Kristin Fracchia

2 Week (16 Day) LSAT Crash Course

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Do you need to prepare for the LSAT in two weeks? If you’re starting with zero knowledge of the test, it’s no easy task—but with high-quality materials, dedication, and a lot of motivation, it can be done! Our 2 week LSAT study plan will require a fair amount of time each day, but this LSAT crash course can help you make the most of the time remaining to you so that you can get the most out of your prep.


 

Table of Contents

 

How to Use This 2 Week LSAT Study Schedule

This plan was designed for test-takers who can throw themselves into LSAT study pretty intensely—that’s why we’ve called it an LSAT crash course! In other words, it’s not for the faint of heart. It will take you through each and every section of the LSAT in-depth, while also providing you with opportunities to practice what you’ve learned.

The LSAT crash course assumes you’ll have approximately eight hours per day to study, and it does not provide for days off, although there are a couple days for which the workload is more like four hours instead of eight. This is both so that you can cover the materials you’ll need to, but also to help you build the stamina to maintain a high level of focus so you can retain the knowledge and apply it on test day.

We know that work and family obligations can make this commitment difficult, if not impossible. If you can, we’d suggest rescheduling your LSAT test date so that you have longer to prepare for the exam.

With that said, if delaying your LSAT test date is not an option…

Tackling the LSAT Crash Course with Limited Time

During each week of the LSAT crash course below, you’ll find a list of top priorities. If you focus on those top priorities, you can cut your workload down to around 10 hours a week and still see a score improvement. In general, if you are short on available time in the coming two weeks, focus on watching the Magoosh lessons, completing at least three to four practice sections a week reinforcing the lesson content, and taking one practice test a week (in one sitting).

Make sure you carefully review the questions you got wrong and why you got them wrong on your practice tests so you have the best shot at improvement. Also, pay close attention to our lessons on Goal Setting and Pacing Strategy. Many people struggle with the LSAT because of the time pressure, and they rush through games or passages and make careless mistakes.

Many students can improve their score by, say, focusing all their time on only 3 of the 4 logic games rather than attempting all 4. If you are short on study time, think about how you want to manage your time early on and stick to that in further practice.

  • Even though you are dedicating lots of time to LSAT prep over these two weeks, you must get 8+ hours of sleep every night since memory encoding takes place in REM sleep.

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Essential Materials


LSAT Crash Course 2 Week Schedule Materials

Subscription to Magoosh’s online LSAT program Free Official LSAT Practice Test with Full Explanations Magoosh LSAT Flashcards
  • Subscription to Magoosh’s online LSAT program

    In addition to hundreds of lessons and video explanations, a Magoosh LSAT subscription includes access to LawHub Advantage™, a library of over 70 official, digital practice tests!

    We recommend you use Magoosh and LawHub Advantage for all of your practice, as the computer-based format will most closely mimic your actual test day experience. If you absolutely need a more economical option for official practice tests, you can purchase books of old official exams on the LSAC® site or on Amazon.

  • Free Official LSAT Practice Test with Full Explanations
  • Magoosh LSAT Flashcards

Using Official LSAT PrepTests with the LSAT Crash Course

In the schedule below, we sometimes recommend taking disclosed, previously-administered official exams, called PrepTests. If you’ve already taken the specific PrepTest recommended, no worries, just sub in another! As a general rule of thumb, take tests that are more recent (PrepTest 71 and above) as the LSAT does change subtly over time. However, some older PrepTests can be emblematic for certain Logic Games types. You can see our recommendations for Logic Games to practice with here.

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Abbreviations Used in this Plan

  • LG = Logic Games
  • LR = Logical Reasoning
  • RC = Reading Comprehension
  • LHA = LawHub Advantage account (bundled with Magoosh LSAT Prep)
  • PT = PrepTest (an officially released, previously administered LSAT test)

Should I complete LSAT Writing after my LSAT Crash Course?

The writing sample is administered separately from the core LSAT exam. However, it is a required component that law schools do look at, and you’ll need to complete it in order to receive your LSAT scores. We suggest you wait to prepare for your Writing exam until after you take the core LSAT exam, since your time is limited.

However, when you are ready to prepare for the essay, we suggest you watch these two Magoosh lessons on the Writing test:

Afterward, practice writing a couple of essays. You can find one for free in the Magoosh lessons, another one on Khan Academy, and more in printed books of official LSAT exams.

If you are a Magoosh student and have concerns about the Writing test, please contact our Student Help team for support and resources!

For more free resources on LSAT Writing, see our posts on:

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The 2 Week LSAT Crash Course

This 2 week LSAT study schedule is broken down by day and covers 16 days of prep:

  • Day 1: Diagnostic Test and Review
  • Day 2: Intro to Logic Games and Logical Reasoning
  • Day 3: Intro to Reading Comprehension and More Logical Reasoning
  • Day 4: Logic Games and Logical Reasoning
  • Day 5: Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning
  • Day 6: Logic Games and Logical Reasoning
  • Day 7: The Writing Sample, Review, and Timed Practice
  • Day 8: Practice Test #2
  • Day 9-12: Review
  • Day 13: Practice Test #3
  • Day 14: Review
  • Day 15: Practice Test #4
  • Day 16: Tips for the Day Before the Test

 

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LSAT Crash Course: Week One

Your first week of prep in this LSAT crash course will focus on learning the strategies for each section of the test and untimed practice. Each day except for Day 1, you will start out by watching lessons and reinforcing what you learn through practice problems.

To access all of other lessons and practice, you will need to purchase a Magoosh account.
 

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If you want to sign up for Magoosh today, use this coupon code at checkout for 10% off! Enter the code lsatstudyplan10 at checkout to get 10% off any Magoosh LSAT prep.

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Day 1: Diagnostic Test and Review

LSAT Diagnostic: Assess Your Skills

Take the June 2007 PT in Magoosh. (Bonus: if you are not yet a Magoosh student, you can access it and full text and video explanations for FREE here.) Time each section precisely, and complete all the sections.

    • Note: During the LSAT crash course, your practice tests will be 35 minutes shorter than the real exam because they will not contain an Experimental section. If you prefer to mimic the actual test conditions precisely, use one section from PT 70 (found in your LHA account) during each practice test as an “Experimental” section.

 

  • Note about the LSAT-Flex: The LSAT-Flex does not contain an experimental section and it also has one fewer Logical Reasoning section. If you know you are going to be taking the LSAT-Flex, you can feel free to adjust your practice tests to match the Flex format. However, building stamina and getting extra practice is not a bad thing, so if you can, we would recommend taking full-length tests even if you are taking the Flex.Check out our video lesson “Tips for the LSAT Flex,” as well as our resources on this blog, including an LSAT Flex score conversion table. Just type “LSAT-Flex” in the search bar.

After your practice test, check your answers, and calculate your score. If you added an Experimental section, don’t include that section in your score calculation. Also, don’t try to review your incorrect answers just yet.

Day 2: Intro to Logic Games and Logical Reasoning

Intro to Logic Games

On Day 2 of this LSAT Study Schedule, watch all lessons in the “Section Scoring, Pacing, and Structure” section of the LG component of Magoosh’s LSAT program. These include:

  • Take a break before heading into the next task!

Watch all of the “Formal Logic Basics” lessons and the first three lessons in the “Attacking the Games” section of LG. These lessons are titled:

**The last two lessons will involve solving your first Sequencing game. Make sure to take the time to work this game out thoroughly!

Next, complete two or three sequencing games in the custom practice section of your online Magoosh account. Score the games and look over any incorrect answers.

  • Take a break before heading into the next lessons!

Intro to Logical Reasoning

Watch all lessons in the “Section Pacing, Structure, and Strategy” section of the LR component of the Magoosh program. These include:

  • Take a break before heading into the next lessons!

Watch the following LR lessons:

Each of these videos contains sample questions. Make sure to pause the videos and complete the questions thoroughly as the videos instruct.

Using “custom practice” in Magoosh, complete a total of 30 assumption, strengthen, and weaken LR questions. Don’t time yourself at this point – just focus on your approach to the question. Score the questions, look over any incorrect answers, and set up your LR Error Log, where you’ll keep track of all the questions you answer incorrectly.

Day 3: Intro to Reading Comprehension and More Logical Reasoning

Intro to Reading Comprehension

Watch the following videos from the RC component of the Magoosh LSAT program:

Complete a few reading passages on LHA, practicing the strategies discussed in these lessons.

  • Take a break before heading into the next task!

Logical Reasoning: Flawed Argument, Inference, Principle, and Paradox

Watch the following lessons from the LR component of Magoosh’s LSAT program:

Use your online account to complete 15 questions for each of the following question types: Flawed Argument, Inference, Principle, and Paradox. Do these untimed so you can focus on how your approach differs for each question type.

Score the questions, look over any incorrect answers, and enter each of them into your LR Error Log.

  • Take a break before heading into the final task!

Use the remainder of the day to review your diagnostic test from Day 1 and enter questions you missed from the RC and LR sections into your respective error logs.

Day 4: Logic Games and Logical Reasoning

Logic Games: Fixed and Floating Grouping, Matching

On Day 4 of the LSAT study schedule, watch the following videos from the LG component of the Magoosh LSAT program:

Complete around 10 Logic Games in your LHA account from PTs 60-69. You can use our “Logic Games to Practice” resource for inspiration. Score the games and look over any incorrect answers.

  • Take a break before heading into the next lessons!

Watch the following videos from the LG component of the Magoosh LSAT program:

Complete a few Matching games in your LHA account. You can use our “Logic Games to Practice” resource for inspiration. Score the games, and look over any incorrect answers.

Logical Reasoning: Role of Statement, Method of Reasoning, Parallel Reasoning, and Point of Contention

Watch the following videos from the LR component of the Magoosh LSAT program:

Complete 5 practice questions through Magoosh custom practice for each of these question types. For each question, focus on applying a consistent approach rather than merely answering the question correctly.

For the last assignment of the day, enter any incorrect answers into your LR error log.

Day 5: Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning

Reading Comprehension: Detail Question II, Inference Questions, and Comparative Passages

Watch the following videos from the RC component of the Magoosh LSAT program:

Next, practice your approach to RC by completing a few passages through your online account. For each passage, annotate the transitional language and write down the author’s main idea and purpose before moving to the questions. For each Comparative Reading passage, make sure to note the common scope of the passages, and where the authors’ perspectives differ within that scope. For the questions, think about whether you’re being asked for detail, theme, or structure, and try to pick an answer choice that addresses the correct level of analysis. Use the process of elimination aggressively.

Score the sections and enter incorrect answers into your RC error log.

  • Take a break before heading into the next lessons!

Logical Reasoning: Conditional, Causal, and Quantitative

Learn about conditional, causal, and quantitative logic by watching the following lessons:

  1. Introduction to Conditional Logic
  2. Conditional Logic I
  3. Causal Logic I
  4. Quantitative Logic I

Complete 1 section of LR from any PT 60 through 69 in your LawHub Advantage account. For each question:

  1. Note the question type
  2. Apply a consistent approach by: reading the question first, then reading the argument, and paraphrasing an answer before reading the answer choices.

Finally, end the day by entering incorrect answers from these sections into your LR error log.

Day 6: Logic Games and Logical Reasoning

Logic Games: Hybrid Sequencing Matching

Watch the following videos from the LG component of the Magoosh LSAT program:

Complete a few logic games from any PT 60 through 69 in your LawHub Advantage account, untimed. Score and review any questions you answered incorrectly. For any game where you missed more than 2 questions, take a few minutes to try and redraw your diagrams and rules, making sure that you set the diagram up as simple and accurate, and that you didn’t miss an opportunity for Limited Options or to incorporate rules directly into your diagrams.

  • Give your brain a break before heading into the next lessons!

Drilling Logical Reasoning

Now that you’ve watched all the LR question type lessons, it’s time to start drilling them. At first, this will go very slowly, which is why you should spend the rest of today doing untimed LR practice. You’ll also get the chance to learn more about conditional, causal, and quantitative logic. Tomorrow, you’ll start doing timed practice for all three exam sections.

Watch the following lessons:

  1. Conditional Logic II
  2. Causal Logic II
  3. Quantitative Logic II

Complete one section of LR from any PT 60-69 in your LawHub Advantage account. For each question:

  1. Label the question type.
  2. Follow the step by step approach for that question type as outlined in the applicable video lesson

Finally, enter all incorrect answers into your LR error log. Soon, you’ll start to analyze your error log to determine where you need more practice.

Day 7: Review and Timed Practice

Diving Into Concepts Review

Tomorrow, you’ll take your second full-length practice test. Devote today to reviewing the concepts you’ve already learned, and attempting to tie it all together in some timed practice. All the work you do today should be timed.

Complete one section of LR in custom practice in Magoosh. After the section, score it and enter incorrect answers into your LR error log.

Next, flip through the LG you have completed thus far this week. Identify whether there is a game type that consistently gives you more trouble than the others. If so, use your online practice problems to focus on that game type. Then, complete 4 games in custom practice in Magoosh (in practice mode). Attempt the games in the order you feel most confident by filtering based on game type, leaving for last the game type that you struggle with most. This approach will help you get the most points possible!
Next, analyze your RC error log to determine whether there is a particular type of passage or type of question that most challenges you. If so, plan to leave that passage type for the end, or plan to guess on a couple questions of that type. Then, complete 4 passages of RC from any PT 60-69 in your LHA account.

Analyzing Your Error Log

Now, analyze your LR error log to determine which questions you struggle with most. Be on the lookout for those questions as you complete another 25 LR questions in custom practice in Magoosh.

Review incorrect answers on the Review screen in Magoosh and enter info into your error logs. Where did you make avoidable errors with content or pacing? Where did you discover content that was extremely difficult? Are you happy with the questions on which you guessed? Or would you change them given the chance?

  • Now go relax for a while. It’s been a long week and you deserve an early day before your practice test tomorrow!

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LSAT Crash Course: Week Two

For this LSAT crash course, your second week of prep will balance timed and untimed practice. Each day, you will start out with some exercises to review and reinforce concepts you’ve already learned, and to target areas where you can still improve. You will then end each day with timed practice in all three sections of the exam.

Day 8: Practice Test #2

Practice Test Time!

Under test-like conditions, take official PT 80, timed. (Or another practice test on Magoosh or on your LHA account if you have already taken PT 80.)

After the test, score it, review your incorrect answers, and enter them into your Reading Comp and LR error logs. You can also start building an LG error log for the LSAT crash course if you’d like. For an LG error log, you should record:

  • Test number
  • Section number
  • Game number
  • Question number
  • Game type
  • Question type (global vs. local)

An LG error log will help you identify which game types you struggle with most and how effectively you are building and reusing your diagrams. Those who miss mostly global questions may not be drawing detailed enough master diagrams. On the other hand, those who miss mostly local questions may be inaccurately redrawing diagrams between questions or applying local diagrams to other local questions where they are technically inapplicable.

Day 9: Review

Day 9 Review Checklist

  1. Map the transitional language, purpose, and main idea of at least 3 RC passages through your online account. Be sure to work on reading the passages quickly.
  2. Master the “If/then Statements” deck of LSAT Flashcards * and complete 10 games from the “Mini LG” deck.
  3. Analyze your LR error log for the LSAT crash course so far and determine which sphere is your weakest. Then, using your LHA, complete 25 LR questions.
  4. Complete one sections, one LG, one LR, and one RC section that you have not taken untimed in your LHA account, answering every question.
  5. Review these three sections, identifying which question types are from each section gave you the most difficulty. Rewatch the applicable lesson for those question types if necessary, or use Magoosh’s online LSAT practice to target a small handful of practice problems of those question types.
  6. Complete all the sections of PT 79, timed. You do not need to do this all at once, as this is not a full-length practice test. Break it up, take it slowly, and review each section thoroughly (entering incorrect answers into your error log) before beginning the next section.
  7. Score and review the section, entering questions into your error logs where applicable.
Day 10: Review

Day 10 Review Checklist

  1. Master the “Logical Opposites” deck of LSAT Flashcards * and complete 10 more games from your LHA account.
  2. Use the Magoosh’s LSAT program to complete 25 LR questions from your weakest question types.
  3. Complete one LR section, and the LG section and RC section untimed from PT 77, answering every question.
  4. Like you did yesterday, review these three sections and identify the question type from each section that has given you the most difficulty. Rewatch the lessons for those question types if necessary, or complete a handful of those question types from the Magoosh online practice problems.
  5. Complete all the sections of PT 78, timed. You do not need to do this all at once as this is not a full-length practice test. Break it up, take it slowly, and review each section thoroughly (entering incorrect answers into your error log from the LSAT crash course) before beginning the next section.
Day 11: Review

Day 11 Review Checklist

  1. Map the transitional language, purpose, and main idea of at least 2 passages through your online account.
  2. Master the “Transitional Language” deck of LSAT Flashcards * and complete another 5 games from your LHA account.
  3. Complete 25 LR questions from among your strongest question types through your online Magoosh account. This is to reinforce your strengths and make sure you don’t forget how to handle these question types while focusing on other content.
  4. Complete all the sections of PT 73, timed. You do not need to do this all at once, as this is not a full-length practice test. Break it up, take it slowly, and review each section thoroughly (entering incorrect answers into your error log) before beginning the next section.
Day 12: Review

Day 12 Review Checklist

  1. Complete 20 games from the “Mini Logic Games” deck of LSAT Flashcards. *
  2. In Magoosh’s online LSAT program, complete any remaining LR questions.
  3. Complete a LR, LG, and RC section untimed from those remaining from PTs 71 and 72. Be sure to answer every question.
  4. Review these three sections, identifying which question type from each section gave you the most difficulty. Rewatch any applicable lessons, and complete a handful of questions of those types from the Magoosh online practice problems.
  5. Complete any remaining LG from your online Magoosh account. For any game types that are giving you trouble in the LSAT crash course, rewatch the applicable lessons.
Day 13: Practice Test #3

Practice Makes Perfect!

  1. Complete any remaining LSAT Flashcards * and review as necessary.
  2. Complete all of the remaining RC questions. Focus on your approach and identify which question types give you the most difficulty.
  3. Rewatch the applicable lesson for those question types if necessary.
  4. Complete all the sections of any practice test you have not yet down in Magoosh or in your LHA account timed. You do not need to do this all at once, as this is not a full-length practice test. Break it up, take it slowly, and review each section thoroughly (entering incorrect answers into your error log) before beginning the next section.
Day 14: Review

Today will be your last chance to really dive into test content. Tomorrow, you’ll take your final practice test and then you’ll spend the day before the real exam resting and reviewing strategy only.

How to Tackle Your Final Review Day

  1. Start today off by diving into your error logs and your scores from this week’s timed sections. Identify 2 skills you would like to focus on from each section. These skills could be specific question types or they could be more general skills like pacing or identifying difficult problems.
  2. Rewatch the lessons that are most closely related to each of those skills. Then, write down a list of concrete ways to address each of those skills. If have problems with process of elimination, a solution might be to recite common trap answer choices in your head to help you spot one. If have problems with Assumption questions, you might want to ask yourself, “If this answer choice were false, would the conclusion still be true?” If so, that’s not the correct answer. Come up with at least one method of addressing each skill on your list.
  3. Next, go back to your error log and work through as many of the problems on it as possible. This is your chance to revisit questions with which you struggled previously, and to apply your new methods and habits to them. This may be a frustrating process because you will only be tackling the questions you have missed in the past. Don’t get discouraged. Instead, remember that every question you get right the second time around is one you are unlikely to miss the next time you see something similar to it.
  4. Finally, end the day with a few easy questions. Pick your strongest type of Logic Game, do a few LR questions from early in a section, and do one RC passage that you actually find interesting.
  • End the day on a high note, and get a good night’s sleep before your final practice test tomorrow.

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2 Week LSAT Study Plan: After Week Two

Day 15: Practice Test #4

How to Approach Your Last Practice Test

Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted and take any official PT you have not yet taken in either your Magoosh or LHA account timed.

Look for Patterns in Your Mistakes

After the test, score it, but don’t review every single question you answered incorrectly. At this point in the LSAT crash course, you only have one day before the exam, and you want that day to be restful and confidence-building, not anxiety-inducing. Instead of looking at every error, look for patterns in your results where you missed a bunch of questions in a row or where you didn’t perform the way you expected. Examine those areas to determine whether the problem was the result of:

  • truly difficult content,
  • a lapse in focus,
  • poorly executed methods, or
  • lack of time.

Come Up With an Actionable Solution

Practice tests are like dress rehearsals. You’re trying to make things go wrong so that you can fix them before the real performance. If you notice that you made preventable mistakes on this practice test (those caused by anything other than truly difficult content), write down those mistakes along with a plan to avoid them on the real test day.

For example, if you know you lost focus halfway through a LR section, you can write down a solution like, “When I lose focus, I will put my pencil down, close my eyes, breath deeply three times, and then recite my goals and strategies for this test section. Then I can resume working on the next question using the appropriate step by step method.”

If timing was your issue, you could address it with the following solution: “If I am falling behind my pace because I am stuck on a question, I will mark the question and skip it, increase my allowed number of guesses by 1, and then return to that question at the end only if time allows.”

  • When you’re done analyzing your practice test results, go do something fun!

It might be hard to resist studying more but resist it. If you feel there’s no way you can meet your goal, then adjust your goal.

You will perform better if you are confident about achieving a reasonable goal then if you are stressed about not achieving an unrealistic one. More importantly, nothing you can do in the next 24-48 hours will help you reach an unrealistic goal, so give yourself a break.

Day 16: The Day Before the Test

Going Over Methods, Strategies, and Test Procedures (No More Reviewing!)

You have one and only one LSAT assignment for today, the last day of your LSAT crash course: review your methods, strategies, and test day procedures. Make sure you can easily remember each of the following:

  • Your overall score goal for the exam, and roughly how many questions you need to answer correctly to reach it,
  • How many questions you aim to answer correctly in each section,
  • How many questions you are allowed to guess on in each section,
  • What the different question, game, and passage types are for each section,
  • Which question, game, and passage types are your strengths and which are your weaknesses,
  • What to do if you panic or lose focus,
  • How to get to the test center and what to bring to the test center, if you are taking the in-person LSAT. -OR- What you need to prepare in your space and are allowed to have with you, if you are taking the LSAT-Flex. *

If you can easily recite the answers to all of these questions, you are prepared to do your best on this exam given your current mastery of the content.

  • Once you’ve got the above stuff memorized, go relax. You’ve earned it!
Test Day!

Prepare Your Mind and Body for Success!

It’s test day, which means no last-minute prep! Here’s what you can do to prepare:

  • Do some light exercise, eat well, and give yourself plenty of time to get to the test center if you are taking the in-person LSAT.
  • Make sure your at-home setup is ready to go, and double-check your tech and internet bandwidth if you are taking the LSAT-Flex.
  • Review your list of last-minute pointers one to two hours before the test, so you are feeling confident that you’ve put the work in during this LSAT crash course and are ready to show it!

Best of luck! 🙂

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Author

  • Kristin Fracchia

    Dr. Kristin Fracchia has over fifteen years of expertise in college and graduate school admissions and with a variety of standardized tests, including the ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT, with several 99% scores. She had a PhD from the University of California, Irvine, an MA degree from The Catholic University, and BA degrees in Secondary Education and English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. She was the recipient of the 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award and the Chancellor’s Club Fellowship from the University of California, Irvine. She’s worked as a high school teacher and university professor, as an independent college and graduate school admissions counselor, and as an expert tutor for standardized tests, helping hundreds of students gain acceptance into premier national and international institutions. She now develops accessible and effective edtech products for Magoosh. Her free online content and YouTube videos providing test prep and college admissions advice have received over 6 million views in over 125 countries. Kristin is an advocate for improving access to education: you can check out her TEDx talk on the topic. Follow Kristin on LinkedIn!

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