How to Master Active Reading on the LSAT

Active reading on the LSAT is about training yourself to engage deeply with each line and extract meaning as you go. This skill is especially important in the Reading Comprehension section, where understanding complex ideas quickly and accurately can make a significant difference in your score.

Slowing down, setting up mental predictions, and avoiding passive note-taking will help you transform your approach to reading, improving your focus and comprehension in the test.

In this article, we'll be sharing some of our top tips for mastering active reading when you're tackling RC questions on the LSAT.

What is Active Reading?

The best way to get good at Reading Comprehension in the LSAT is to slow down and understand what you're reading.

Active reading means engaging deeply with the material; try to predict the author’s next point, question the logic of each statement, and re-read anything that feels unclear.

You shouldn't be aiming to race through a passage but instead to grasp its nuances. Developing your active reading skills will help you accurately eliminate the wrong answers and build the confidence needed to tackle challenging reading sections.

7 Tips for Effective Active Reading

If you want to get better at active reading, here are some tips to keep in mind as you approach test day.

Read First, Look at the Questions Later

When you're approaching any question in the LSAT reading comprehension section, the key is to read the passage carefully before you attempt any questions. That means you should prioritize understanding the passage thoroughly so you can confidently predict answers before looking at the choices.

Your goal here isn’t to scan for facts or anticipate specific questions. Instead, you want to grasp the overall argument, tone, and purpose of the passage. Skimming or jumping to questions before reading tends to distract you from the passage's main ideas, while reading with focus equips you to recognize when an answer aligns—or doesn’t align—with the passage.

Understand the Passage's Structure

Active reading also means understanding the author's line of reasoning.

When you follow the flow of the passage, you're better equipped to anticipate the author’s direction, tone, and main point. Rather than seeing each sentence in isolation, try to connect ideas logically, reading the passage as a structured argument.

Learn to make sense of each section so that, by the end, the author’s purpose and conclusions are clear. This understanding naturally makes it easier to eliminate wrong answer choices and pick the correct ones.

Start with the First Sentence and Fully Comprehend It

When you're practicing active reading, focus on understanding the passage one sentence at a time rather than speeding through it.

Read the first sentence carefully, ensuring that you fully grasp its meaning. Only after you’re confident in your understanding should you move to the next sentence. This approach prevents you from having to frequently reread the passage because you've missed details.

It's understandable if you feel pressed for time and tempted to rush, but understanding each sentence as you go saves you time and keeps you from making errors in later questions.

Avoid Rushing to Save Time on Questions

A common mistake on the LSAT is hurrying through passages so you have more time for questions, but this often backfires.

By reading too quickly, you're more likely to misunderstand the passage and then spend extra time on questions trying to piece together what you missed. Taking a more deliberate pace through the passage helps you build your comprehension upfront and can actually make answering questions more straightforward.

This is where the 80/20 split can be helpful. The idea is that you aim to spend about 80% of your time reading and understanding the passage and 20% reviewing the answer choices. While this isn’t something you should rigidly track with a timer, it highlights the value of prioritizing thorough reading. When you take as long as you need to grasp the passage, you’ll be able to answer the questions faster and more intuitively because you already know what to look for.

Rushing to save time often leads to spending more time overall, as you’ll find yourself revisiting the passage repeatedly to clarify key details. Commit to understand the passage fully on your first read, and you’ll set yourself up to move through the questions with confidence and efficiency.

Make Predictions to Stay Engaged

One technique to maintain your attention is making predictions based on what you’re reading.

For instance, after each sentence, mentally anticipate where the passage might go next. This strategy keeps you engaged with the text because you’re actively thinking about the author’s purpose and direction.

Even if your predictions aren’t right, they can deepen your engagement with the passage and prepare you to absorb the actual information more effectively.

Avoid Notetaking

Highlighting or jotting down notes on scrap paper might seem helpful as you prepare for the LSAT Reading Comprehension section, but it can become a passive activity if it's not done mindfully.

Instead, focus on engaging with the material directly rather than assuming notes or highlights will compensate for your lack of understanding. Concentrate on what the passage is communicating instead of writing down details.

Be Wary of the Gimmicks

Many prep courses suggest gimmicky strategies, such as reading questions before the passage or stopping midway to answer partial questions. These approaches create unnecessary confusion and disrupt your comprehension—not helpful when you're aiming for your best score.

Instead, you need to focus on building genuine reading skills that will serve you not only in your LSAT preparation but also in law school and beyond. It's ultimately simpler and far more effective to read each passage with attention, from start to finish.

The 4-Step Formula For Tackling LSAT Reading Comprehension Passages

With these active reading tips in mind, here's an easy 4-step formula for understanding passages in the LSAT Reading Comprehension section:

1. Prepare Yourself
   Take a deep breath to calm your mind. Even if the content doesn’t immediately grip you, approach it with interest—sometimes, a little curiosity goes a long way.

2. Engage With the Passage
   Move slowly, especially through initial sentences. Re-read unclear sections and mentally react to what you read—question if ideas are reasonable or surprising. Predict the author’s direction as you read, and revisit statements if something seems contradictory.

3. Identify the Author’s Message
   Look for whether the passage aims to inform or persuade, and extract the main argument as you go. Ask yourself, “Why is the author telling me this?”

4. Summarize the Main Point
   Once finished, restate the core idea in your own words before tackling questions. Aim for a concise sentence that captures the author’s specific claim, which will clarify the passage’s main message and speed up your answers.

Final Advice

Once you employ the active reading method when answering LSAT Reading Comprehension questions, you should see your accuracy improving over time. This method will improve your ability to choose the correct answer choice without being swayed by the attractive wrong answers that are often included by the test writers.

Active reading goes hand in hand with active recall, a key skill for Reading Comprehension. Active recall involves retrieving key information about the passage—such as the main point, the author’s tone, or specific details—directly from your understanding of the text, without relying on answer choices to jog your memory. When you actively engage with the passage, you build a clearer mental framework of its key elements, making it easier to recall those details when you’re answering questions.

Don't worry if you have to sacrifice speed for the time being. Over time, as your ability to read and understand the passages improves, you’ll become more adept at processing information quickly and correctly. Stay committed to practicing these strategies, and the results will follow.

More on Active Reading on the LSAT

How can I improve my LSAT Reading Comprehension score?

To improve your LSAT Reading Comprehension score, focus on active reading strategies. Engage deeply with each passage by slowing down, predicting what comes next, and re-reading confusing sentences. Practice identifying the main point of the passage and its structure. Consistent practice and reviewing your mistakes will help improve your accuracy and speed, so you can find the correct answer faster.

How do I read more carefully on the LSAT?

To read more carefully on the LSAT, actively engage with the text instead of skimming through it (passive reading). Focus on each sentence, making sure you understand its meaning before moving on. If something doesn’t make sense, stop and re-read it. Try to anticipate the author’s argument and look for inconsistencies. Practicing this method consistently will help you stay focused and improve your comprehension, so you don’t miss key details or misunderstand the passage’s logic.

How hard is LSAT Reading Comprehension?

LSAT Reading Comprehension is fairly challenging due to the dense and often abstract nature of the passages. Unlike typical reading tests, the LSAT requires not only understanding but also analysis and critical thinking. When you first encounter RC passages, you'll probably struggle with retaining the information presented in long, complex texts while being able to answer detailed questions about their structure, tone, and meaning. But with targeted practice and implementing active reading strategies, test-takers improve their comprehension skills over time.

How long does it take to be good at LSAT Reading Comprehension?

The time it takes to improve LSAT Reading Comprehension varies from one person to the next, depending on factors like your starting skill level, consistency in practice, and understanding of test strategies. Generally, it can take a few months of dedicated preparation to see noticeable improvements. Regular practice, coupled with a focused review of mistakes, will help speed up the learning process. The more time you spend practicing active reading and reviewing passages, the quicker you’ll develop the skills needed to excel in this section.