Reasoning — 'which is most similar in reasoning to the above?'
- Parallel Flaw — Parallel + Flaw, hardest LR type by miss rate
- Inference / Must Be True — 'which must be true given the above?'
- Principle — 'which principle most helps to justify the reasoning?'
- Paradox / Resolve-Explain — 'which most helps to resolve the apparent conflict?'
Formal logic — the notation you must automate
Formal logic underlies Necessary/Sufficient Assumption, Parallel Reasoning, and Inference questions. Speed on contrapositive transformations is worth 3–5 points on a well-drilled test-taker.
Notation to card: A → B (if A then B). Contrapositive: ¬B → ¬A. Common quantifier chains: 'all,' 'most,' 'some,' 'none.' The rule 'most + most = some' (if most X are Y and most X are Z, then some Y are Z). Sufficient vs necessary indicators — 'if,' 'when,' 'whenever,' 'all' introduce sufficient; 'only if,' 'requires,' 'must,' 'depends on' introduce necessary.
The classic flaw types — highest-yield subdeck
Flaw questions are ~15–20% of LR. Every flaw falls into one of these named patterns. If you can name the flaw before reading the answer choices, the correct choice is often obvious.
- Correlation to causation (X correlates with Y ∴ X causes Y)
- Sufficient/necessary confusion (treating 'only if' as 'if')
- Part-to-whole and whole-to-part (composition/division fallacy)
- Ad hominem (attacking the person, not the argument)
- Straw man (misrepresenting the opposing position)
- Circular reasoning (conclusion is a premise in disguise)
- Equivocation (a term shifts meaning mid-argument)
- Appeal to authority (unqualified authority)
- Sampling error (unrepresentative sample)
- False dichotomy (assumes only two options)
- Ad hoc rescue (rescuing a claim with an unmotivated modification)
Reading Comprehension — flashcards do help, in one specific way
RC is a reading-speed and structural-comprehension test — not flashcard-friendly for content. But flashcards do help on passage structure recognition. Card the four canonical passage archetypes: expository (introduces a topic), argumentative (defends a position), comparative (contrasts two views — Comparative Reading passages are always this), and problem-solution.
Card the signal words for structural shifts: 'however,' 'nevertheless,' 'in contrast,' 'moreover,' 'in fact,' 'therefore.' Recognizing these as you read cuts re-read time on structure questions.
A 16-week LSAT plan
Target: diagnostic ~152 → test-day 165. Adjust based on your diagnostic PT and study bandwidth.
Weeks 1–4: Foundations. PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible or 7Sage Core Curriculum. Learn the 11 LR types with flashcards. Two hours daily. End of week 4: full PT under timing.
Weeks 5–10: Drilling. LR by type (Necessary Assumption week, Flaw week, Parallel week, etc.). RC passage-a-day. One full PT weekly with full blind review.
Weeks 11–14: PT-heavy. Two full PTs per week with 3-day gap between test and blind review. Card every missed question — not the question, the underlying rule.
Weeks 15–16: Taper. One PT in week 15, one in week 16 (five days before test day). Freeze new cards. Sleep.
How Ellie fits the workflow
Ellie's edge on LSAT prep is generating cards from your blind review, not from published lists. After each PT, paste your missed questions along with the LSAC official explanation. Ellie produces a card for the underlying question type, a card for the trap answer you fell for, and a card for the logical rule underneath. That targeted generation is the difference between plateauing at 158 and pushing through to 165+.
Frequently asked questions
Is Logic Games really gone forever?
As of the August 2024 administration cycle, yes. LSAC replaced Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games) with a second Logical Reasoning section, following an ADA settlement that argued the diagramming-based format disadvantaged some test-takers. LSAC has not indicated plans to reintroduce it. If you're studying for a 2025+ sitting, do not spend time on Logic Games — those study hours are entirely wasted.
How does the LSAT compare to the JD-Next admission exam?
JD-Next is a new alternative launched by the University of Arizona and now accepted by an increasing number of law schools. It's a 7–8 week online course + exam, structured very differently from LSAT (assesses case-reasoning skill rather than logic puzzles). As of 2025, LSAT remains dominant — LSAC reports ~150k LSATs administered annually vs a few thousand JD-Next. If you're competitive on LSAT, take LSAT.
PowerScore, 7Sage, or LSAT Demon?
PowerScore's Logical Reasoning Bible (Killoran) is still the standard book for LR foundations. 7Sage has the strongest video curriculum and community for self-study. LSAT Demon (Nathan Fox) is newer, uses adaptive drilling, and has strong 165+ testimonials. Any single one works if committed to fully. Do not stack all three — pick and finish.
How many practice tests should I take?
For a target 10-point improvement, plan on 25–40 full-length PTs with full blind review. Blind review (re-doing missed questions untimed before checking answers) is where score gains actually come from — not the initial PT. LSAC releases most PrepTests through LawHub for a subscription; PT 71+ are the most representative of the current format.
Do I need to memorize logic notation?
For fluent LR speed, yes. You should be able to read 'no A is B' and instantly write A → ¬B, then contrapositive B → ¬A. Speed on this notation is the biggest single differentiator between 155 and 165 test-takers. Flashcard the transformations until they're automatic.
Is a retake worth it if I score below my target?
Yes, in almost all cases. Schools consider your highest LSAT for ABA reporting. A retake risk is low unless you take it entirely unprepared — a lower second score doesn't erase the higher first score. You're allowed 3 attempts in a single testing year, 5 in five years, and 7 in a lifetime.
Can I import an LSAT Trainer or 7Sage deck?
Yes. Ellie accepts .apkg and .csv imports. Popular community decks like the 7Sage LR types deck and LSAT Trainer flaw deck have exports available. Import once, then add cards from your own PT blind reviews.
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