- The LSAT is designed to test for skills necessary to succeed in law school from logical reasoning to persuasive writing.
- The best LSAT prep courses online can cost a student anywhere from $0 to $1,700, and each one offers different levels of hands-on instruction, tutoring, and advice.
- We’ve outline 6 of the best LSAT prep programs below, including key details like price, how many full-length exams students have access to, and if they offer score-increase guarantees.
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The LSAT is designed to assess the skills needed most to succeed in law school, including critical reading, analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and persuasive writing skills, just to name a few. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the creators and administrators of the LSAT, use data from a survey of faculty at about 90 ABA-approved law schools to determine the most impactful skills and then hone each year’s LSAT to best measure them.
So, spending 20 hours per week in a library re-learning algebra or interpreting graphs would be a poor use of a prospective law student’s time. Instead, students must strengthen reflexes and modes of thought like deductive and inductive reasoning and organizing evidence into a sharp, written argument.
Prospective law students can find free preparation online, or pay up to $1,600 for a course that lends structure and advantages such as one-on-one tutoring and support from top LSAT scorers. Most programs, like Princeton Review and LSAT Max, offer money-back guarantees for a certain score improvement (with conditions attached).
The prep course you choose will depend upon variables such as budget, schedule, as well as what your starting score and goal score are. Below, you’ll find a few of the most popular LSAT prep options available online, and a short rundown of what you can expect to pay and receive from each.
Read on to learn about the 6 best LSAT prep programs:
Princeton Review
Price range: $800 - $1,800
The Princeton Review offers a self-paced course for $799 (online), a fundamentals course with 30 hours of classroom time for $1,099, and an LSAT 165+ course for $1,399 (originally $1,699). You can also opt for private LSAT tutoring for $1,800.
The most popular, according to the company, is the LSAT 165+, which guarantees you (under certain conditions) an LSAT score of 165, which should make you competitive for a top 25 law school. LSAT 165+ comes with 84 hours of instruction by an LSAT expert, 150 hours of online drills and explanations, six full-length practice LSAT tests, and more than 8,000 LSAT exam-style questions. You can find out more info here.
LSAT Max
Price range: $800 - $1,300
LSAT Max offers three programs with more than 100 hours of video detailing test-taking strategies and techniques. In addition, students have access to weekly office hours, analytics to determine weaknesses to maximize prep time, and four textbooks. Lifetime access, a money-back guarantee of a higher score, and the ability to simulate an actual digital LSAT test also help set this program apart.
Its three program tiers are LSAT Max Pro for $800, which grants access to 20 out of the 90 prep tests; LSATMax Premium, which runs $1,000 and includes all 90 prep tests, plus a subscription to the Economist; and LSATMax Intensive for $1,300 that's the same as Premium, but with the added benefit of three hours of private tutoring.
Blueprint
Price range: $700 - $1,500
Blueprint offers three options for its LSAT program: a three-month plan for $699, a six-month plan for $999, and a 12-month plan for $1,499. The six- and 12-month plans also come with score-increase guarantees. You have the option to pay month-to-month, but you'll actually end up paying more ($249/month) than all three of its options that are billed upfront.
Students receive unlimited access to live online review sessions with LSAT instructors six days per week, a personalized study plan, and smart homework that adapts to their skill level. Especially key, the programs also come with access to 85 actual LSAT exams and more than 8,500 real LSAT questions with explanations, which Blueprint says is the same content found in LSAC's LSAT Prep Plus. Students also receive automated scoring on the practice exams with explanations of right and wrong answers.
Khan Academy
Price range: Free
For those on a tight budget, Khan Academy, which was founded to bring education to anyone with internet access, has an entirely free prep program. The company reportedly collaborated with the makers of the LSAT to offer students access to thousands of official practice questions from real tests.
Students are able to complete problem sets, timed practice tests, instructional videos, and get access to strategies, tips, and more. The program is also designed to help you determine your strengths and weaknesses in order to create a custom practice plan that takes your goal score, schedule, and starting skill strengths into account.
Magoosh
Price range: $130 - $249
Magoosh offers two LSAT prep options that run three months. The starter program costs $129, while the premium version for $229 includes more LSAT practice questions and logic games. There's also one 12-month LSAT Premium option for $619 that's often discounted to $249. The latter is essentially the same as the three-month premium version, but offers longer access to materials.
Magoosh's 12-month plan comes with eight full tests, which includes more than 7,000 LSAT questions with video explanations. It also includes more than 200 Logic Game explanations, timed practice tests on an official LSAT test day interface, email assistance from tutors, and access to the official LSAC Prep Plus. The premium programs also come with a guarantee of an LSAT score increase of 5 points or you get your money back (minus the LSAC $99 subscription that's included in the price).
Kaplan
Price range: $700 - $1,600
Kaplan offers three currently discounted LSAT programs: self-paced for $700 (originally $799), live online lecture for $1200 (originally $1,299), and a live online small class starting at $1,600 (originally $1,699). The difference between the live online small class and the live online lecture is that the "small class" option doesn't exceed 10 students.
Kaplan's live online courses include eight four-hour sessions, two proctored practice exams, more than 80 LSAT exams with self-proctoring tools, and LSAT prep books. With an upgrade to Kaplan's Live Online PLUS, you'll also get three hours of one-on-one coaching.