Missing Easy Questions

Demon student Nicole reached out to the LSAT Demon Daily Podcast to express her frustration. She’s found that while harder LSAT questions are becoming manageable, she’s now struggling with easy ones. 

This challenge is common and often results from a few specific habits that can be adjusted with a little strategy. Here’s how to address this issue and make sure you’re giving every question, easy or hard, the attention it needs.

Misplaced Focus

Nicole mentioned that her trouble is with “level one and two” questions. But the truth is that there’s no way to know a question’s difficulty level while taking the LSAT. Labels like “level one” or “level two” are only assigned by the Demon after the fact, based on how frequently test-takers miss them. In the heat of the test, these labels don’t exist. 

Treating any question as “easy” or “hard” may shift your focus away from what actually matters—careful, focused reading of each question.

Skimming Can Lead to Misreads

One of the most common reasons for missing questions is going just a bit too fast. Sometimes, seeing an “easy” question prompts you to rush to finish it quickly. But when you try to save a few seconds, even a minor misread can make the question unsolvable. Skipping a single word or misunderstanding a phrase can make every answer seem wrong, which is frustrating and will waste time.

Instead, approach each question with equal care, regardless of where it falls in the section. Take an extra moment to ensure you understand the passage and the question, which will save you more time than re-reading and second-guessing.

Speeding Through Easy Questions

You might have been advised to get through the first 10 questions quickly, under the assumption that they’re easier. Although it’s true that questions earlier in the section are often easier, rushing through questions to save time can backfire. 

For Nicole, getting the harder questions right likely comes from giving them the attention they require, so applying the same approach to all questions should help her get better results across the board.

Avoid the temptation to race through questions that look easy. Each question deserves your clear focus, no matter where it’s placed or its supposed difficulty level. Rather than estimating difficulty and trying to adjust speed, focus on accuracy—your speed will naturally improve as you get better at the test.

Be Wary of Bias

When you’re reviewing, it’s easy to zero in on the questions you missed and overlook those you got right. This creates a false impression that easy questions are always tripping you up, while the harder ones are fine. 

Remember, every test-taker has strengths and areas for growth across question types and levels. Nicole’s success with harder questions suggests she’s applying effective strategies, but she might be speeding through the early ones, leaving her prone to small errors.

Everyone misses questions here and there. To reduce these slip-ups, avoid fixating on a question’s difficulty and focus instead on developing a consistent, thoughtful approach to every question.