The　following　LSAT　tips　are　presented　by　Thomas　O.　White,　the　author　of　Peterson's　LSAT　Success.　White　is　former　president　of　Law　School　Admission　Services　and　a　principal　designer　of　the　LSAT.　He　draws　on　twenty-five　years　of　experience　as　a　lawyer,　a　law　professor　and　dean　at　the　University　of　Pittsburgh　Law　School,　and　Vice¹　President　of　Educational　Testing　Service.　White　has　monitored　the　test's　development　and　knows　what　it　takes　to　succeed　on　this　most　difficult　of　all　standardized²　tests.　

★Can　You　Rely　Upon　Academic　Prowess?

Academic　success　is　probably　a　major　contributor　to　your　interest　in　law　school　and　the　legal　profession　that　have,　in　turn,　led　you　to　the　challenge　of　the　LSAT.　You　probably　have　some　confidence　in　your　academic　ability.　You　have　learned　that　a　superior　academic　performance　depends　upon　superior　conditioning　and　study　and　test-taking　techniques.　Therefore,　you　reason　that　the　conditioning　and　techniques　that　have　produced　good　academic　results　for　you　in　the　past　should　also　produce　a　superior　LSAT　score.　For　your　reasoning　to　be　correct,　the　LSAT　should　be　a　form　of　academic　performance　--　but　this　is　not　the　case.　

★The　LSAT　Is　Not　An　Academic　Exercise

For　this　reason,　relying　upon　academic　conditioning　and　techniques　may　actually　place　barriers　that　impair³　rather　than　enhance　your　LSAT　performance.　By　training　to　circumvent⁴　these　barriers,　you　can　dramatically　improve　your　score　potential.

★Avoiding　Effective　Academic　Techniques　Can　Actually　Improve　Your　LSAT　Score.

Skeptical⁵?

Sure　you　are.　Skepticism　is　one　of　those　successful　academic　techniques.　You　have　been　conditioned　to　question,　and　you　insist　on　being　convinced.　And　unless　I　can　convince　you　that　your　academic　conditioning　must　be　put　aside,　your　test　training　and　LSAT　performance　will　suffer,　so　here　we　go.　

★Isn't　the　LSAT　a　Test　Like　Any　Other　Test?

No,　it　is　not　--　at　least　not　the　kind　of　test　with　which　you　are　familiar.　

Your　academic　conditioning　has　provided　you　with　a　clear　picture　of　a　test.　For　example,　you　are　suppose　to　have　acquired　certain　information　in　Professor　Smoot's　course.　To　measure　the　extent　to　which　you　have　succeeded　in　this,　Smoot　requires　you　to　answer　a　series　of　questions　she　has　prepared.　You　know　the　information,　answer　the　questions,　and　do　well.　That's　a　test.　

Because　it　is　called　Law　School　Admission　Test,　your　academic　conditioning　leads　you　to　expect　it　to　have　the　characteristics　of　the　familiar　test.　Even　the　format⁶　of　the　LSAT　confirms　this　expectation　--　questions　and　answers,　paper　and　pencils,　time　limits.　But　appearances　are　deceiving.　Exactly　what　information　is　measured　by　the　LSAT?　What　are　you　expected　to　know?　The　meaning　of　carmagnole?　The　formula　for　determining　the　surface　area　of　a　basketball?　Everything?　Nothing?　

Aha!　Now　you　know　why　the　LSAT　is　not　a　test　like　the　academic　test　with　which　you　are　so　familiar.　Your　knowledge　of　vocabulary,　grammar,　mathematical　formulae,　computation,　facts,　opinions,　and　other　such　information　is　not　measured　by　the　LSAT.　In　short,　precious　little　substantive⁷　knowledge　is　required　by　the　LSAT　

To　further　add　to　the　possible　deception⁸,　the　LSAT　is　not　designed　to　measure　what　it　appears　to　ask.　Rather,　it　is　designed　to　measure　your　ability　to　select　the　best　answer　from　the　options　provided　by　the　test-maker.　Selecting　the　best　answer　from　provided　choices　is　very　different　in　form　and　content　from　answering　a　question　about　a　subject　that　you　are　expected　to　know.　Avoiding　the　barrier　that　associates　the　Law　School　Admission　Test　with　a　familiar　classroom　or　licensing⁹　test　is　essential　to　you　scoring　as　well　as　you　might　on　the　LSAT.　At　the　risk　of　oversimplification,　do　not　think　of　the　LSAT　as　a　test.　The　LSAT　is　not　a　test!