You’ve learned all the skills you need to answer every question on the LSAT, but that doesn’t mean that you need to attempt every single question to get your maximum possible score. While the goal is to have time to work through every question, the majority of students do better by guessing at the tough questions and spending more time on the easier ones. Almost everyone runs out of time on at least one section, and if you’re going to run out of time, you may as well focus on the easier questions since all questions are worth the same amount. Here’s what you need to do to make the most of your time in each section.

We invoked this wisdom of Socrates way back in the Introduction to encourage you to set a realistic scoring goal. To develop your personalized section management strategy, first figure out how many correct answers you need to reach your target score. Use the scoring scale following the test in this chapter to get a sense of how many correct answers you need overall. Then break that number down by section, keeping in mind that there are usually around 24–26 Logical Reasoning questions, 26–28 Reading Comprehension questions, and 22 Logic Games questions. Be realistic in determining your score goals. Setting your goals too high can force you to struggle with questions that will just waste your time.

You may find that to achieve your scoring goal you need to have a shot at each question. If so, it still makes sense to attempt the easiest questions in each section first and save the hardest for last. (Easiest, of course, means easiest for you—this varies among test takers.) In Logical Reasoning, that means holding off on the questions that you have historically had difficulty with during your preparation; only you can pinpoint which ones those are. In Logic Games, it means doing the toughest game last—again, toughest for you, because the game types that pose problems for you, if any, may be different from those that throw other people for a loop. Same for Reading Comp: Save what promises to be the hardest passage for the end, after you’ve racked up points and confidence on the others. For example, maybe you hate science passages, or maybe you’re a whiz with the physical sciences and have trouble with humanities passages instead. Think through these issues in advance. But even knowing your strengths and weaknesses, how do you figure out which of the four games or reading passages to postpone? Simple—take a quick look through the Logic Games and Reading Comp sections before jumping into the first game or passage. Don’t read entire passages or begin setting up the games; just preview those sections to locate the most promising place to start and to note material that may be best attempted at the end.

Although you can’t move between sections, you’re allowed to skip around within sections. You need not tackle the material in the order presented. Handling the questions in the most optimal order for you is one more way to take control of the test.

When you estimate the points you need to reach your target score, you may find that you can achieve your goal without tackling the toughest questions at all. On most academic tests, getting 70 percent correct is barely passing. On the LSAT that hit rate puts you ahead of most of your competition. Here are some tips in case you decide that you can afford to lighten your load and not attempt every question.

In Logical Reasoning, many people avoid Parallel Reasoning and Formal Logic questions. They can take a long time and they can be tough. That doesn’t mean you have to skip all of them—some are easier than others. However, hard questions can come from any question type, so the best strategy is to give a fair shot at most of the questions but to move on if you really don’t see what’s going on. Most of the wasted time in Logical Reasoning comes from struggling with questions longer than you should. Often students narrow a question down to two choices and then spend minutes staring at it. Just pick one and move on. Skip the tough ones and don’t fight to the death on any question.

In Logic Games, your scoring goals may enable you to avoid the toughest game entirely. If you can, scan all four games when the section begins and start with the easiest one—something you should do no matter what. Skipping an entire game is possible, but also consider skipping or guessing on killer questions within games. That way you may get to all four games but still not labor through every question, focusing instead on the easier ones in each. Some questions require you to work out scenarios for all of the choices. Spending two minutes there isn’t as valuable as getting a shot at the easier questions of another game.

In Reading Comprehension, see if you can skip the toughest passage. If you can, scan for it at the start of the section. Also consider skipping tougher questions from the passages you handle. For example, Extension questions often give students trouble because they require applying information from the passage to new situations not discussed in the passage. Again, any question type could pose a problem, so be prepared to take your best guess if a question isn’t going well. In Reading Comp, also beware of narrowing a question down to two choices and then staring at them forever. Move on.

It’s common to have difficulty managing your time when you first take the test. So as you practice, especially as test day gets close, make sure you practice not only your question answering skills but also your time management skills. Eventually, you’ll be comfortable and confident even ignoring the toughest questions or making educated—or even uneducated—guesses on the questions you don’t get to. But remember . . .

No matter what, never leave an answer blank! There’s no wrong answer penalty on the LSAT, so take your shot. If you don’t get to some questions, guess. You have nothing to lose.