THE LSAT TRAINER

Is The LSAT Trainer By Mike Kim Worth It? A Comprehensive Review

Introduction

Preparing for the LSAT is more than memorizing facts and formulas—it tests your ability to think critically and solve problems. This makes finding the right study guide crucial for success. One book that has gained attention in this area is The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim. 

Is this the guide you need? What makes the LSAT Trainer book different from other LSAT practice books? In this article, we’ll go over what The LSAT Trainer offers so you can decide if it’s a good fit for your study strategy.

Main Components of the LSAT Trainer

The LSAT and Its Significance

What is the LSAT? Law schools in the United States typically require the LSAT for admission. The test evaluates skills crucial for law school achievement, including reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and critical thinking.

The exam is divided into LSAT sections that evaluate several skills. Here is an overview:

  • Logical Reasoning: This LSAT section evaluates your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments. You’ll be given statements or passages and asked questions that require you to identify assumptions, draw conclusions, or point out flaws. The section aims to assess your critical thinking skills, which are essential for law school.
  • Reading Comprehension: This section assesses your ability to read and comprehend complex materials. You’ll be asked questions on passages that you’ve read.
  • Analytical Reasoning: The LSAT Logic Games section assesses your ability to understand relationships and draw conclusions from sets of rules or conditions. This part presents puzzles or scenarios that require you to arrange items or events, decipher sequences, or make logical deductions. It tests your problem-solving and logical analysis skills.
  • Writing Sample: While this section is not scored, law schools may use it to assess your writing skills. You’ll be presented with a situation and two possible courses of action, and you’ll need to make an argument for one of them.
  • Experimental Section: This is an unscored section used by the test makers to try out new questions. You won’t know which section is experimental, so doing your best on all sections is important.

The LSAT does not assess your knowledge of law or any specific subject. Instead, it assesses your ability to process complicated data and draw logical conclusions. Law schools evaluate your application based on your LSAT score and other variables such as your undergraduate GPA and letters of recommendation. 

The Mastermind: About Mike Kim LSAT Trainer

Before you decide to spend your money on The LSAT Trainer, it’s a good idea to know who wrote it. The man behind the book is Mike Kim. He’s not just someone who decided to write a guide; he’s an expert in preparing people for the LSAT. Mike Kim led the team that designed LSAT courses at Manhattan Prep for over six years. 

Since 2013, The LSAT Trainer authored by Mike Kim has been updated twice to improve its content. Over 120,000 students have used the book to prepare for the LSAT, indicating a high level of confidence in Kim’s expertise.

What is the LSAT Trainer?

The LSAT Trainer is an LSAT study guide written by Mike Kim. The LSAT Trainer book provides effective strategies for each LSAT section. This book stands out because it focuses on developing your critical thinking abilities rather than just teaching you how to answer specific questions.

The LSAT Trainer book includes LSAT practice questions, and focused training modules to help you understand the LSAT’s complex problems. It is highly regarded for its in-depth approach and effectiveness in helping students achieve high LSAT scores.

Main Components of the LSAT Trainer

  1. The LSAT Introduction: Guides students on how to register for the LSAT, emphasizes its importance over other standardized tests like the GMAT and SAT, and offers starter examples for logical reasoning.
  2. Logical Reasoning Basics: Focuses on understanding and answering logical reasoning questions, which often appear easy but can be challenging to solve.
  3. Logic Games Introduction: Covers the LSAT’s complex, rule-based logic games section, offering examples and tips for solving them.
  4. Reading Comprehension: Addresses the elevated difficulty of LSAT reading comprehension compared to college-level work, offering strategies for success.
  5. Identifying Logical Flaws: Helps students understand the flawed reasoning often present in LSAT questions and how to identify it.
  6. Sufficient Assumption Questions: Teaches how to identify gaps in arguments and what information is needed to fill those gaps.
  7. LSAT Vocabulary: Introduces key vocabularies often appearing in the LSAT, essential for students as law involves intricate grammar and terminology.
  8. Reading Comprehension Review: Ensuring clarity and comprehension in the reading section.

The LSAT Trainer Study Plan

How to study for the LSAT? The LSAT Trainer Study Plan is not just any study schedule, it’s a carefully crafted guide to help you make the most of your learning and practice time. This study plan has three main parts that you’ll follow. Here’s what you can expect:

  1. Learning from The LSAT Trainer

The LSAT Trainer is an all-in-one book that guides you through every type of question you’ll see on the test day. It’s simple to follow but packed with tips and strategies. You’ll learn everything you need to tackle the LSAT.

  1. Drill Sets of Practice Problems

While The LSAT Trainer offers over 200 official LSAT problems, the study plan goes a step further. It organizes these problems into drill sets based on the skills they test. For example, if you need help with Sufficient Assumption problems, the study plan will have a drill set just for those. This way, you practice smarter, not harder.

  1. Full Practice Exams

To get you used to the feel of the real test, the study plan schedules full practice exams for you. You’ll start with some of these in the beginning and middle of your prep time. These mainly show you what the test is like and help you find your strong and weak areas. As you get closer to test day, you’ll take more and more of these LSAT practice tests.

Trainer + LawHub 

The LSAT Trainer and Online PrepTests

Schedule Weeks Hours per week PrepTests used
16 Week LSAT Study Schedule 16 8-10 72-91
12 Week LSAT Study Schedule 12 10-12 72-91
12 Week LSAT Study Schedule 12 8-10 72-77 & 84-89
8 Week LSAT Study Schedule 8 12-14 72-77 & 84-89
4 Week LSAT Study Schedule 4 24-26 72-77 & 84-89

Trainer + Actuals

The LSAT Trainer and PrepTest Books

Schedule Weeks Hours per week PrepTests used
16 Week LSAT Study Schedule 16 8-10 72-91
12 Week LSAT Study Schedule 12 10-12 72-91
12 Week LSAT Study Schedule 12 8-10 72-81
8 Week LSAT Study Schedule 8 12-14 72-81
4 Week LSAT Study Schedule 4 24-26 72-81

A young woman working on a laptop - The LSAT Trainer

Comparing the Best LSAT Prep Books in 2023

Choosing the right study guide can make all the difference when preparing for the LSAT. With so many options available, finding the best fit for your study needs can be overwhelming. To help you out, we’ve compared the key features of some best LSAT prep books in 2023.

Book Author Key Features
The LSAT trainer a remarkable self-study guide for the self-driven student book review Mike Kim
  • Over 200 official LSAT questions with thorough explanations
  • Simple strategies for tackling Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Logic Games
  • More than 30 skill-building drills
  • Includes study schedules and notebook organizers
LSAT Prep Plus 2020-2021 Kaplan
  • Exclusive episode from Kaplan’s LSAT Channel featuring top LSAT teachers
  • Official LSAT practice exam and practice questions
  • Instructor-led online workshops and video lessons
  • In-depth test-taking strategies
LSAT Premium Prep Princeton Review The Princeton Review
  • Instructional content, essay tips, and step-by-step examples
  • Comprehensive coverage of all LSAT topics
  • Includes 3 recent full-length LSAT prep tests with answers
  • Over 100 practice LSAT questions for drills
10 Actual Official LSAT Prep Tests Volume VI The Law School Admission Council
  • Contains 10 previously administered LSATs
  • Answer keys and writing samples for each test
  • Score-conversion tables included
  • Sample Comparative Reading questions and explanations
5 lb. Book of LSAT Practice Drills Manhattan Prep
  • Thousands of questions across 180 drills with answer analysis
  • Cheat sheets for important principles and question types
  • LSAT Navigator for scoring and detailed question breakdowns
  • Vocabulary crash course and study method guide
  • Study planning resources and downloadable flashcards for on-the-go study

Pros and Cons of the LSAT Trainer

To make an informed decision about purchasing the LSAT Trainer, you must first evaluate its strengths and limitations. Here is an unbiased analysis of its pros and cons.

Pros of The LSAT Trainer

  • Clear and Straightforward Style: The LSAT Trainer is written in an easy-to-understand manner, making it an excellent first book for LSAT prep.
  • Engaging Writer’s Style: The way the book is written keeps you focused and makes your study time more enjoyable.
  • Critical Thinking: The book goes beyond mere question-solving to teach you how to think and interpret questions in the LSAT manner.
  • Strong in Reading Comprehension: The LSAT Trainer offers effective techniques to make a difference if you want to improve your reading comprehension skills.
  • Solid Foundation: This book lays the groundwork you need for more advanced study. It helps make other resources more approachable by giving you a good starting point.

Cons of The LSAT Trainer

  • Cost Factor: While the price is similar to other leading LSAT prep books, it’s still a pricey investment.
  • Limited Coverage of Logical Reasoning: The book doesn’t cover logical reasoning as comprehensively as it does logic games and reading comprehension. Therefore, additional resources will likely be needed for a well-rounded preparation.

Start Your LSAT Prep with Odyssey!

Odyssey Test Prep is your trusted partner for achieving exceptional LSAT scores. We offer a full range of services proven effective by aspiring law students like you.

1. LSAT Prep Course

Our LSAT Prep Course comprehensively covers each exam section and provides realistic practice questions and practice tests. Our schedule is super flexible, allowing you to balance other commitments you might have. You can take the course in person or online, whatever is more convenient for you. Achieve your best LSAT score with our LSAT Prep Course!

2. LSAT Tutoring

Work with our LSAT tutors and excel at the LSAT. If you want a more individualized approach to studying for the LSAT, our tutoring service is what you need. Our LSAT tutors have aced the LSAT and know all the methods to help you achieve the same. You’ll get one-on-one attention and tailored strategies focusing on your weak areas, making your study sessions more efficient and effective.

3. Law School Admission Consulting

Getting into a top law school is more than just acing the LSAT. That’s why we offer Law School Admission Consulting to help you put your best foot forward in your applications. From personal statement reviews to interview preparation, we provide a holistic service to increase your chances of admission to your dream school. Navigate the Law School admissions process confidently with our Law School Admission Consulting!

Conclusion

The LSAT Trainer offers a comprehensive and straightforward approach to tackling the LSAT. It provides valuable insights into logical reasoning, logic games, reading comprehension, and techniques to address specific questions. You must also consider Mike Kim’s LSAT trainer difference in publications to get the most up-to-date strategies and practice questions. 

If you want to have a customized and all-inclusive experience, choose Odyssey Test Prep for your LSAT preparation. We integrate state-of-the-art teaching techniques with customized study plans to help you reach your full potential and succeed on the LSAT.

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