LSAT compared to the CFA

bcp901

Anyone know anything about the LSAT? A buddy told me he just took it and said he felt my pain for having to go through the CFA. Is it bad that i immediately assume nothing takes as much time as the CFA haha?

brainsX

LSAT is a completely different type of test. There isn't anything inherently difficult about the questions on the test, but its set up in a way to put you in a major time crunch. I generally test well and work quickly, and the LSAT is the only standardized test I've ever run out of time on. It really tests your ability to read quickly and comprehend/analyze what you just read. Prep for the LSAT generally consists of just doing a lot of problems and being able to identify what pieces of information you need to answer the questions immediately. I actually think the logic problems on the LSAT are kind of fun, but its nerve racking under a lot of time pressure.

Anyway, its a beast of a test, but the prep is totally different from the CFA in that you're not really studying a bunch of concepts/formulas. You're really just studying the methodology of the different types of questions and how to go about solving them quickly and accurately. I kind of took it on a whim, so I didn't put a whole lot of time into. Never did apply to law school or anything.

spreads

Yeah LSAT and CFA are on opposite spectrums of the universe. It's just a completely different way of thinking. If you are inherently smart you can knock out a 165+ first try. It's really more of an IQ test that is harder to learn. CFA is much more learning, and less innate intelligence if that makes sense.

yodacaia

Yeah, there's a high correlation between IQ and LSAT scores. A buddy of mine is insanely smart and took the LSAT with zero prep and scored a 178 which is in the 99.5%+ percentile. Obviously IQ, test taking ability, memory retention, etc... help with the CFA, but you don't need to be Stephen Hawking to pass any level of the CFA.

L2 is tough, but it's all about how hard you try and whether or not you just get it. Some people spend 500+ hours studying for the LSAT and can't crack 165.

tarunajwani

LSAT, GMAT are more about being very quick and applying logic very quickly. Certainly avoids the trivial pursuit aspect of CFA exams which require so much reading. If you liked reading the dictionary as a kid, you will rock the LSAT or the GMAT.

I would suggest being very careful about law school right now - unless you are highly specialized (securitization, M&A, tax, other corporate mind-numbing areas), you probably will be working for a personal injury late-night salesman type, or some other job that won't be quite as fulfilling as you had hoped for, unless you snag something with the ACLU or some other group you care about.

LSAT - my sister didn't prepare very much, and got a very good score... she is an artsy, literature type of person, so that may be a plus based on the LSAT content.

GMAT - I just did electronic practice test questions for a week, then took the test - got 96th percentile. Love how you get your score immediately after you finish the last question.


Good luck, and I hope you find something you enjoy!

chaojimali

A rule of thumb:

Nothing beats the CFA

random_walker47

Completely different I've written and passed level 1 just wrote level 2. I wrote the LSAT in 2008 and scored in the 93rd percentile on my first and only attempt.

The LSAT requires more innate skills and has a huge bias towards native English speakers because reading comprehension speed and vocabulary are key. For your typical North American the LSAT is going to be easier than the CFA in the sense that it requires far less prep and is a lot easier to study for.

The problem with the LSAT is that it is not pass/fail it is a means to an ends and that is to get into law school. Maybe your percentile will be good enough or maybe it won't or like in my case it didn't matter what my LSAT score was I wasn't getting into law school in Canada with a B+ GPA in engineering.

Uranus08

The CFA is hard but not that hard. There are definitely harder tests out there.