Focus on Understanding

Struggling to maintain focus throughout each LSAT section is a common challenge. One of our students, Hamza, shared his experience on the LSAT Demon Daily podcast. Despite his strong overall performance, Hamza noticed a pattern of missing several questions in a row due to lapses in concentration, often caused by misreads or confusion. Here’s how to stay focused and improve accuracy, drawing lessons from Hamza’s experience.

Identify the Source of Your Mistakes

Hamza’s mistakes often stem from confusing sufficient and necessary conditions or overlooking keywords in questions. The LSAT is designed to test your ability to understand and analyze complex information efficiently, and these errors suggest a lack of full comprehension of the text. Missing several questions in a row may signal that your grasp of the material isn’t as firm as it could be. Addressing these gaps is essential to achieving consistent accuracy.

Prioritize Understanding Over Speed

A common pitfall for LSAT students is the pressure to finish every question in a section. In Hamza’s case, this drive led to rushed answers and careless errors. Rather than aiming to complete the section, focus on answering fewer questions with greater precision. Quality matters more than quantity. Letting go of the urge to finish every question can reduce stress, improve accuracy, and lead to a higher score overall. The more we practice accuracy, the faster we get at it. 

Minimize Mistakes by Slowing Down

Misreading or misunderstanding questions is a frequent cause of LSAT errors. To reduce these mistakes, take your time with each question:

• Carefully read the text to ensure you fully understand what’s being asked.

• If you feel yourself rushing or getting distracted, pause, take a deep breath, and refocus.

• Practice timed sections with the intention of leaving some questions unanswered to build the habit of prioritizing accuracy over speed.

Adopt a Growth Mindset

Mistakes, especially simple ones, are an inevitable part of the LSAT learning process. Rather than feeling frustrated, treat these errors as opportunities to improve. Hamza’s experience highlights the importance of acknowledging weaknesses and systematically addressing them. 

Misreading questions isn’t a reason for embarrassment; it’s a challenge to overcome. By refining your approach and learning from your mistakes, you can steadily increase your accuracy and confidence.

Conclusion

Improving focus and accuracy on the LSAT requires a shift in mindset. Instead of trying to finish every question, prioritize solving each problem carefully and understanding it thoroughly before moving on. If you find yourself making frequent errors, slow down and focus on accuracy. Remember, the goal isn’t to finish as quickly as possible but to answer as many questions as you can correctly. With consistent practice and patience, your focus and performance will improve over time.