How to Ace the LSAT with ADHD

As a first-year university student who had just grinded his way through final exams — though not without the development of an unhealthy caffeine addiction, severe sleep deprivation, and admittedly, a few tears — the mere thought of opening my computer to anything but Netflix was perhaps even more daunting than the actual LSAT itself. In saying so, I quickly realized whilst inaugurating my studying that my ADHD was going to have a significant impact on both my preparation, and subsequent writing of the test (written in June 2020), especially given the nature of the then-newly implemented online LSAT-Flex format.

Thus, I knew one of, if not the most critical determinant of my performance on the LSAT was going to be selecting the most effective preparatory strategy, which for me, personally, was through the self-study method. And before you repudiate me for my supposed stubbornness, I well understand that the self-study method is an unconventional practice discouraged by most LSAT veterans, however my point is that you should identify the appropriate study method that best suits you and your learning profile, and then fully commit yourself to that method.

So, how do you determine, and subsequently implement your study method?

The onus is entirely on you. Be honest with yourself, and really take a moment to reflect on which study strategies have worked for you in the past, and which have not. Then, familiarize yourself with the LSAT format so you can further assess each strategy’s implementability and compatibility with the schematic format of the LSAT. For example, pure memorization of even the highest degree (sorry photographic memorizers) will be next to useless on the LSAT. Focus instead on catering your best practices to the ugly, inevitable realities of the three/four-section, 35-minute per section, stress-inducing, anxiety-producing test that you come to expect when preparing for the LSAT.

The last component in formulating your personal study method is to outline exactly how your ADHD affects your studying. I must note however that the content of the LSAT was never my primary concern, as I seemingly possess a knack for standardized testing, but rather it was my in-test strategies that initially prevented me from achieving the practice test scores I desired, and knew I was capable of obtaining. Hence why I immediately knew that the self-study method was the right method for me. By using the self-study method, I was able to designate maximal time and effort into completing practice tests, which I deemed to be the best way for me to improve upon my in-test strategies.

So, why should students with ADHD approach the LSAT differently?

Like many students with ADHD, I often struggled with my in-test time management, which if not addressed, can be detrimental to your performance on the LSAT. After all, an average time of just 1 minute and 24 seconds to complete each question in a section is an incredibly intimidating, nevertheless demanding task, especially for students with ADHD whose at best temporary attentiveness is at the constant, imminent risk of disruption caused by even the slightest of perceptional irregularities (ie. a squirrel running past the window).

Students with ADHD, even if appropriately medicated, often lack the ability to sustain hours long study sessions, or at least effective hours long study sessions. I am very well capable of staring at my computer for hours, but I cannot say in confidence that about an hour into the study session I will not find myself indulging in my fourth rerun of Entourage, nor surgically surveying online sportsbooks trying to find a favourable bet to notify my friends about. Therefore, I decided to limit each individual study session to a maximum of 35 minutes — the exact length of each LSAT component. I figured that I won’t ever have to, nor will I even be permitted to exceed that length on the actual LSAT, so why would I subject myself to this unrealistic testing condition during my studying? That is not to say that I only studied for 35 minutes each day. Absolutely not. I completed six, 35-minute study sessions (predominantly consisting of individual practice test sections) every day for six consecutive weeks, while typically breaking for about 20–30 minutes in between study sessions. Again, similar to selecting your personal study method, the length of your break is completely arbitrary — break for however long you feel is necessary, and use this time in whatever capacity you deem most beneficial.

Although this test-mimicking study strategy may not directly improve your conceptual test-taking abilities, it is a simple, and extremely effective way to maximize your studying efficiency, which in turn will enable you to utilize the conceptual strategies to their fullest effect. With that being said, achieving success on the LSAT transcends your ability to learn the conceptual strategies, such as those commonly associated with the Analytical Reasoning (“logic games”) section, or deciphering the key words in the Logical Reasoning questions. In addition to learning these conceptual strategies, all LSAT-takers, but particularly those with ADHD, must employ strategically advantageous in-test tactics so to ensure that you not only complete each question, but you do so in a manner that maximizes your potential score.

So, what in-test tactics enable you to achieve a maximal score?

I honestly cannot stress this enough: in order to maximize your score on the LSAT, you must write the test in accordance to an exclusively empirical approach. What does that mean? Every question on the LSAT is worth the same amount. As aforementioned, you only have on average 1 minute and 24 seconds to complete each individual question in a section, so do not get stuck (90+ seconds) on any one question. For LSAT-takers with ADHD, time management is unsurprisingly the most challenging aspect of the LSAT-writing process. Though by implementing certain in-test tactics, you will immediately relieve some of your time-management struggles, and specifically those concerning the Analytical Reasoning (“logic games”), and Logical Reasoning sections.

In the Logic Games section, I estimate that up to half the questions are gimmes. Each logic game’s first question, and typically the proceeding one or two as well, are low difficulty, minimally time-consuming questions that you should be able to confidently answer in under three minutes — ≈60 seconds per question. This affords you about an additional minute per logic game to focus on the following, more difficult, time-consuming questions. Understandably, it sounds like a small amount of time, but just remember that the difference between getting into your dream law school and not getting into law school at all, can be just a handful of points on your LSAT score. Every point counts, and counts equally, so make sure you do not miss out on any logic games’ gimmes due to inadequate time-management on the hardest questions.

In the Logical Reasoning section, you will likely discern at some point throughout your studying that you fare much better in the first half of the section, than you do in the latter half. This is not coincidental. The first 10–12 Logical Reasoning questions are noticeably easier, and thus, with your timing always in mind, you should aim to complete the first dozen questions in approximately 12 minutes — ≈60 seconds per question. Replicating the strategic time allocation tactic outlined in the Logic Games section, this will provide you with an additional 22 seconds on average to answer the latter, more difficult, and time-consuming questions. Just remember that “All [LSAT questions] are created equal…” so prioritize the easiest ones, and put yourself in a position where you can expend additional time on the harder questions without fear of running out of time.

And lastly, here are some general LSAT-Flex tips for students with ADHD

One of the potential advantages to the online LSAT-Flex format is your ability to choose what time of the day you write the test at. Nonetheless, time slots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so keep an eye out for any LSAC emails in the weeks leading up to your test date. Specifically for students with ADHD, the ability to select your start time can be further used to your advantage. For example, I take daily ADHD medication each morning around 8:30am, and I know that my medication takes maximal effect around the 3-hour mark, so I accordingly registered to begin writing my LSAT at 11:30am. Again, I know this sounds super niche, but if you find any aspect of the LSAT-writing process that you can possibly use to your advantage, USE IT!

The LSAT is hard enough as it is, especially for students with ADHD, so it is imperative that you utilize any and every potential advantage that you may find. Trust me, these strategies, tactics, and personal preferences allowed me, an ADHD student with previously debilitating in-test time-management skills, to achieve a score that had my parents refreshing my LSAC account for an entire day in disbelief. And as I said, you can do it too!