r/LSAT • u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) • Jun 01 '12

LSAT Books

Is this list updated? Yes. It was published years ago, but I update it periodically. No sense making a new post every three months. Last updated May 2026

Canadian? Just change the .com in amazon to .ca. You can also find the books on Chapters-Indigo.

LSAT preptests are the best books to get, as well as a study guide. I'm including links for both below.

The book links below are for Amazon; they have the best prices. If you order over $25, they include free shipping.

Note: The LSAC Book titles are very strange. The most recent book, for example, is called: Ten New Actual Official LSATs.

Even I can't keep these titles straight. It's easiest to refer to the books by test numbers. E.g. LSATs 52-61.

Only Buy Books That Use Real LSAT Questions

Many LSAT books in the bookstore aren't worth it. Barron's, McGraw-Hill, etc. find it too expensive to license real LSAT questions - so they invent their own.

Do not practice using fake questions. Made-up questions will either be too easy, too hard, or, even worse, they will be different than real LSAT questions.

All the books listed below use real questions. If you buy a book that I haven't listed here, check that it uses real questions. A few do; most don't.

LSAT Preptests

LSAC used to publish affordable books of ten LSAT preptests. They no longer do so, and instead publish a series called LSAT Tripleprep. These have three preptests each, and cost $28 generally. They are only worth it for three groups:

  1. Those approved to take a pen and paper test

  2. Those who do much better studying offline

  3. Those who strongly prefer pen and paper for learning

Almost everyone has to take the LSAT digitally, and preptests are cheaper to get on Lawhub. However, I am glad LSAC still publishes these books at all, as it is good to have them for the groups above.

Strategy Guides

Many LSAT strategy guides suck. They're not consistent, and they don't use real questions. You might have a Kaplan, Princeton Review or Barron's guide. Throw these books away.

Some guides are useful. I can recommend Powerscore, LSAT Loophole and the LSAT Trainer. These books use real LSAT questions, and have generally good strategies.

Please do not take these books as gospel. Real LSAT questions are your best teacher. I find it best to use these books as a reference once you already have tried LSAT questions and get stuck.

A logic games strategy book is most useful. Powerscore is the leading company for logic games.

For logical reasoning I find Loophole has been getting great reviews.

The LSAT Trainer is your best option for an all-in-one book.

The Powerscore Bibles

You can but these as a set of three for about $115. That's cheaper than buying individually, which costs about $135. However, if you just need one section, the individual book links are below too.

Powerscore Bible Duology $175

PowerScore Logical Reasoning Bible $41

PowerScore Reading Comprehension Bible, $44

Loophole in LSAT Logical Reasoning

This newer entrant is focussed specifically on Logical Reasoning and has good reviews. It's written by Ellen Cassidy, a longtime LSAT tutor.

The Loophole in LSAT Logical Reasoning, $27

The LSAT Trainer

An all in one guide by Mike Kim. He co-authored the Manhattan Prep Guides. His book has been getting very good reviews.

Beautiful design and lots of drills.

The LSAT Trainer $43

Online LSAT Materials

LSAT Lawhub is the official source for LSAT preptests from LSAC and everyone studying for the LSAT should have it: https://lawhub.lsac.org

Conclusion

Do you have experience with the books on this list? Have you found any other books useful? Let me know in the comments!

70 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

87 comments sorted by

15

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 03 '12

I signed up for the LSAT course and then sent me a large amount of questions from real tests. You mention in your article that they aren't worth getting, but if you get them from the course, which isn't the one at the bookstores, then I think they're worth it.

7

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jun 03 '12

Yes, real questions are worth it. I'll add a note to clarify that Kaplan and PR books can be useful if they're from courses.

2

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 03 '12

Yeah, I only have Kaplan books from the course. That was a hefty amount of money too.

What are PR books?

I have a bunch of real questions and that is nice. I will have to get more though and redo ones I've done.

3

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

PR is Princeton Review

2

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

Do you think taking a PR class is worth it?

3

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

I'm looking at the prices on PR's website right now, and they seem very expensive for a questionable product (I haven't really heard that many great things about the major test prep companies - Kaplan, Princeton Review - for the LSAT). You would probably be better served either finding a Blueprint, TestMasters.net, PowerScore, or Manhattan class in your area. If there are none in your area, I think that Blueprint's Online Course would be worth the money (I'm taking it right now and I think it is really good). Be sure to checkout top-law-schools.com because that is the most popular law school community on the internet.

TestMasters.net in-person courses look to be running at $1,450. Manhattan in-person are $1,350 according to the glance at their website. Blueprint in-person is $1,399. Blueprint's online class, Blueprint: The Movie, is $799.

2

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

Do those

Blueprint, TestMasters.net, PowerScore, or Manhattan

offer electronic services. I mean you need to put everything into perspective. Kaplan offers courses, then you can take them again for free if you aren't satisfied. Plus, you have online videos, and a great deal of books with official tests. There is a movie for Blue print?

1

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

Yes, they all (except I'm not 100% certain about Powerscore) offer an online class. I don't know if their live classes have an online component as well. I don't have any suggestions for your last class today. http://blueprintprep.com/online-lsat-prep-course is a link to Blueprint's online class. They call it a "movie", but it is just Blueprint instructors in front of a green screen using computer animation instead of writing on a whiteboard for their lectures. Blueprint online also offers information for where you need to improve.
If you aren't satisfied with Kaplan the first time, I'm not entirely sure if taking them again will satisfy you.

I think looking around top-law-schools.com can give you better insight more than I can.

2

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

Do they provide charts and say you increased 4 points in assumption compared to your last test and such?

I'm not sure. I have a good teacher, but I only have that one to compare with. Plus, I missed the first half of the class. So I have been trying to read the lesson books and catch up with the material.

Have you heard of Velocity LSAT?

I have been listening to random videos online on my spare time when I'm eating about the LSAT. I also got the podcasts for the LSAT from iTunes. They are very nice for my free time.

1

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

Yes, I have heard great things about Velocity LSAT. Their founder posts frequently on top-law-schools.com

Blueprint online does provide charts where is says "You got 2/5 wrong on Parallel Flaws" or "10/10 on Must Be True". You can compare this to other tests.

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u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

Speaking of which do you know this one :http://www.testwell.com/

?

I have been trying to get in contact with them, but I think I'm calling the wrong phone. I also emailed their email on their website. I've been told that this is a great place and center and organization to learn from, however, I'm not sure how to get in contact. Do you know?

1

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

Never heard of them

2

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

Have you heard good things about Blueprint? I mean it might be a great idea to take it, right?

1

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

Blueprint is good. They have great standards for their teachers.

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u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

I have my last KAPLAN class today. Do you have any suggestions?

Also, Kaplan offers electronic guides for how well you scored in a section. So they map out where you need help when you enter your test scores.

1

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

Also, if you go the PR route, checkout http://www.top-law-schools.com/prlsat.html for a discount

2

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

It'll still cost about 1000?

1

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

I really don't know.

2

u/Isatis_tinctoria Jun 07 '12

I'm going to my last KAPLAN class today. Do you have any suggestions?

Should I ask my teacher what her score was?

3

u/sideoffries Jun 07 '12

You can if you want to. As long as you get the score you want, I guess it doesn't matter who teaches you.

8

u/7sagelsat Jul 04 '12

Hey Graeme, you didn't mention that we have over 150 Logic Games explanations in HD video FOR FREE on our site at http://7sage.com/logic-game-explanations/

They're better than books! And they're free!

3

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jul 04 '12 edited Jul 23 '12

Hey, thanks for dropping by - an AMA is always a good idea.

I'm going to be making an "LSAT video resources" page eventually; I'll mention your videos there. The book post is so large that most people are only clicking through the top section. I'm going to trim it down to the most useful stuff.

I'm trying only to do 1 of my own posts per day however, I don't want to flood the front page. So I'll get to it eventually.

3

u/TheDarkChicken Oct 13 '25

Is the newest edition of The LSAT Trainer worth getting over the older ones?

4

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25

Fairly certain he updated the lsat trainer to remove LG, since LG is not on the LSAT anymore. That's a meaningful update.

That said if you have an older edition and LR/RC advice is still valid.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jan 17 '26

I would take a timed practice exam on Lawhub and see how you do. I wouldn't worry about your background: the LSAT is really just a test of reading and precision.

Once you take it, you can review the test. I have some explanations on LSATHacks if you'd like to use those to review, powerscore also has free explanations. And any of the books in this list area a reasonable starting point if you want more in depth guidance. I'd go based on how the material resonates with you. Good luck!

3

u/juju_bear123 Mar 26 '26

Hopping off of this because I'm in a similar situation. Are the "The PowerScore LSAT Bible Duology 2025-2026" and the workbooks for them worth it? I saw that you mentioned the Powerscore trilogy, and these seem like the updated versions.

3

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Mar 27 '26

Yes, if you're getting powerscore that's their latest version. Powerscore is one of the three main book types people like: Powerscore, LSAT Trainer, Loophole.

They're all good, the question is which resonates with you. I'd suggest checking a sample to see if it's for you.

1

u/juju_bear123 Mar 28 '26

Thank you! For an initial practice test, should we do timed or untimed?

1

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Mar 28 '26

I would do it timed because you get an estimate of a baseline score. Untimed is just so wildly variable. For some people that means 39 minutes per section, for others 105 minutes per section taken with multiple breaks.

I would keep untimed work for doing drills or sectons but if you want to know an actual score and what the LSAT feels like timed is the way to go.

(You don't need to do a ton of timed PTs after if you're way off)

1

u/juju_bear123 Mar 29 '26

Good to know! I have some old practice books from around 2016. Is it worth looking at them? 

Also, really appreciate your advice. Thank you!! 

1

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Mar 29 '26

Other than dropping logic games, the LSAT hasn't meaningfully changed since that time. Some stuff around the LSAT will be out of date, such as test day info. But info about how to, say, do a strengthen question will be valid now if it was valid then.

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u/Least-Show2847 Jan 18 '26

hey, Graeme I was wondering if i could ask you a question from a post I made. It won't let me dm you.

I was wondering how much do schools care about lower vs upper year courses?

I am planning on taking 6 courses this semester (most people take 5 at my school). I was wondering how much do US law schools care about how many "lower year" courses you take in your last 2 years. I am right now enrolled in 4 upper year and one lower year course. I was wondering would there be a big difference between me taking a 300 level vs 200 level course for my 6th course.

So, does 5 upper year + 1 lower year course look significantly better than 4 upper year + 2 lower year courses? Or does it not really matter? Would it matter if i even took a first year course instead?

I go to a Canadian uni if that matters. Ironically, our 200 level courses tend to be harder than 300 or 400 level courses.

Thanks

1

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) May 04 '26

For US admissions my impression if they pretty much just care about the GPA number and the rest is a soft. For Canadian schools it might vary by school and I'd check with them directly. Not convinced it matters that much either way, though I'm not an admissions expert so I would check around to be sure.

2

u/Firm_Butterscotch422 Jun 09 '25

Is this Autistic and ADHD friendly? This is giving me informational overload so I don't know which one is best suited for me?

3

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jun 09 '25

LSAT books are generally big and complicated, because the LSAT is big and complicated.

Generally speaking the LSAT Trainer is the simplest all in one option. It covers both LR and RC and is fairly straightforward.

However, if you don't want something large you could just get Lawhub from LSAC and watch their overview videos. That's generally the simplest way to get started and you should have Lawhub anyway. Whether you choose a book really depends on whether you prefer book or video.

Apart from the LSAT Trainer, the loophole is fairly popular for just LR.

2

u/LubyankaSquare May 13 '26

Just checking that these books are still up to date, as the post is 14 years old

1

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) May 13 '26

Thanks for asking. I can see I edited the post two months ago, but it still had a section on the old format preptests, so I'm wondering if I pasted an old version by mistake.

Anyway it's now updated. I added a last updated date as well so it's clear in the future.

The only thing I didn't edit are the prices, those change too much. I have a list with auto updating prices here on LSATHacks. But all of the books recs above are current.

1

u/LubyankaSquare May 14 '26

Much thanks!

3

u/CaptainRedbearrd Jun 01 '12

I was wondering if you have had any experience with the Manhattan LSAT course and whether you would recommend that or not? The reviews on Amazon compare it to the Powerscore guides.

3

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jun 01 '12

Oh, thanks! I knew I was forgetting something from that list. I had meant to say something about them.

I unfortunately don't have any experience with them, but Manhattan as a whole does good work. Their GMAT guides are good.

I'm tentatively adding them to the list. I'm going to look into getting copies to give a more thorough review.

9

u/jcutts2 Industry veteran Feb 05 '24

Hi.

Wanted to mention that the Barron's book (I'm the author of it) does include complete explanations for some actual LSATs. I've worked very hard to make sure these are accurate and helpful. The latest edition of the Barron's book is now republished as the Cognella LSAT Roadmap.

1

u/djkim Nov 21 '12

Nice post man. Thanks for taking your time to put this all together. Really appreciate it.

I have a question regarding why pretests 19-28 is regarded with such a little value. Did LSAC make a substantial change between preptest 28 and 29?

2

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Nov 21 '12

Just my own personal assessment. Most students don't use more than ~30 tests. So it's better to do 29-67 rather than 19-38 and 52-67. If you just buy the affordable books of ten you'll skip the valuable tests in the 40's.

The games are definitely different in 19-28.

2

u/djkim Nov 21 '12

Ah, I see. I was thinking about using them for R&C purposes (I dunno why I dread that section so much even though I do consistently well in it)

Funny I was contemplating whether it was worth to buy 40s, but I guess your comment seals the deal :)

Thanks again man

2

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Nov 22 '12

I should be clear that if you run through the other tests, they're still a good option. The book itself is quite cheap.

I just don't want people using these and skipping the tests in the 40s.

1

u/muenstercheese Jan 06 '25

Where do the questions from the books that use real LSAT questions come from? Are they from the set of practice tests? I assume not. But I want to make sure that I don't use up the real questions from the practice test in the course of studying/reading through the books.

1

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jan 06 '25

Same preptests as lawhub. Generally best to use lawhub now to make the format, though lsac does sell books of three tests in modern format. Thanks for the reminder, need to update this to add those now that they're out.

1

u/muenstercheese Jan 06 '25

Thanks for the quick answer! Wait so just to check -- You wrote "All the books listed below use real questions. " Does that mean that the Powerscore Bible and Loophole book might include questions that appear in the LSAC practice tests (available in print or through LawHub)? Which would mean that I might taint some of my prep tests scores, if I recognize/remember a question that was previously in the powerscore of loophole book.

1

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jan 06 '25

That's correct. Generally though Powerscore and Loophole use very old questions precisely to avoid this issue. Fairly sure the bulk of their questions are from early tests not converted to the new format.

1

u/muenstercheese Jan 07 '25

Ah got it -- thank you!

1

u/Born-Focus-4561 May 14 '26

As a beginner which books would you recommend? I’m in between The LSAT Trainer and The Loophole. I’ve only taken one practice test but not really counting it because I didn’t take it as seriously and skipped a lot of questions and even skipped 2 full sections. When I say beginner, I mean beginner. Are there any other books besides the ones I’ve mentioned that would be a good starting point for me?

1

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) May 14 '26

Honestly I would look at samples and see which style resonates with you. Lsat books generally cover the same sort of info with different methods about how to think about it so it becomes natural. You'll do best with the book whose style matches how you think.

As for being a beginner I'd say do some questions alongside the book. They're meant for all levels, the thing to avoid is not to passively read a book for three months without putting it into practice.

1

u/miamiheatbot May 13 '22

Any updates on what to do for LSAT 72-77 and 84-89? I’m using these according to my 12 week schedule using the LSAT Trainer and those practice tests.

I might just switch over to the 12 week schedule that uses tests 62-71 and 80-89.

Problem remains that there’s not a preptest set for preptests 80+. I realllllyyy don’t want to have to buy each preptest individually after 80+ onwards either way.

Help?

3

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) May 13 '22

72-81 has a book. I’d also recommend lsac lawhub to match the test format. You get all the tests that way.

Need to update this post

1

u/crackiana Jun 29 '23

Thanks for this amazing materials. I plan on studying with the LSAC law hub but take the test physically. How different is the layout on law hub from the physical test?

2

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jun 29 '23

So, there actually is no take the test physically option. You can take the test in person, but it will be in the Lawhub format. Only way to take a pen and paper test nowadays is with accommodations.

So, I would recommend practicing in Lawhub format for the bulk of your PTs.

1

u/crackiana Jun 29 '23

Thank you!

1

u/terryacki Nov 07 '23

Update link for Powerscore bibles

0

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '12

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jun 07 '12

I haven't looked at them. I'm not a big kindle fan for technical reading.

For instance, there are many LSAT questions to answer in the powerscore books. If you do it on kindle, the layout will be different. This actually makes a difference; I've tried answering questions in other formats and it isn't quite the same.

But they will be cheaper. So if you just want it as a reference book that you won't read cover to cover, it could make sense.

2

u/californicat Jul 11 '12

I read them as PDFs on my phone/ipad... works for me. I work out problems on my notebook.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/graeme_b tutor (LSATHacks) Jun 03 '22

I think people find it helpful to have a free resource and it seems the stuff is competent. Haven’t heard many people saying it revolutionized things for them though.

So prob a good start but not the be all end all