We know what you’re thinking: the best way to study for the LSAT is to not study for the LSAT. But if you’re going to prepare to tackle the beast, you have a few options.

Self study

Self-study can be a great avenue for the savants among us, but in our opinion at Blueprint LSAT Prep, mere mortals should be leery of studying entirely on their own. While an LSAT prep course can be expensive, you need to have a great deal of initiative and the ability to diagnose and correct your own mistakes if you're prepping for the LSAT alone. It's possible; just difficult.

Online study

At Blueprint LSAT Prep, we feel that an online class is a great bet for people who cannot commit to a live course’s schedule. Usually, what we’ve found at Blueprint LSAT Prep is that online courses are cheaper than the live version alternative while still providing a very effective course of LSAT study. Online courses generally fall under two categories: live and recorded. Live online courses have the same general drawbacks and benefits that we’ll go into in a second, but the recorded options allow students to watch lessons whenever they have free time. Recorded online courses are a great option for those who can’t stick to a schedule as easily.

Live course

No matter what company you’re looking at, whether it is Blueprint LSAT Prep or any of the other dozens of test prep companies, the live course is generally a good option. An online course has the limitation of not allowing instant interaction with your instructor. With a live prep course, when you have a question, you can get it answered immediately by your instructor, and/or be ridiculed for the general inanity of said question. According to our research at Blueprint LSAT Prep, the downside of live courses is that they tend to cost more and typically restrict you to a particular schedule.

So long story longer: we at Blueprint LSAT Prep feel that students should be careful about self-study because the schedule and structure must be provided by the person studying – a tall order. An LSAT prep course is necessary for most people to reach their maximum potential on the test, and the prudent test taker would be wise to acknowledge that and plan accordingly. Don’t forget that the money you spend on a course may also pay for itself in the caliber of school to which you’re accepted or in scholarships attained. Accordingly, we at Blueprint LSAT Prep recommend two methods for LSAT study: online and live. Each has its advantage and disadvantage including the ability to have your questions answered immediately and scheduling constraints. At Blueprint LSAT Prep we recommend that you weigh each option and choose your prep method thoughtfully.

Good luck, and Godspeed.

Article by Jodi Triplett and Trent Teti of Blueprint LSAT Preparation. Blueprint specializes in LSAT preparation and sewing circles. Blueprint LSAT Prep was founded in 2005.