The reading comprehension section is often cited as being the most difficult LSAT section to improve on.
While it is true that the reading comprehension section is less learnable than the logic games and logical reasoning section, this is not to say that it's impossible.
Often the time devoted to preparing for the LSAT is three months or less; this is not enough time to improve your reading comprehension skills significantly.
Rather than give up on the reading comprehension section, your study strategy should instead focus on understanding how to approach the questions, the passage, and your time management.
The Questions There are four passages in each reading comprehension section.
In some LSATs, there will appear two reading comprehension sections; in these instances one of them will be the experimental section (read unscored).
Each passage will have anywhere from 5 to 8 questions associated with it.
Among these questions, there are discernible patterns which arise.
Nearly every reading passage will include a global question, or a question that tests your understanding on the passage as a whole.
There will also be questions that test your understanding of the main point, author's opinion, and specific details.
Due to the length of the passage, it is not recommended that students read the questions ahead of time.
Another point to remember: you can use your already completed questions to help with unanswered questions.
The Passage The passage will typically be between 400 and 500 words.
The average LSAT reader will complete them in about two minutes.
Because of the length and amount of material included within each passage, rather than underlining important sentences I recommend that my students practice making concise notes in the margins.
This keeps the passage uncluttered and allows them to review the main point of each paragraph in a more efficient manner.
Marking keywords is appropriate, especially once practice has yielded a more definite idea of what a keyword is.
For students just beginning to prepare for the reading comprehension section, I recommend they practice by, after completing the questions, returning to the passage and only then identifying the key words.
Time Management Even the best readers can find the reading comprehension section of the LSAT difficult.
The passages can be complex and are purposely made to be dense; in conjunction with the time limit of only 35 minutes stumbling on one passage can be cataclysmic.
The passages are generally ordered from easiest to hardest, with no correlation of subject matter.
Therefore it is not in a students best interest to look for a subject matter that they find appealing.
This is only a waste of time that can be disastrous in a test where every second matters.
Instead student should be acutely aware of the amount of time they devote to the passage as well as each question.
If the question seems totally foreign, it might be in their best interest to simply guess.
Never leave a question blank and always attempt to make an educated guess.
Once the passage has been completed, clear your mind as quickly as possible and move on.
In my personal opinion, the reading comprehension section is the most difficult to study for and to succeed in.
Many students are confident in their ability to read, however the LSAT reading comprehension section should not be taken lightly.
My best advice for preparation: practice reading dense magazines in preparation for test day.
For a list of such reading materials, you can visit my Atlanta LSAT personal tutor website.