Sunday, July 7th
2024 LSAT Test Prep Course Reviews
7Sage
- $69/month independent-study subscription, $129/month premium with daily live classes
- Tutoring offered at $180 to $200 per hour
- Free 1 month trial
- 99 official LSAT prep tests
- 8,440 LSAT questions with explanations
- 50+ hours of video lessons included
- Robust curriculum, problem generator, tests, and personalized study plan
Founded by former law student and LSAT tutor J.Y. Ping, 7Sage was based on a simple premise: Ping could charge less, and earn more money, if he ran LSAT services himself, as opposed to working through major test companies. So, with a foundation in affordability, how does 7Sage hold up against other LSAT prep companies?
Excellent materials for an excellent price
In a field of very pricey LSAT preparatory materials, 7Sage is refreshingly more affordable (though still not cheap).
- Everything in the base plan is geared towards structured individual study; $69 per month will get you access to 50+ hours of video lessons, 99 official LSAT prep tests, 8,440 question explanations for every question and logic game ever released, a digital tester, and a personalized study planner and problem-set generator.
- 7Sage's premium plan costs $129 per month, but includes daily live classes, one-on-one work with LSAT professionals, study sessions, proctored tests, office hours, and on-demand viewing of previous classes. In short, the premium plan is an excellent option for those looking for more structured support as they study for their LSAT.
- If you need even more structure, 7Sage offers one-on-one tutoring with trained tutors who scored in the 99th percentile on their LSAT. Tutoring through 7Sage is priced for 5 hours at $200 per hour, 10 hours at $190 per hour, 20 hours for $180 per hour, and 30+ hours for $172 per hour. 7Sage's tutoring is tailored to your needs, integrates with their curriculum, and could be an excellent option for independent tutoring (though it is slightly more expensive than their competitors).
Well supported, clearly explained
What sets 7Sage apart is that not only do they provide a wealth of materials, but they also support you through said materials. 7Sage provides an incredibly structured curriculum to guide you through your study. They provide for every single practice question associated with said curriculum.
Excellent value in understanding "why"
As the LSAT is designed to measure analytical thinking, knowing why something is the correct answer is critical towards comprehension and improvement. As such, 7Sage provides excellent value by explaining the steps taken to solve every problem they offer. For those eyeing 7Sage's live class plan, keep in mind that 7Sage's daily classes are "opt-in" , and are not as structured as other online live classes that include homework and a set schedule.
Universally well-reviewed
7Sage has excellent reviews, and not just on distributed review sites, which often partner with major companies to surface positive reviews. Browsing forums dedicated to LSAT test prep, 7Sage frequently earns the praise of its users. That being said, many of these reviews note that as the base plan is essentially access to robust self-directed study tools, fully completing 7Sage's curriculum takes discipline and long periods of study, and is not a good tool for cramming. So, while their content takes the cake in terms of quality and price, don't expect that cramming will help you complete 7Sage's self-directed curriculum.
Broad appeal
As a side note, we found that 7Sage used to offer free study materials for logic games on YouTube, but was forced to remove them due to litigation from the LSAC. While this resource is no longer available, we think that it is an excellent example of the 7Sage ethos: affordable, helpful study prep with the average student in mind.
Our all-around top LSAT prep pick
7Sage is by far the best value on our list, and is the absolute best out there for self-directed study. Whether you are simply looking to access well-supported, well-explained, reasonably priced LSAT materials, or feel you would benefit from daily expert-led classes and associated office-hours, 7Sage is an excellent choice for your LSAT prep.
Powerscore
- $350 per month ($260 first month) on-demand prep course
- $1,046 live online prep course
- $1,595 in-person prep course
- On-demand access to 30 hours of lectures
- 55+ hours supplementary instruction
- Comprehensive course book paired to your needs/homework
- Free access to Powerscore's LSAT study forum
Well known for their LSAT prep "bible" series, Powerscore offers LSAT prep services online, in addition to in-person LSAT prep classes and access to independent study. So, how does this well-regarded LSAT-prep company compare to its online-first peers?
Good price for a good product
Powerscore offers a good range of services at a significant - but not wholly unreasonable - price, especially when compared to the prices of some of their competitors (such as Kaplan).
- Their on-demand prep course costs $260 for the first month, and $350 each month afterwards; that price point will get you access to 30+ hours of lectures, 55+ hours of supplemental instruction, LSAC licensed online practice tests (though they don't specify how many), comprehensive course materials, and a personalized "online student center" .
- For $1,046 you have access to everything in the on-demand course, in addition to 70 hours of live instruction (which will last two to three months depending on your schedule), exclusive weekly clinics lead by LSAT experts, 100+ hours of supplemental content, homework and supplemental drills, and access to pre-recorded lessons.
- While they used to offer in-person courses for $1595, they are - as of this review - still suspended due to the pandemic, likely due to the difficulty of restarting in-person classes after they had been shuttered.
Higher price for more structure
When compared to competitors in online LSAT prep, Powerscore holds up fairly well. While they are not the cheapest, they offer a good mix of support for individual learners. For those seeking a structured online class, we appreciate the robust mix of courses, homework, skill-building, and supplementary material. While their live classes are more expensive than some competitors, they are also more structured, with assigned homework and an enrolled "class" .
Impressive, well-structured online classrooms
No company is going to be for everyone, and while Powerscore's LSAT bible series are a must, their digital self-led study options are not the best value out there. That being said, we are impressed with their online live class offerings, and - when balancing quality, personalized support, and cost - we think that Powerscore's online classes are definitely worth investigating for your LSAT study.
Wyzant
- 230 LSAT specialist tutors (as of this review)
- Price ranges between $30 to $300 per hour
- Negotiate directly with your tutor, not through a large company
- "Good fit guarantee"
Unlike centralized tutoring services, Wyzant doesn't have a set plan, platform, or curriculum for LSAT test prep. Rather, they connect you with qualified tutors in your chosen area of study, which could be anything from Python to Pottery. With no set curriculum or plan to critique, tutor quality on Wyzant is highly variable. So, with all that said, what can you expect from Wyzant when preparing for the LSAT?
Well paid, independent tutors
Large services such as Kaplan are infamous for charging many times more per hour than they actually pay their tutors (read: about $40 dollars per hour earned, about $120 per hour charged). With Wyzant, Tutors retain 75% of their hourly rate, which (ideally) leads to more motivated tutors. These tutors are easy to find, and sorting the 230+ LSAT tutors by price and rating is refreshingly easy here.
Variable quality, a good refund policy
While tutors can be highly variable on Wyzant, the platform itself offers a "good fit guarantee" . This means that should a tutor not be to your liking within the first hour, they will fully refund your purchase. Keep in mind that this only applies to the first hour/lesson, so any lessons after the first hour will not be covered.
No comprehensive curriculum
The biggest downside to finding a tutor through Wyzant is that you won't receive the comprehensive materials and support that a large tutoring company can offer. So, if access to official LSAT prep strategies and large overarching plans are important to you, then Wyzant may not be an ideal fit. However, many tutors on this platform have multiple years of experience tutoring for large prep companies, and Wyzant makes it easy to scan your tutors' ratings, rates, and (most critically) credentials.
A good place to search for tutors
While less supported than large specialized test-prep companies, Wyzant's ease of use and good fit guarantee make it our top pick if you are looking for one-on-one tutoring and don't necessarily feel that you'll benefit from a pricey, highly structured program.
Magoosh
- Self-paced plan $299 (LSAC included)
- Live classes at $599
- 7-day refund policy
- 5-point score increase guarantee
- 12 months of access to course materials
With materials offered for a whole range of tests - from MCAT to LSAT -Magoosh got its start in 2010 as a GRE prep start-up offering professional, platform-based guidance to test takers. Magoosh has grown tremendously since, and has expanded their offerings accordingly. So, how does Magoosh's product hold up?
Best priced independent-study plan on our list
In its base plan, Magoosh has some rather reasonably priced independent study options.
- Starting at $299, you will get 12 months of access to 90+ video lessons, 200+ logic games with explanations, and timed practice tests through the official LSAT test day interface.
- Magoosh's "Live+Premium" option will cost $599, and includes classes led by a 99th percentile LSAT instructor, 16 hours of coursework, and customized homework and classwork.
Both plans come with a +5 total score guarantee, which means that if you do not improve your score by five points over your baseline after completing LSAT prep with Magoosh, you will receive a refund (sans the $99 sent Magoosh has to pay the LSAC). Magoosh also offers a 7-day refund policy, which means that if you are not satisfied with your course for any reason, you will receive a full refund of your plan.
Generally fewer resources than the best
We like Magoosh's reasonable mix between quality offerings and affordable price. At $299 for 12 months of access, Magoosh has some very reasonable independent study options. And, at a one time payment of $599, their more premium "live-class" option isn't bad either. The primary critique of Magoosh is that it has fewer LSAT questions, explanations, and logic games than their competitors. However, this is reflected in their relatively lower price.
A well-regarded company
As a side-note, Magoosh is consistently rated as one of the friendliest and best places to work in the Bay area (which, while not critical for consumers, speaks to the quality of the company). And while they have few LSAT reviews, due to their GRE specialization, many who have utilized Magoosh for the GRE give it positive reviews.
A good budget LSAT option
While perhaps not as robust as more LSAT specialized test prep options, Magoosh offers a reasonable amount of prep for a reasonable price. This nice balance of product, generally good reviews, and a reputation as an upright company have all earned Magoosh its strong ranking on our list.
Kaplan
- $595 "on-demand" course (4 months)
- $935 "live course" option (4 months)
- $1,190 in-person course (4 months)
- $1,650 to $3,900 "premium/private" tutoring (also 4 months)
- "Higher score guarantee"
As a test prep giant, Kaplan sells preparatory courses and materials for every academic placement test out there, the LSAT included. Size does not always equate to quality. So, how do Kaplan's LSAT offerings stack up to others in the market?
Expansive LSAT offerings
Kaplan offers four primary LSAT prep plans.
- Their "on-demand" course includes 9,000+ LSAT questions and answer explanations, a personalized study planner, 70+ LSAT practice tests and 200 quizzes, and 150+ hours of LSAT lessons.
- Their "live-online" and "in-person" plans offer identical resources to the "on-demand" plan, priced at $935 and $1,190 for four months of access. However, their "live-online" and "in-person" plans grant access to synchronous online and in person courses respectively. Kaplan's priciest plans are their "private and premium LSAT tutoring packages" . These will earn you a personalized study plan made for you by an LSAT expert, access to online courses, and private 1-on-1 LSAT tutoring.
- Their "premium" tutoring option at $3,900 for 4 months of access includes tutoring with 99th percentile LSAT tutors with at least 10 years of experience, and review of your law school personal statement.
More expensive than competitors
While Kaplan offers a wide variety of plans, they are uniformly expensive. When broken down monthly, their "live-online" option is approximately $110 per month more expensive than our top pick. That being said, their one-on-one tutoring services are slightly less expensive than our highest-ranked LSAT test prep service.
Refund if you score below your baseline
While Kaplan undoubtedly offers a robust study plan, keep in mind that if you are looking at Kaplan's base independent study and online-class plans, you are likely to find a comparable product for much cheaper. Even though Kaplan's "Higher Score Guarantee" allows you to receive a refund or a "free reactivation" of your account if you didn't score higher than your baseline, they are still much more expensive than competitors on all metrics except private tutoring.
High reviews, bad reputation
Kaplan has very high reviews on review sites that are known to accept subscriptions from businesses to strategically hide poor reviews. They are, however, infamous on messaging boards dedicated to LSAT prep. From what we could find, common complaints often cite the poor quality of Kaplan's base study materials (with counterintuitive study advice for the LSAT), and highly variable quality of teachers and online tutors. Overall, participants critique Kaplan's prices for a product that was not guaranteed to be high quality.
Best for tutoring, overpriced on the rest
If you are looking for reasonably priced in-person or private tutors, Kaplan would likely be a good choice for you. However, as the price of Kaplan's base and classroom plans are significantly more expensive than competitors, and testimony from LSAT study boards as to Kaplan's quality is decidedly mixed, we recommend that if you are looking for an independent or affordable online course, you look elsewhere than Kaplan.
The Princeton Review
- Self-paced prep at $299
- "LSAT 165+" live course for $1,599
- "Immersion 165+" for $3399
- Official LSAT test prep content
- 70+ LSAT practice tests
Not specializing in any one particular test, the Princeton Review is a well-known test-prep company with offerings in the GRE, the MCAT, the LSAT, and any other acronym you can think of. So, as a generalist test-prep company, how does the Princeton Review compare to competitors specifically on the LSAT?
Misleading, overwhelming website design
Right off the bat, we were displeased with the Princeton Review's overwhelming user interface. With hideously loud colors, a disgustingly busy user interface, a countdown timer for "$600 dollars off holiday sale" , and a disingenuous "pay $399 today" over every single button to purchase an online course (of which there are dozens), the Princeton Reviews' modus operandi appears to be that they bombard their customers with a gauntlet of annoying colors and "limited time" sales, thereby overwhelming them into a purchase.
Low cost self-paced prep, expensive (and intensive) classes
With that out of the way, their offerings are alright.
- Their $299 self-paced prep will get you access to 150+ hours of recorded lessons, 70 official LSAT prep tests, 1,800 pages of study materials, and access to all released LSAT questions (however, they do not state if they provide explanations for said questions).
- The Princeton Review's "LSAT 165+" course costs $1,665, and includes 84 hours of online instruction, 150 hours of drills and explanations, and 8,000+ LSAT "exam-style" questions, and everything from their base plan.
- The Princeton Review's "Immersion 165+" includes 145 hours of live instruction, and content workshops that analyze your previous LSAT performance, offer guided practice, and additional lessons. Finally, their "Fundamentals" plan at $899 includes 30 hours of classroom time, in addition to everything from their base self-paced prep.
While The Princeton Review offers high-priced classes promising score improvements, their tutor/teacher LSAT requirements are actually lower than their less-pricey competitors (for example, several rivals only hire 99th percentile LSAT scorers for their classrooms and tutors).
Unscrupulously designed refund "guarantee"
The Princeton Review also has - quite frankly - disappointing refund practices. While they state that they have a "165+ guarantee" , if you do not complete every single module or piece of homework assigned by the Princeton Review and attend every class, then you do not qualify for a refund. In addition, you are not eligible for a refund unless you come to the course having previously scored at least a 158. Coupled with the fact that - according to user reviews on LSAT dedicated study forums - they flood their students with reams of unhelpful and at times outdated modules whose mere volume makes it difficult to complete, their "guarantee" has many requirements and may not be as guaranteed as it seems.
Mixed customer reviews
Customer testimony on Princeton Review is decidedly mixed: they have quite good general reviews on a major review site, and an "A-" from the Better Business Bureau, but simultaneously are infamous in LSAT dedicated study forums for their high prices, unhelpful/overwhelming course structure, and lower LSAT requirements for tutors and teachers.
An okay product, but there are better out there
While the Princeton Review may offer comprehensive class structures, their overwhelming site design and advertisem*nts, their infamy on LSAT discussion boards, and their lower tutor requirements all suggest that you would be better served by their more reasonably-priced competitors. While not bad, the Princeton Review is outclassed across every metric by competitors on both price and quality. In short, we recommend a company that at the very least has fewer restrictions on their supposed guarantees.
alphascore
- $389 "complete" course package, $789 "premium"
- 1 month free trial
- Individual modules sold separately
- 50+ virtual lessons
- Individual logic, reasoning, and comprehension modules offered
alphascore was one of the first companies to offer online LSAT prep in 2010, but is ultimately outclassed by current competitors. While they do offer online LSAT prep, their service does not seem to have grown to match its competitors over the years. That being said, here is how their offerings compare.
Reasonable pricing
Alphascore offers a variety of reasonably priced options for your LSAT preparation.
- alphascore"s base "complete" plan costs $389 total. That price point will get you 50+ virtual lessons, 1,000 practice questions across 10 LSAT exams, practice quizzes, and an undefined number of explanations.
- Their $789 premium plan offers access to 61 LSAT quizzes and 6,000 plus practice quizzes.
- If you are only looking to improve on one area of the LSAT, they have divided their course into three separately priced modules: logic games, reading, and comprehension; priced at $189, $198, and $99 respectively.
Middling product
While alphascore offers a relatively low upfront cost for its products, they are generally less robust, and less-effectively described than similarly priced competitors. For example, they do not offer an online-test option, but instead guide users through a pen-and-paper LSAT. In addition, their significantly expensive premium option does not offer details on what that entails, other than 61 LSAT quizzes as opposed to 10.
Need to know more
Alphascore also suffers from a general lack of product description throughout the site. For example, while they do apparently hire instructors with 5 years of experience, they do not detail how this instruction integrates into their curriculum, or whether the premium option even grants you access to an online class. That being said, they do offer smaller delineation of their plans into independently priced modules, which could be good for those looking to improve on only one section of the LSAT.
Few reviews, and nothing to write home about
There are almost no user reviews out there about alphascore, excepting those hosted on their own website. Even forums dedicated to LSAT prep say little about alphascore, and they have no rating from the Better Business Bureau. A test prep reviewer we found stated that while alphascore has some solid modules, everything else is rather bare-bones: we agree with that assessment. Taken in sum, alphascore is likely not the best value out there, unless you only are looking to make a one-time purchase of a specific module of study.
Peterson's
- $49 per month one month subscription
- $45 per month 3 month subscription
- $35 per month 6 month subscription
- Two LSAT practice tests
- Test results broken down by content
- "Exclusive written material"
- Tutoring included with mid-tier plans
Popular among military members taking the CLEP to earn college credits, Peterson's offers a wide variety of products to prepare students for almost all career, college, and graduate-level tests. Their dirt-cheap LSAT offerings may seem attractive at first, but you get what you pay for, and they are not in any way robust. Here's how their service breaks down.
Very low price, and little to show for it
Peterson's LSAT prep offerings are very slim and very cheap. They include two LSAT practice tests and an undefined amount of "exclusive written material" . For a test such as the LSAT, however, material that does not come from the LSAT itself can at times be a detriment. Subscriptions are priced per month, at $49 per month for one month of access, $45 per month for three months of access, and $35 per month for 6 months of access. Their 3 month plan includes 90 minutes of online tutoring and essay review, and their 6 month plan includes 270 minutes of online tutoring. However, the qualifications of their tutors are not specified.
Mixed, infrequent reviews
While there are few customer reviews for Peterson's, what we could find were mixed, with a common complaint being that subscriptions will auto-renew until you cancel them. This has earned them a rating of "D-" with the Better Business Bureau. So, Peterson's LSAT services are generally unremarkable, and it seems that their billing practices are not ideal.
Not LSAT specialized, not worth your time
One element of Peterson's that we think is representative of the service as a whole is that when you click to "sign up" for their LSAT prep, it takes you to a non-LSAT specific sign-up screen; in other words, Peterson's does not specialize in LSAT prep, and this is reflected in almost every aspect of what they offer. While the low price may seem attractive, there are much better values out there, and Peterson's bare-bones offerings are hardly appropriate for such a high-stakes, career-defining test as the LSAT.
LSAT Max
- Subscription access at $249 per month ($212 first month) subscription
- 180 day access for $761
- 180 day access + 10 tutoring hours at $2,206
- 92 prep tests with explanations
- "Higher-score or-refund" policy
With its headquarters located in Winter Park, Florida, and lofty-credentials held by its Harvard Law School founder, LSATMax is a company with standard offerings but very poor customer service practices. While more expensive than competitors, their base offerings are fairly good, if overpriced. Here's how they compare.
Generally good (but expensive) materials
LSATMax offers 92 prep tests, daily office hours, real-time chat support, a digital LSAT test taker, and explanations on every question. Your price is determined by how much access you need, and they offer either a subscription ($249 per month, $212 for the first month), or 180 days of access ($761) which includes 1 free hour of tutoring. LSATMax also offers a one-on-one tutoring option with 99th percentile tutors for $2,206, which includes 180 days of access and 10 tutoring hours.
A good refund option
We appreciate that LSATMax has a refund option if you did not receive a higher score, especially as - when compared to competitors - LSATMax is pricey. While cheaper than competitors such as Kaplan on a per-month basis, $761 is still a significant sum to pay upfront, and $249 per month is an absolutely unreasonable sum to pay as a subscription, when competitors provide more robust services for much less. While LSATMax's tutors and instructors are 99th percentile scorers on the LSAT, competitors offer similar tutoring packages at a significantly lower price. In short, LSATMax falls short on both quality and budget.
Terrible reviews on LSAT study boards
While LSATMax has high ratings on a major review site that is well known for allowing companies to strategically "flag" negative reviews and engage in review-gating, digging just a bit deeper reveals a swathe of angry, unsatisfied test-prep customers. In fact, many users on LSAT study forums complain of unhelpful explanations from LSATMax.
Hounding you for your money
More pressingly, LSATMax is infamous for constantly calling and texting customers who have signed up for their free trial or app, and if you want to stop receiving these calls, you need to specifically request to be removed from their phone list. Customers report that simply blocking LSATMax's spam texts and calls don't work, as they send spam messages from constantly changing numbers.
Unprofessional practices
LSATMax's advertising practices are scammy and incredibly unprofessional. When researching LSATMax, we found that not only were they banned from a major LSAT study forum for posting fake reviews, but also when a specific customer made a well detailed complaint on said forum, LSATMax's CEO made an alternate account to avoid their ban, and posted a screenshot of their customer's email with a witty comment. This reads to us as incredibly unprofessional behavior. Not only that, but LSATMax has been caught running ads imitating a rival test prep service that redirect to LSATMax's website.
A decent product, but poor company behavior
While LSATMax's materials may seem like your run-of-the mill, pricey LSAT prep, and likely will help you improve your score, their unscrupulous practices reveal a company that seems more intent on strategically misrepresenting their service, as opposed to improving its quality. When combined with ubiquitous complaints of spammy calls and emails, and significantly higher prices than well-reviewed competitors, we recommend you avoid LSATMax.
Varsity Tutors
- $45 to $90 per hour tutoring (not listed on their website)
- 500 LSAT questions
- Unofficial practice tests
As a private tutoring service that specializes in multiple tests, you won't be finding self-paced preparatory materials with Varsity Tutors. (Though they do offer some free LSAT resources). While Varsity Tutors does offer LSAT tutoring, it appears to be a secondary concern, and has much fewer resources than competitors. Here's how it breaks down.
No price listed
First off, Varsity Tutors currently does not list their price ranges on their website. As such, we had to source the price from other review sites that apparently were written when they did list such information on their website: from what we could gather, tutor prices range from $45 to $90 per hour. Varsity Tutors may be leaving these prices out on purpose, however, as Varsity Tutors heavily encourages customers to call their phone line for a consultation. While they did have multiple "view packages'' buttons scattered throughout their webpage, they were all broken. Letting customers know the cost and quality of your product is an absolute bare minimum, and it is unacceptable that Varsity Tutors fails to do so.
Unspecialized, general service
From what we can determine (in spite of their low-functioning website), Varsity Tutors does not specialize in LSAT prep: with only 500 LSAT questions, and no mention of official practice tests, their actual offerings seem decidedly slim. While they do offer "dozens" of practice tests, these do not appear to be official LSAT materials (otherwise, they would specify it). One positive element of Varsity Tutors is that they seem to specialize in small class tutoring, with about six to nine students per class. But, Varsity Tutors does not give any details about their class or methods beyond this: they do not detail any LSAT score requirement for their tutors, and they do not detail any kind of set curriculum or method.
Excellent reviews... for high-school and undergrad tutoring
While Varsity Tutors has an "A+" rating on the Better Business Bureau and multiple glowing reviews, these reviews all center on undergrad, high school, and elementary school tutoring, not in-depth LSAT test prep. As such, there is likely a disparity between the quality of their LSAT prep and that of their general tutoring services.
A product in desperate need of communication
Perhaps Varsity Tutors offers a quality LSAT prep; however, with so little information provided about their product (not even the price), it is hard to determine the quality of Varsity Tutors' LSAT packages. As such, we think you would be better served elsewhere, with a company that fully details their offerings before asking you to call for a consultation. Hopefully, Varsity Tutors can amend their poor ranking here by effectively communicating with their customers in the future, as opposed to hiding prices behind a consultation/phone call.
