The LSAT Time Trap: Why 35 Minutes Feels Like 10

Every LSAT taker knows the feeling. You start a section, settle into a rhythm, and then glance up at the clock, only to discover that half your time has vanished. Suddenly, the calm, logical thinker you trained to be is replaced by someone flipping through questions like like pages in a book they don’t have time to read.

Time pressure is one of the LSAT’s sneakiest challenges. It’s not just about knowing the material; it’s about performing under a clock that never seems to move in your favor. Let’s dig into why pacing feels so unnatural, and how you can train to stay ahead of the clock.

Why the LSAT Warps Time

On paper, 35 minutes seems generous. After all, it’s more than half an hour, long enough to cook pasta, watch an episode of The Office, or scroll endlessly on TikTok. But on test day? Those 35 minutes feel like 10.

The LSAT is designed to warp your perception of time. The first few questions lull you into a sense of control. Then one dense stimulus or a Reading Comp passage about 14th-century poetry slams the brakes. Suddenly, you’ve spent three minutes on a single question, and panic sets in.

This isn’t a personal failing, it’s psychology. Under stress, the brain processes information differently, often underestimating how long tasks actually take. That’s why “just one tricky question” can derail your pacing for an entire section.

The Myth of Even Pacing

One of the most common LSAT myths is that you should spend the exact same amount of time on each question. Some prep books even encourage students to budget precisely 1 minute and 25 seconds per LR question. On paper, that math looks tidy. In reality? It’s a disaster.

Here’s the truth: not all questions are created equal. Some will click immediately, you’ll spot the flaw, anticipate the trap answer, and be done in 40 seconds. Others will require a closer read, two diagram redraws, and maybe a deep sigh. Strong test-takers don’t divide time evenly, they prioritize. The skill isn’t answering every question at the same pace; it’s knowing when to push through and when to let go.

Building an Internal Clock

So how do you keep the LSAT from turning into a time warp? You train your brain to feel the rhythm of the test. A few proven methods:

• Section Timing Without a Clock
  Try doing a full section without looking at the timer once. Then check: how close were you to 35 minutes? Over time, you’ll develop an instinct for pacing that doesn’t rely on constant clock-watching.
• Checkpoint Method
  In Logical Reasoning, aim for question 10 around the 15-minute mark and question 20 around 30 minutes. These aren’t strict deadlines, but they help you gauge if you’re falling behind before it’s too late.
• Passage Triage
  In Reading Comp, don’t feel obligated to start with Passage 1. If it’s unusually dense (say, about bird migration patterns in 17th-century Spain), skip to a passage you can finish quickly. Banking time early gives you room for the heavier lifts later.
• Focused Re-Drill
  If you find you’re always running out of time in the same section, isolate that problem. Maybe RC inference questions slow you down, or LR parallel reasoning eats your minutes. Identify the patterns, then drill them in isolation until they no longer feel like time sinks.

Planning for the Worst

Even the best pacing strategy can fall apart under test-day nerves. That’s why you need a contingency plan.

What happens if you’re behind with five minutes left? Do you guess blindly at the end, or do you flag tough questions as you go so you know where to focus? If you’ve thought this through in advance, you’ll react with strategy rather than panic.

Here’s a simple rule: never leave blanks. An educated guess, even rushed, keeps you in the game. A blank is guaranteed to cost you points.

Final Thought

The LSAT isn’t just a test of logic, it’s a test of time. Anyone can solve the questions eventually; the real challenge is solving them fast enough without letting the clock dictate your mindset.

So don’t fight the timer, train with it. Learn its patterns. Practice until pacing feels instinctive, not forced. Because the students who move from the 150s into the 170s aren’t always the ones with the deepest logic skills. They’re the ones who know when to push, when to pause, and when to move on.

And if you want tools that actually help you spot where your pacing breaks down? LexPrep’s AI can track your timing patterns, show you where you’re bleeding minutes, and give you targeted drills to fix it. Join our waitlist at www.lexprep.ai to get early access when we launch.

Because the LSAT isn’t just about what you know, it’s about what you can do in 35 minutes.