Starting LSAT prep in December 2026
The holiday-start advantage: Starting in December sounds hard and is actually easy: expectations are low, schedules are flexible, and two focused weeks over the holidays can build the foundation most people take two months to build.
Your first four weeks
- Week 1: Diagnostic before the holidays. Know your baseline going into the break.
- Week 2: Holiday block: LR fundamentals daily. Short sessions, every day, no zero days.
- Week 3: Read one RC passage a day. Just read and map. No timer yet.
- Week 4: First week of January: timed sections begin and the real plan starts.
Upcoming test dates
Upcoming tests you can still register for: April 8–10, 2027 (about 18 weeks out), June 9–12, 2027 (about 27 weeks out). See the LSAT test dates page for registration deadlines and the full schedule.
How many hours
6 to 10 hours a week around obligations, more during the holiday break itself. Hours are an estimate. The right number is the one you can repeat every week without burning out.
Pick a test date early
Do not study toward "someday." A fixed test date changes every decision: how fast you move, when you start timing, when you taper. See the LSAT test dates page for the current schedule, then count backward from your date. If your runway is short, use the countdown plans matched to your exact weeks left.
Start with a baseline
The free diagnostic scores every question type and shows exactly where you are losing points. Take it in week one.