What is the LSAT?

 

The LSAT: Beginning with the Basics

If you are interested in becoming a law student and have started your research into the law school admissions process, then you have probably come across the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). You might have heard conflicting things about this test, such as that it’s the hardest test to be administered, or that it was super easy and you can score perfectly without studying, or maybe something in between. For someone unfamiliar with the LSAT, the lore surrounding the LSAT can make it seem more intimidating or complicated than it really is. In this blog post, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the LSAT, and we can tackle this test together.

The Sections

The LSAT is administered multiple times throughout the calendar year by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). During COVID, the LSAT has been administered remotely, in a version called the LSAT Flex. The LSAT-Flex is composed of three 35-minute scored sections (compared to the four 35-minute scored sections plus an unscored section in the traditional test). The official purpose of the LSAT is “To test the skills necessary for success in the first year of law school.”

Three Sections of LSAT

I will go more in-depth into each of these sections in future posts, but at their most basic level:

Section 1: Logical Reasoning

It is made up of short arguments, in which you will be asked to select multiple choice answers to determine certain features of the argument, such as the argument’s conclusion, how to strengthen/weaken the argument, and any logical flaws in the argument. Check out some example questions here.

Section 2: Reading Comprehension

It is made up of four long, dense passages, of which you will be asked to answer multiple-choice questions. This can include determining the main point of the passage, arguments made in the passage, or fact-based details about the passage. The passages are drawn from a wide range of subjects in the humanities, the social sciences, the biological and physical sciences, and areas related to the law. Check out some example questions here.

Section 3: Analytical Reasoning

It is more commonly known as “logic games”. This section tests the ability to comprehend the basic structure of a set of relationships by determining a complete solution to the problem posed (for example, an acceptable seating arrangement of all six diplomats around a table) and inferring what could be true or must be true from given facts and rules. Check out some example questions here.

Timing

The regular LSAT consists of one 35-minute section each of Reading Comprehension and Analytical Reasoning, two 35-minute sections of Logical Reasoning, and an unscored 35-minute experimental section, which could be any of the three types of sections. Test-takers will not know which of the sections is the unsecured experimental section, and this section is used to collect data/insights for future iterations of the test. The LSAT-Flex includes one 35-minute section each of Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reasoning, and Logical Reasoning. There is also an unscored writing sample component of the LSAT, but that is also something I will address in a later post. Some test-takers will be naturally strong at all of these sections, whereas some test-takers will be stronger in one section over another. For me, I recognized from the get-go that the reading comprehension section came quite naturally to me, while the logic game section was much more difficult. Navigating this discrepancy will become an important part of your preparation journey.

The Scoring

When you take the LSAT, you get a raw score (how many answers you got correct), and raw scores are converted to a scaled score with a high of 180, a low of 120, and a median score around 150. The LSAT uses an original grading system, which means, for example, that there might be a 3–5 question difference between a score of 175 and a score of 180, but the difference between a 155 from a 160 could be 9 or more questions. You can learn more about the scoring system here.  Law schools are typically not interested in applicants’ raw scores on the LSAT and instead focus on the percentile rank of an applicant’s test score.

Do I Need to Prepare for the LSAT?

I believe that everyone should try to prepare for the LSAT, but the amount and depth in which you prepare will differ from person to person. The LSAT, at its core, is a test about logic and how your mind applies logical deductions to given facts and scenarios. So if you are naturally gifted in this area or have a mind that is strong at processing logical deductions, you may need more prep than someone such as myself, who is definitely more of a creative thinker than a logical thinker! This is part of why Mathematics/Physics majors, on average, score highest on the LSAT of all undergraduate academic areas of study.

However, LSAC suggests that students at least review official practice tests, called PrepTests, before test day to familiarize themselves with the types of questions that appear on the exams. With that basic information in mind, you might be wondering, how do I start my prep? In my next post, I will explain the importance of the blind diagnostic test and how to take it, and also outline some strategies for choosing how to prepare for the LSAT, as there are many different ways to approach LSAT prep.