Yes, blind review on the LSAT builds accuracy and reasoning, raising scores when you apply it step-by-step after timed practice.
You just finished a timed section. Your pulse is up, pencil marks circle a handful of items, and you’re tempted to peek at the key. Don’t. The method that top scorers rely on asks you to slow down, revisit your uncertain choices without the clock, and prove each answer from first principles. That habit is called blind review, and when you run it the right way, it turns guesswork into repeatable skill.
What Blind Review Actually Means
Blind review is a deliberate, untimed pass you take after a timed set or practice test. You do not look at the key. You return to every question you flagged and any you finished but felt shaky about. You rebuild your reasoning in full sentences, weigh the contenders, and choose again. Only after that do you compare with the official answers. The gap between your timed pick, your untimed pick, and the credited response reveals whether timing, technique, or understanding held you back.
Why This Method Works
The exam measures argument evaluation and careful reading. Under the clock, shortcuts creep in. Blind review strips out time pressure so you can see whether you actually know how to prove an answer. If you can justify the right choice when the clock is off, the skill exists; you just need speed and recognition. If you still miss it, the skill isn’t built yet, and you need targeted drills before chasing more tests. That clarity keeps you from spinning your wheels.
Core Goals You’re Aiming For
- Separate knowledge from speed.
- Replace gut hunches with written proofs.
- Track patterns across sections.
- Turn mistakes into drills that change the next score, not the next hour.
What Blind Review Fixes
| Issue | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Hazy conditional logic | Re-diagram rules and test each answer | Cleaner deductions and fewer traps |
| Waffling between two choices | Write out why each is wrong or right | A firm standard for eliminating choices |
| Reading drift | Paraphrase the core claim and role of each sentence | Precise predictions before choices appear |
Set Up A Clean Workflow
- During the timed run, circle any item where you were unsure, guessed, or took longer than planned. Put a star next to “coin-flip” calls.
- Step away for a short break. Then start blind review with zero access to the key and, if possible, without notes from the timed pass.
- For each flagged item, restate the stimulus in your own words, nail the task, and pre-phrase a target.
- Compare choices against your target. If you change your pick, explain why. Keep a record of the reasoning, not just the letter.
- Only when you’re fully done do you check the key and the official explanation if you have one. Log the delta: timed answer, blind-review answer, credited answer.
How To Write Proofs That Hold Up
Use plain language. Anchor each claim to a line in the text. In Logical Reasoning, say what the conclusion is, what the support is, and what the question stem asks you to produce. For Reading Comprehension, tag viewpoint, purpose, and line references that back the answer. For Logic Games (if you’re using older sets), show the diagram, rules, and inferences.
A Targeted Way To Read Choices
- If a choice claims too much, show the extra leap.
- If a choice mirrors the conclusion, check whether it actually strengthens, matches, or weakens it.
- If wording is vague, try substituting concrete terms.
- If two choices seem close, hunt for the smallest necessary condition that separates them.
Blind Review For The LSAT—Does It Help?
Short answer: yes, when you run it consistently and pair it with smart timing drills. Your score rises because your untimed accuracy drags your timed accuracy upward. The method trains you to spot structure faster and to abandon dead-end paths sooner.
Proof That It’s About Skill, Not Luck
Compare three numbers on every practice test: the timed raw score, the blind-review raw score, and the credited answers. If your untimed score exceeds your timed score by a wide margin, you have skills that aren’t firing at speed yet. That’s good news. You can capture that gap with repetition and focused drills. If both timed and untimed scores lag, you’re seeing true knowledge gaps; chase lessons, not just more tests.
When To Blind Review
Run it after any full section or full test. If time is tight, prioritize Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension, since they drive the bulk of the scaled score. On weeks when you’re building new games methods, add the puzzle sets from older exams to your mix so your diagrams stay sharp.
What To Log In Your Error Journal
- Question number and section.
- Task type (strengthen, assumption, inference, detail, main point, etc.).
- Why your timed answer lost.
- Why the credited answer wins.
- The single cue you’ll notice next time (wording, pattern, or diagram).
- A drill you’ll run within 48 hours to lock the lesson.
Link The Method To Official Skills
The test makers describe sections that assess argument evaluation, flaw spotting, principle matching, inference building, and careful use of evidence. Blind review forces you to practice those moves on a clean clock. That alignment is why tutors push blind review from day one, not midcourse. See the official overview of Logical Reasoning for the skills list these items target.
Common Pitfalls And Fixes
Pitfall: peeking at the key mid-process. Fix: put the answer sheet out of reach and, if needed, cover it until you’re done.
Pitfall: re-reading the passage without purpose. Fix: write a mini-plan: task, prediction, evidence lines to check.
Pitfall: treating the review like a second timed run. Fix: remove the clock.
Pitfall: no written record. Fix: write one or two crisp lines per item.
Timing Drills That Pair Well
- “Stop-loss” rule: if a question stalls you for one minute, skip and return later.
- Flex sets: do two sections back to back to train endurance, then blind review both.
- Micro-packs: three Logical Reasoning items of the same type, then blind review immediately.
Tie drills to your log: repeat the task type you missed, then cap the set with a short retake under time. Finish with two review notes you could hand to a friend.
One-Month Routine You Can Steal
| Week | What To Do | Outcome To Track |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two timed sections + full blind review; log every delta | Untimed accuracy baseline |
| 2 | Add targeted drills on logged weak types; one full test | Smaller gap between untimed and timed |
| 3 | Flex set week; keep blind review; add speed games pack | Faster recognition and cleaner setups |
| 4 | Full test; blind review next day; redo misses under time | Rising timed accuracy and steadier pacing |
When To Move On From A Question
Set a rule before you start: once you write a complete proof for a wrong answer and can show the exact sentence that kills it, stop. You’re done learning from that item. Moving to a fresh problem gives you a better return than squeezing another five minutes from a stale one.
What Results To Expect
Students who stick to this method see untimed accuracy climb first. Timed scores lag, then catch up as pattern recognition builds. The spread between untimed and timed narrows. Guessing fades because you now have a script for how to prove answers. Stress dips because you know the playbook for hard items.
How To Use Official Materials
Use released exams for your main practice. Keep a clean copy for timed runs and a second copy for blind review markup. Read the digital interface instructions so your pacing lines up with test day. When you check answers, study the official wording and notice how often the credited choice uses modest, text-anchored claims. For a classic walk-through of this method, read Blind Review part one and build from there.
Adapting The Method To The Newer Format
With the analytical reasoning segment retired on recent administrations, Logical Reasoning carries more weight. That makes blind review on argument tasks even more valuable. Reading passages still demand careful reference work, so line tags during review pay off across the board. The method stays the same: prove it when the clock is off; earn it when the clock is on.
A Sample Script You Can Copy
- Timed run. Circle uncertain items.
- Break.
- Untimed pass. Restate stimulus, task, and target.
- Evaluate choices against your target.
- Record your reasoning and final pick.
- Check the key.
- Log what to drill and schedule that drill within two days.
What “Proving An Answer” Looks Like
- For strengthen: identify the gap and describe a fact that would close it. The credited choice should fit that blueprint.
- For necessary assumption: negate the choice and see if the argument falls apart.
- For flaw: find the leap, then pick the description that names the leap, not the topic.
When You’re Short On Time
On busy weeks, run blind review for the highest-value items: the ones you guessed, the ones that took more than two minutes, and any that felt close between two choices.
How To Judge Progress Without Chasing The Scale
- Fewer coin-flip calls.
- Less time spent on wrong paths.
- Stable accuracy on your worst task types.
Where Blind Review Fits In A Week
Think of your rhythm as test, review, drill, and retest. The test gives you data. The review turns data into lessons. Drills build the missing micro-skills. Retest confirms the fix. Repeat. Keep it steady.