Preparing for the LSAT Exam is a marathon. It is an expensive undertaking both in monetary cost and time spent. Students preparing for the LSAT will want to invest in at least one LSAT prep book, and the PowerScore Bibles is one of the most commonly used and popular LSAT prep books. The PowerScore Bibles are absolutely worth the cost of the books. The PowerScore’s logic games book is consistently rates as the best available, and the other two books come complete with a detailed process to analyzing LSAT questions, actual LSAT practice questions, and helpful explanations to each question.
Now that you know that the Powerscore Bibles are an excellent resource, it is important to learn why they are an excellent resource. Read on to learn how the PowerScore Bibles compare to their peer LSAT prep books and how to use the PowerScore Bibles.
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What Are the Powerscore Bibles
The PowerScore Bibles are a comprehensive series of LSAT prep books that have been extremely popular among LSAT test takers for years. The books are divided based on the LSAT’s three question sections – (i) Logic Games, (ii) Logical Reasoning, and (iii) Reading Comprehension.
The books are long, each individual book alone is over 600 pages, but don’t let that perturb you as readers can easily breeze through fifty pages a day without too much effort. All of the books come packed with actual LSAT questions, which is an important factor for anyone who does not want to question whether the LSAT prep book they are working through is actually using quality simulated questions. The Reading Comprehension Bible comes with 12 official LSAT Reading Comprehension passages, the Logical Reasoning Bible comes with 100 official LSAT Logical Reasoning questions, and the Logic Games Bible comes with 28 official LSAT Logic Games.
You can check out an in-depth comparison of the PowerScore Bibles to other comprehensive LSAT prep books here.
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The Logic Games Bible
The logic games section is frequently cited as the most difficult section for LSAT test takers. In recent years LSAC has even considered removing the section from the LSAT, but alas it remains a part of the LSAT so test takers need to be well prepared for it.
The Logic Games Bible is hands down the best logic games review guide that a test-taker can hope for. It is extremely detailed, beginning with a fundamental analysis of various logic games concepts. It then divides the various games into sections based on the type of game – linear games, advanced linear games, grouping games, sequencing games, etc. For me, the Logic Games Bible was an extremely helpful tool because it broke down these seemingly extremely complicated games into parts and then offered strategies on how to deal with each one. The book also contains full-length sets of logic games so that you can take LSAT logic game sections under timed conditions.
The Logic Games Bible was personally the most helpful for me because initially in my LSAT preparation I had the most difficulty with the logic games. My score increased substantially over the course of my study and I was extremely satisfied with this book.
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The Logical Reasoning Bible
The logical reasoning section of the LSAT is a difficult and at times convoluted section for LSAT takers. There are so many different types of questions that initially it can be difficult to just get an idea of where to begin your studies.
Luckily, the Logical Reasoning Bible is an excellent resource for students looking to learn the basics of this question section and then dig into some of the more complex questions. This book begins with an analysis of basic logical reasoning that is a prerequisite to understanding the logical reasoning questions. The book then subdivides into sections based on types of logical reasoning questions on the LSAT, such as: must be true, main point, conditional reasoning, weaken questions, etc. This is a helpful framework because it allows the reader to focus on one type of question at a time. Once you have become proficient in a certain question, the book will dive into another type.
The book presents actual LSAT questions and then dives into deep explanations into the answer choices. For visual learners (such as myself), the book makes use of a considerable amount of diagrams.
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The Reading Comprehension Bible
Most users will find the Reading Comprehension Bible to be the least necessary out of the three, but that does not imply that it’s not useful. The book contains official LSAT reading passages and questions with explanations. It also provides a framework for breaking down the lengthy reading passages that are contained in this section.
I found this book’s breakdown of the reading comprehension section to be helpful, but not earth shattering in the way that the other two books were. That being said, the strategies that the book offers for avoiding traps set by LSAC along with its explanation for 12 official reading comprehension passages is extremely useful for any test taker having trouble with this section.
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Cons of the PowerScore Bibles
Every LSAT prep book, no matter how good it is, will have some weaknesses. The PowerScore Bibles are no different and there are some valid critiques of these books that should be brought to your attention.
The Bibles are extremely long and detailed. This is a plus in many readers minds but for students who have already taken the LSAT once, the Bibles may seem a little redundant. The Bibles are designed to build the reader’s test-taking competence from the ground up, and it’s understandable why this might not be the best approach for someone who has already prepared for the exam once.
Another critique is that the Bibles overcomplicate LSAT questions by dividing the logic games and logical reasoning questions into too many types. Personally, I found the division of these questions both logical and helpful, but be aware that the Bibles do tend to break different types of questions down into small parts.
How to Use the PowerScore Bibles
The PowerScore Bibles are one of the best comprehensive LSAT prep books available. They are a must-have for students self-studying for the exam and they serve as a useful supplement if you are taking an LSAT prep course.
Students can start digging through the PowerScore Bibles on day one of study and should continue working through and referring back to them throughout their preparation. It is best practice to dedicate some time to all of them as you progress through your studying. Avoid the temptation to work through entire books one at a time. It’s okay and even recommended to place more of your focus on one or two of the books if that is where you are having the most difficulty, but focusing entirely on one book at a time will increase the chance that you forget things learned earlier in your study.
The PowerScore Bibles should also not be treated as a supplement to live, full length practice exams. Practice exams are an essential component to your study because they serve as a progress marker, develop time-management, and indicate what areas you need to place more focus on. You can check out a copy of 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests here.
How Expensive Are the LSAT Bibles?
In comparison to other LSAT prep books, the LSAT Bibles are a little more expensive, but that added cost comes with the fact that they are well regarded as the best in the marketplace. New copies of all three of the LSAT Bibles can be picked up for approximately $150.
Something to be considered is that because the LSAT Bibles are divided into three books and can be purchased individually, you can purchase just one or two of the books and save a little money.
Conclusion
The PowerScore Bibles are by far my favorite LSAT prep book available on the market. I did not complete the LSAT with the highest score (I got a 167) but I did improve my test taking dramatically as I worked through these books. The LSAT Bibles are not for everyone, but these books should be at the top of any students list who is just beginning their LSAT preparation.