The LSAT - The Law School Admission Test

About the LSAT

Planning on going to law school? Then you definitely need to prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).he LSAT is a requirement of all American Bar Association (ABA)ccredited law schools in the United States. The exam measures your verbal, analytical, and logical reasoning skills.

LSAT Structure

The LSAT is divided into five sections: two Logical Reasoning sections, one Analytical Reasoning section, one Reading Comprehension section, and an unscored Experimental section, which looks just like one of the other four sections. These multiple-choice sections can appear in any order on the test. The LSAT also includes an unscored Writing Sample that always comes last.

The test is composed of 4 scored sections: two Logical Reasoning sections, one Analytical Reasoning section, and one Reading Comprehension section. The LSAT also includes an unscored Experimental Section and an unscored Writing Sample.

Logical Reasoning Sections

Logical Reasoning Sections (2)
Length	35 minutes each
Format	Multiple Choice
# Questions	24-26
Topics Tested	Analyzing and evaluating the persuasiveness, content, and structure of arguments

Both LSAT Logical Reasoning sections contain 24-26 questions and last 35 minutes each. All questions are multiple choice. LSAT Logical Reasoning questions measure your ability to understand, analyze, evaluate, and critique arguments. All Logical Reasoning questions contain an argument in the form of a short passage followed by one or two questions about it. LSATLogical Reasoning questions test a number of reasoning and critical thinking skills, such as recognizing the main point of an argument, drawing conclusions from evidence, inferring unstated assumptions, and recognizing errors in reasoning.

Analytical Reasoning Section

Analytical Reasoning Section (1)
Length	35 minutes
Format	Multiple Choice
# Questions	23-24
Topics Tested	Logical reasoning Order and relationships Possibility and outcomes

The LSAT Analytical Reasoning section (also referred to as the Logic Games section) contains 23-24 questions and lasts 35 minutes. All Analytical Reasoning questions are multiple choice. The Analytical Reasoning section is designed to measure your ability to rapidly assimilate information, reason quickly and flexibly, retain information while thinking about outcomes, and remain focused on the task without being distracted.

For many test takers, LSAT Analytical Reasoning questions are the most challenging part of the test. This is likely because most people are unfamiliar with the types of problems that appear in this section and the skills that are required to answer them correctly. Timing on the Analytical Reasoning section is also a major problem for many test takers.

Reading Comprehension Section

Reading Comprehension Section (1)
Length	35 minutes
Format	Multiple Choice
# Questions	26-28
Topics Tested	Reading Identifying the topic, scope, purpose, and structure of passages

The LSAT Reading Comprehension section contains 26-28 questions and lasts 35 minutes. All questions are multiple choice. Reading Comprehension questions require you to understand and identify the topic, scope, purpose, and structure of academic passages, as well as both stated and implied details contained in the passage.

Writing Sample

Writing Sample (1)
Length	35 minutes
Format	Handwritten Essay
# Questions	1 (unscored)
Topics Tested	Writing ability Ability to argue and support a position persuasively

The LSATWriting Sample always comes at the end of the test. Although the Writing Sample is not scored, a copy of what you write is sent to the law schools that receive your LSAT score report. In the Writing Sample, you must read a case and then argue for one of two possible scenarios.

Only law school admissions officers really know for sure whether your performance on the LSAT Writing Sample has any impact on your chances of admission. According to the LSAC, "law schools are interested in how skillfully you support the position you take and how clearly you express that position." Although this may be true, law schools are much more interested in your overall LSAT score, and the Writing Sample has absolutely no effect on that.

Be warned, however, that ignoring the Writing Sample or obviously not taking it seriously will make a very bad impression on law school admissions committees, because that's not following the rules, and law schools dislike applicants who ignore rules.

The LSAT is a half-day (four to five hour),tandardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world by the Law School Admission Council, or LSAC.

Upcoming LSAT Test Dates
The LSAT is administered four times per year. Upcoming test dates are as follows. You can find more information about upcoming test dates and registration deadlines at the LSAC website.
- Saturday, September 30, 2006
- Saturday, December 2, 2006
- Saturday February 10, 2007
Alternate test dates are available for Saturday Sabbath observers. For details about these LSAT administrations, consult the LSAC website.
Your LSAT Score
You will receive your LSAT score report via electronic mail approximately three weeks after taking the test. The LSAC will also mail you a paper score report if you specifically request it. In addition, you will have five working days after taking the LSAT to cancel your score. If you choose to cancel your score, the cancellation and the date you took the test will be noted on all future score reports. Keep in mind that if you take the LSAT multiple times, the LSAC will report your average LSAT score from all attempts, as well as each individual LSAT score and any score cancellations.

Scores you will see on your LSAT score report:
- Overall Scaled LSAT Score (120-180 points)
  Your combined performance on all four scored sections results in one single scaled score ranging from a minimum of 120 to a maximum of 180 points, reported in 1 point increments. You will not receive scores for each section of the test.
- Score Bands (A range of scaled score points)
  Because all standardized tests have some measurement error associated with them, the LSAC cautions law schools not to consider small differences in LSAT scores as indicative of substantial differences in test takers' abilities. The LSAC therefore reports score bands-in addition to overall LSAT scores and percentile ranks-that serve as a range of scaled scores higher and lower than the test taker's actual LSAT scaled score. The LSAC considers this range to be indicative of the test taker's true score. That is, the LSAC believes that if the same test taker were to take the LSAT on multiple occasions, his or her actual scaled LSAT score would fall in this range of scores two out of three times.
- Percentile Rank (1-99)
  Because the LSAT is graded on a preset curve, you will also receive a corresponding percentile rank ranging from 1-99 that represents the percentage of all test takers who scored lower than you on the test. For example, a scaled score of 160 corresponds to the 77th percentile, indicating that the test taker scored better than 77 percent of all other test takers. The median LSAT score is 151 and corresponds to the 50th percentile. Your percentile rank is important because law school admissions officers can use it to get a quick idea of where you rank in the overall applicant pool.
  
  In order to have a reasonable chance of being admitted to even the least competitive law schools, you will need a score near the 50th percentile. On the other hand, in order to be considered competitive for well-regarded "second-tier" programs, most applicants will need a minimum score in the 75th percentile or higher, which corresponds to a scaled score of at least 162.
What your LSAT score means to Law Schools

Although many factors play a role in law school admissions decisions, there is no question that your LSAT score is one of the most, if not the most important. While average law schools may accept some applicants with LSAT scores in the 150-155 point range, most applicants will need a score of at least 160 to be considered competitive by second-tier law schools. And in order to have a realistic chance of being accepted by top law schools such as Stanford, Chicago, Harvard, and Yale, you will need an LSAT score in the 166-175 point range-above the 90th percentile!
How to Register for the LSAT

In order to register for the LSAT, you must first register with the LSAC (Law School Admission Council). You will also want to register for the LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service), a service of the LSAC that organizes your undergraduate record, computes your official LSDAS grade point average, and generally streamlines the law school application process. The LSDAS will forward copies of your college transcripts, letters of recommendation, and LSAT scores to each law school to which you apply.

Most ABA approved law schools require you to register for the LSDAS. The current registration fee for the LSDAS if $106. This fee is separate from and in addition to the LSAT registration fee, which is $115. The LSAC assesses various other fees as well for additional services (such as late registration, changing your test date, or receiving your official score by phone). Although you can register for both the LSDAS and LSAT by mail and pay by check or money order, it is much easier to register and pay online.

The LSAT is administered four times per year at hundreds of pre-selected testing sites throughout the world. Keep in mind that you may take the LSAT no more than three times in any two year period.

To be directed to the official LSAT registration website, click here.