Helping Students Prepare for Qualifying Exams; A Summary of WCRA Institute III.

This paper describes several learning laboratory program approaches to teaching students how to prepare for professional school admission exams. That these exams are true aptitude tests is a myth repeatedly deflated when students study for the tests and manage to score significantly higher on a second testing. Factors in addition to intelligence which can influence the outcome on these standardized tests are familiarity with the exam and type of question likely to be encountered; practice in taking a mock exam under timed conditions, since working speed is a vital consideration; and reduction of anxiety level. The skills tested tend to be in two general categories for most qualifying exams, verbal and math. Specific suggestions for teaching these skills, such as practice in working analogies, are given. A program offered by UCLA's learning skills center to prepare students for the Law School Aptitude Test is described. It consists of the following five parts: a trial test using an old LSAT examination, a seminar providing general information about the test, a demonstration of how to prepare for the test (recommended study guides are listed), a cases-and-principles workshop, and essay preparation tutoring. (MKM)