The LSAT is the biggest factor in your law school application. It will determine where you can go and how much aid you get, so studying hard is a must.
You already know that, of course. That’s why you’re here.
Whether you want to increase your score by 20 points or you just want some extra prep to ensure that you’re ready for the exam, we’ve got your back. We’ve found the best LSAT prep books to help you get through this exam worry-free.
P.S. - Be careful when reading reviews on Amazon or other sites. Many of them are purchased or fake. It’s as if people haven’t read the book they’re recommending. We’ll also include some of the worst LSAT prep books, so you know what to avoid.
LSAT Prep Comparison
Rank | Name | # of Pages | # of practice Tests | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 598 | 200+ questions | $$$ | |
2 | 684 | N/A | $$ | |
3 | 630 | N/A | $$ | |
4 | 465 | N/A | $$ | |
5 | Cell 5 / 3 | 10 | $ | |
6 | Cell 6 / 3 | 3 | $ |
The Ultimate Prep List
Used as a law school admission test, the LSAT isn’t an exam you can take after spending a few hour on test prep – especially not if you want a good score.
You’ll have to spend hours studying, completing practice tests, and figuring out where you went wrong. That’s why you shouldn’t just purchase one of the prep books on our list, but all of them. (If you have the time to use them all!)
Different test-takers will struggle with different aspects of the exam. The right LSAT prep book for you may include detailed answer explanations, online resources, full-length practice tests, LSAT questions or even LSAT strategies to help you get the highest score possible. Consider our list carefully and pick the LSAT prep books that will make law school admission as easy as pie.
There’s some debate around the LSAT Trainer, but from our experience, it’s the best starting point when it comes to LSAT prep.
Written by LSAT teacher Mike Kim, this LSAT prep book should give you a solid foundation to build upon for all of the sections. For some students, this book, combined with 1 or 2 other test prep books, might even be enough to score 165+!
It’s about as big as each of the PowerScore books listed below, but isn’t as in-depth as PowerScore. The material covered includes Logical Reasoning questions, Reading Comprehension, and Logic Game.
If you’re feeling pretty confident about the logical reasoning section, you can skim it and spend your time on the other sections. However, make sure you skim and not skip the sections you feel good about – Mike has some great tips and ways of doing things that are different from other prep books.
His model for logic games is very different from Kaplan and other prep books, and most of the students we’ve worked with have found his way more efficient, effective, and fun!
His explanations are also great. For example, many people have issues with exam timing. However, no amount of timing practice will help you if you don’t understand the different patterns of thinking and solving problems in the LSAT exam. After all, you may complete the exam quickly, but end up with 3 unfinished questions and no idea how to approach them.
Many students who have used Kaplan and other prep books focused on improving timing rather than improving understanding have suffered because of it. The LSAT Trainer helps you focus on understanding the material, and important thinking patterns so you don’t get stuck on a question you’ve never seen before.
It’s not perfect, however. Mike has left a couple of spelling errors in the book, and the formatting of the answers is inconsistent at times.
However, it’s still the best LSAT prep book to start with!
Pros
- In-depth answer explanations
- Provides different models and ways of thinking from other LSAT prep books
- Has 200+ sample questions and 30 LSAT practice drills
- In-depth enough to provide a great base of knowledge for the LSAT, but not so long as to bore you
Cons
- Inconsistent formatting at times
- Contains some spelling errors
This LSAT book and the next two PowerScore books are must-haves for anyone serious about getting 165 or higher on the LSAT.
We’ve included the whole PowerScore LSAT Bible trilogy on our list, but we’ve rated the LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible as the most important. This is because it counts for 50% of your score instead of 25% like the other two LSAT prep books.
So, what’s so great about this book?
With nearly 700 pages and 22 chapters, this book is an absolute monster designed to annihilate any doubts you have about the logical reasoning section.
Not all the test prep in this book will be useful to you, as you’ll already know some of the strategies, methods, and ways of thinking about the different questions, but there will also be plenty that you don’t know.
Since the book is so comprehensive, we recommend taking notes of the most important points, methods, and question types as you go.
The LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible is huge, so you might be thinking about quickly skimming it, but don’t do that! The biggest benefit will come from practicing the methods in the book until they become second nature. If you just try one or two problems, it won’t work.
This LSAT Logical Reasoning guide also comes with online resources via the PowerScore website.
Pros
- Incredibly comprehensive. Covers everything you need to know for the Logical Reasoning section
- 128 practice questions and 22 chapters dissecting different types of questions
- Provides numerous methods and patterns of thinking that other LSAT prep books don't have
Cons
- Not everything in the book will be useful to you
- You'll need to take notes because you won't be able to remember everything
This PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible is also a must-have if you’re aiming for a great score on the exam. It’s one of the best LSAT prep books for those who struggle with the Analytical Reasoning part of the test.
While the problems in this book are a bit easier than on the actual exam, the process behind solving them is what’s important. Once you understand the process, you can try harder problems in the other LSAT prep books listed below.
The LSAT Logic Games Bible is structured in multiple sections, and each section focuses on a specific type of game. The book will give you an example game, show you how to think about it and provide actual LSAT questions for practice to ensure you understand it. Not all LSAT prep books include such detailed answer explanations.
This makes the LSAT Logic Games Bible one of the best prep books to study for the exam.
Pros
- Detailed explanations and sample problems for 30 official LSAT logic games
- Covers everything you need to know for the Logic Games section
- Very in-depth with numerous practice problems
Cons
- The problems in this Logic Games book are a bit easier than the ones on the real exam
This last PowerScore book in the Powerscore LSAT Bible Trilogy has everything you need to know to score well on the reading section of the exam!
With its test-taking strategies, the LSAT Reading Comprehension Bible will help you deconstruct the passages more effectively, figure out how to attack each question type, and avoid the most popular traps test-makers love to use.
Most of the provided drills in this test prep book are highly effective, and while some are a bit weird, they’re still worth doing if you have time. But its strategies are what makes it one of the best LSAT prep book for the exam.
Combine the LSAT Reading Comprehension Bible with PowerScore’s Logic Games and the LSAT Logical Reasoning to experience the full power of this study guide and ace your LSAT preparation.
Pros
- Lists ways to attack the most popular question types and drills for practice
- Helps you avoid the most popular "traps" set by the test-makers
Cons
- Some of the drills feel a bit pointless
The Official LSAT PrepTests series is a must-have for all LSAT students wanting a high score. Taking LSAT practice tests is the best way to prepare for the exam. If you know the basics and you want to take your studying to the next level, this is one of the best LSAT prep books for you.
Full-length practice exams are the best resource, but practice questions are still super helpful. While the prep books above might provide some practice, you should still take at least 10 (preferably 20) LSAT practice tests or practice questions from the books below.
- 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests
- The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests
- 10 More, Actual Official LSAT PrepTests
- 10 New Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests with Comparative Reading
- 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests Volume V
We recommend that you start with the last LSAT prep book in the list because it’s the most recent. Go backward if you need more practice.
These LSAT prep books contain 10 previously administered exams, answer keys, and answer sheets. It’s everything you could ever need to feel like you’re taking the real thing!
However, just taking these exams won’t be an effective way to study. We suggest reading through the tests, figuring out what you got wrong, and seeing what you got right but weren’t sure about. Flip back to the PowerScore and Mike Kim’s books as needed, and keep taking these practice exams until you’re close to the score you want.
For the first couple of tests, feel free to go slow and take your time on each question. This will help you get used to the exam format. You can even do them in batches of 5 to give yourself instant feedback on what you’re doing wrong and what you’re doing right. (This is super effective!)
It helps you see errors earlier and more often, which means you can learn more in a shorter period of time.
Then you can start taking the exams as if they’re the real thing. By the end, you’ll have a good idea of how the timing works in the real LSAT exam. If you’re having issues with the timing, figure out what problems take you the longest and see if there are better strategies you could use to figure them out.
Pros
- Previously administered LSAT exams
- Complete answer key and answer sheets
Cons
- Expensive if you buy all of them
We love the LSAT Trainer, but we’ve had some students who’ve struggled to get through that book. When that happens, we always recommend using the official SuperPrep book as a great alternative.
Written by the Law School Admission Council, this LSAT prep book isn’t as good as the Mike Kim one, but it should still give you an effective base of knowledge before you can start with the PowerScore prep books, practice questions, and prep tests.
This prep book has some tips for each section of the exam, and it also includes 3 full-length practice tests.
We recommend taking one test to see how you do and keeping the rest for practice later on. There’s no point in taking all the tests without using the strategies from the PowerScore prep books.
This LSAT strategy guide provides test-takers with tips and general information about the sections, but you’ll definitely need to do some more in-depth studying before getting the score you want.
Pros
- Contains 3 practice exams
- Has tips and general advice for each section of the exam
Cons
- Not very in-depth
LSAT Books to Avoid
Unfortunately, there’s plenty of LSAT prep books out there with blatantly fake reviews or terrible advice. (And they’re not always easy to spot!)
We’re here to help you avoid them, so you don’t waste your hard-earned money. You can spend it on sending out law school applications.
LSAT Prep Book by the LSAT Test Prep Team
Unfortunately, there’s plenty of LSAT prep books out there with blatantly fake reviews or terrible advice. (And they’re not always easy to spot!)
We’re here to help you avoid them, so you don’t waste your hard-earned money. You can spend it on sending out law school applications.
LSAT Prep Book by the LSAT Test Prep Team
This is the worst offender in this category because it’s ranked #1 in Law School Guides!
Why?
It’s because they have great SEO, keywords, and reviews from people who got the book for free and didn’t actually take the exam.
The book states that it’s a comprehensive study guide but it’s less than 150 pages. If you want comprehensive, invest in the SuperScore LSAT prep books!
While this book does have some general tips that will be useful for the exam, you’re better off not wasting your money here. Instead, buy another pack of 10 practice exams or a PowerScore book.
Kaplan LSAT Premier
While this book is pretty hefty and has some general strategies, it tends to focus on things that won’t help you succeed in the exam.
Kaplan’s LSAT prep book only provides 1 online practice exam. With everything included in this book, you’re better off buying Mike Kim’s book to prepare. The more practice questions and tests you have access to, the better.
This LSAT strategy guide doesn’t always cover why an answer is wrong and why an answer is right. It jumps back in forth while “explaining,” and it will force strategies upon you without telling you why they’re effective and how you should use them. Taking the same exams over and over and over won’t help you improve your timing if you have no idea how to approach a certain problem.
Avoid this book at all costs!
We’ve heard that previous versions of Kaplan’s LSAT prep book are better. You could always try out the Kaplan LSAT Prep Plus, we don’t have any experience with it, so buy at your own risk!
LSAT For Dummies
While this book doesn’t suffer from as many issues as the above LSAT prep books, it’s still not a great buy.
This book is generally okay to get your feet wet and build a foundation of knowledge, but why waste your money on something that’s just “okay” when you can get something better? We’ve featured some of the best LSAT prep books in this article – go with those instead.
Remember, the best LSAT prep book for you will define your strengths and improve your weaknesses. If you struggle with Reading Comprehension or want something to improve your writing skills, go for a LSAT strategy guide that helps with that. You may want access online resources, or you may find extra LSAT questions will be better for you.
LSAT FAQ
You've got questions about the LSAT, and we got your answers!
How long is the exam?
The LSAT has four scored sections of 35 minutes each and two unscored sections of 35 minutes each for a total of 210 minutes or 3.5 hours. The sections include Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and a Writing Sample section.
What is the score range?
The max score is 180, and the minimum score is 120.
There are about 100 questions on the exam, and each correct answer gives you 1 point to your “raw score,” which is then converted to the 120-180 scale.
What score do I need to get into a great college with a scholarship?
The higher, the better.
A score of 165+ is quite good, but with a score of 175 or higher, you will have your pick of top universities and law schools with solid financial aid.
Do you lose points for guessing?
You don’t lose points for the wrong answer, but if you practice before the exam, you won’t have to do much guessing on the real thing. We’ve compiled the best LSAT prep books above to get you through your studying and ace the exam.
We hope this article helps you to make a better decision on which book to choose for the LSAT exam.
