How hard are the GRE and LSAT tests.

[dawgman]

I am thinking about grad school and law school and was wondering about the tests. I have never scored under the 98th percentile on any standardized test in my life, but I am worried about these tests.

[yella_dawg]

1. Don't remember taking the LSAT

GRE is just another test. Sounds like you'll do fine. If you're worried, get a practice test at any big bookstore. Helps with test anxiety.

Good luck.

[VelmaD]

2. Don't be worried...

if you take other standardized tests well you'll be fine on the GRE.

I rocked the GRE! 780 out of 800 on the Analytical and Language sections and 750 on the Math.

[dawgman]

4. wow nice scores what did you go to Grad school for?

[VelmaD]

8. Public Affairs

I went to the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

Hook 'Em!

Here's the scary part...my undergrad degree is in Social Work. I totally throw off the average GRE scores for women in the social sciences. :-)

[wryter2000]

3. I've taken the GRE

It's no picnic, but if you do well on standardized tests, you should be okay.

[Speck Tater]

5. Easy if you know the answers.

I took the GRE in 1972 and found it to be challenging, but not horrible.

[barbaraann]

6. Competition on the LSAT is tougher.

I scored 99% on my college admissions tests and 96% on the LSAT. Other than preparing academically, I recommend chewing gum or eating M&M's during the test--that really helps.

[dawgman]

10. gum and m&m's, got it. At the same time?

[barbaraann]

17. LOL!

No, one or the other. "-)

[HerbieHeadhunter]

7. It's all in learning the test techniques and speed...

If you had sufficient time in the test, you could answer every question correctly....it is the time crunch which gets you.

I took both, and eventually decided to go to law school. When I took the LSAT some 5 years ago, they had three sections: reading comp., problem solving, and some type of section on analogies, word usage, etc... The LSAT tested 4 sections, meaning that they tested all three of those sections and doubled on the sections. So if you are strong in one area, like reading comp. and weak in another, like problem solving, you could get lucky and get two reading comp. sections or you could get unlucky and get two problem solving sections. That is what affects your score the most.

There isn't much to worry about, they aren't very difficult. If you are a self starter, then purchase one of the review books and work a lot of the problems. Be sure to time yourself get aquainted to the time restraints and the pace of the test. If you have done well in past standarized tests, then the LSAT and GRE are no different.

Good luck

[adriennel]

9. I've taken both

...though it was about 10 years ago. I don't think you have anything to worry about, assuming you took the SAT. It all depends on whether your strengths are verbal/analytical/mathematical.

GRE: verbal, analytical, and mathematical

LSAT: verbal, twice as much analytical as GRE, essay

I knew going into these tests that I am strong in verbal & analytical, weak in math, so I knew which sections I had to study the most. Also, it was most beneficial for me to take a couple of practice tests before the big day. If you can, take a prep course or buy/borrow a test prep book--most of them now come with practice test CD-ROMS.

Good luck!

[dawgman]

11. on the SAT's I scored 99th percentile verbal and 97th in math

should I pay the money for the classes? are they worth it.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

16. Kaplan courses are worth it

I didn't take a Kaplan course for my LSAT but my ex did. If you don't like your first score, I believe they let you review the course free of charge. She did. On her second LSAT, her scores were high enough to get her into one of the top ten law schools with scholarships.

[SadEagle]

18. Not sure about courses..

But if you're on Windows, try this software:
http://www.gre.org/pprepdwnld.html

it has a sample test that should give an idea of how you're doing. In short, however: the math section is very basic, think 10th grade math or so. (i.e. not even trigonometry). The english section is very much like the SATs, but has even more vocabulary questions... (However, the reading comp questions seem to me to be quite a bit easier). I can't really comment on the essay, as the grading scale seems pretty subjective to me.

The big important thing to note is that the test is generally taken computerized. There, the computer varies the difficulty of question dynamically, and the test is much shorter.. However, one can't go back to a question once answered -- you have to answer and move on. The grading is also very peculiar -- basically, the first 10 questions determine most of your score, so it's important to frontload the effort (especially making sure to do more checking on the math!). Unlike other tests it also doesn't like non-answers, so it may actually be better in some cases to guess if one is out of time.
It basically all comes down to timing -- even the essays; where you get 45 minutes on one, and 30 on the other -- I found it wasn't quite enough time for me to really polish them

Another thing: are you in a technical/natural science field or humanities or social science? The former tend to average in the 700s for the math, so if you're below that on practice, you may want to spend more time on it.. However, I think from your SAT percentile you should be able to get an 800 in math easily -- which was the 92%-like when I took this, BTW. For context: I got 800M/650V/5W on the GRE,
while I got 800M/700V on the SAT. I think I would have done better on the GRE if I didn't have a horrible headache the day I took it.

[SadEagle]

15. There is no longer an analytical section.

It has been replaced by an "analytical writing" section, consisting of two essays.

[underpants]

12. Hint:Don't write:"None of your damned business" in big red letters

Doesn't work. :bounce:

[dawgman]

19. lol

n

[ajacobson]

13. It's a breeze

12 hours before the test, start drinking Jack Daniels Green Label. Don't stop until you report to the testing center. It will liberate your creative side.

Honestly, I don't have a clue, I'm a 38-y-o undergraduate. :cry:

[curse10]

14. The LSAT wasn't so hard

just make sure you finish. I took it once. DIdn't take any of the prep classes, just bought a book of previous tests. Worked for me.

[wickerwoman]

20. The GRE is really easy.

Get a test prep book and do a few problems a night for the two or three months before the exam and you'll do swimmingly. The math section only tests up through very basic algebra. I hadn't taken a math class in 5 years and managed a 710 with very modest review.
The verbal section is pretty easy and along the same lines as the SAT but with more difficult vocab and reading comprehension passages.
Then there's a critical thinking/logic section that's a cake walk if you like those "fill in the graph and find the answer" logic problems you find in books next to the crossword puzzles at your local bookstore. I didn't study for it at all but did billions of logic problems when I was a kid and got an 800.
Good luck!

[no_hypocrisy]

21. If you take enough practice tests then you can do either w/o difficulty.

Just get familiar with the way the questions are organized, the choices you are offered, and "clue words".

Other than that, take as many practice tests EVERY day/night to get your speed up as the number of right answers is your score. I got it down to answering each question in less than 5 minutes.

When you sit down for your actual test, it will be like seeing an old friend.

Good luck.

[JVS]

22. Look at the books

Most of the descriptions in this thread are out of date.

[JanMichael]

23. With the computer prep software they're a breeze.

I took the GRE back in 1995 and the use of the testing prep really helped with learning how to handle the style of questions used.

Once you've got the question type problems sorted out they aren't that difficult at all.

[Jackpine Radical]

24. Well, I've heard that half the people who take it

score below average.

[dawgman]

25. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA

score below average....stop you're killing me....Hhahaha heheheheehehehehehehehe he ah he.....

[freestyle]

26. GRE is like the SAT, or at least it was, and is quite easy

The LSAT, I don't know. If you are a good test taker, you have nothing to worry about. You quickly grasp the basic question structure and are able to deduce the desired answer. That is what's wrong with standardized tests. They don't really test knowledge or show anything but skill at test taking. I always scored high, and I know that the tests are total bullshit. Anytime people can take classes about the test and dramatically boost their scores, you know the tests have nothing to do with knowledge. More schools are realizing this, and the ones that do still require tests still look at the bigger picture. When applying concentrate on related coursework you did well in, leadership, and extracurricular and community activities. High scores can open doors, but will not alone get you through.

[HuckleB]

27. No worries.

You'll do fine. They're not that bad.

[Interrobang]

28. I'm supposed to take the GRE tomorrow morning...

Wish me luck...

I don't know who here thinks that math section is "easy," but if they want to, they can come up here and tutor me if/when I take it again. There's nothing "easy" about algebra, geometry, and stats, and there's nothing "easy" about a test that's deliberately written to try to f*ck you up. Even the reading comprehension section (which I ought to ace, given my background) is WAY harder than it needs to be. Looks like they picked the examples of what NOT to do out of seventeen different textbooks and looked at Strunk&White for clues on what to avoid doing -- just for shits and giggles -- IMNSHO.

I'm so disgusted with the whole thing (being as I already *have* a Master's degree and shouldn't need to take any damn standardized test anyway; that's what transcript evaluators are for!) that I'm seriously considering saying "F*ck it!" to the transborder application process and going to UofT or Simon Frasier or somewhere instead. It seems to be way, way, way too much aggro for a far to uncertain return (on invested time and resources).