LSAT - Law School Admission Test*

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The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is an examination administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), intended to provide law schools in the United States with (to quote the LSAC) "a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants."

The LSAT is generally considered a critical part of the law school admissions process, along with GPA. All or nearly all law schools receive far more applicants than they can accommodate; the examination offers extra criteria for the school's admittance process.

The cost to take the LSAT is $123 and is offered four times per year, typically in February, June, October, and December.

**Saturday Sabbath Observers may take the LSAT on Mondays following the regular Saturday administrations.

Structure

The test currently has five 35-minute sections. Five are multiple choice sections, one of which is unscored ; followed by a writing sample. Several different test forms are used for each exam, each presenting the multiple choice sections in a different order; this is intended to make cheating more difficult.

To register for the LSAT, please visit the Law School Admission Council.

Scoring

LSAT scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly (the raw score). There is no deduction for incorrect answers, nor are individual questions on the various test sections weighted differently. Raw scores are converted to an LSAT scale that ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 the highest possible score. This is done through a statistical procedure known as equating, a method that adjusts for minor differences in difficulty between test forms.

Scores resemble a standard deviation curve and taper off significantly at the extremes and tend to congregate near the median score. That is, an examinee who scores a 175 may have missed only 3 questions more than an examinee with a 180. However, the number of uncredited responses that separates a 155 from a 160 could be 9 or more. Although the exact percentile of a given score will vary slightly between examinations, there tends to be little variance. The 50th percentile is typically a score of about 150; the 90th percentile is around 164 and the 99th is about 172. A 178 or better usually places the examinee in the 99.9th percentile.

Examinees have the option of canceling their scores within six calendar days of the exam (well before they learn their scores.) LSAC still reports to law schools that the student registered for and took the exam, but releases no score. There is no appeals process for examinee complaints (e.g., proctor called time early, a cell phone went off, a question has ambiguous wording, etc); and, on rare occasion, a specific question may be omitted from final scoring.

Unlike other Admissions Tests, you do not name the law schools you want your scores sent to. Almost all ABA Approved Law Schools require the use of the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) for applications. Your LSAT test scores are sent along with your other application requirements (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc).

LSAT takers who have LSAC online accounts will automatically receive their LSAT scores by e-mail approximately three weeks after taking the test. LSAC will send score reports by mail approximately four weeks after each test. Test takers who have LSAC online accounts will pay a one-time fee to obtain hard-copy mailings of account information that is available online.

Preparing

LSAC recommends that students prepare beforehand, due to the importance of the LSAT in law school admissions. They offer a number of LSAT test prep items for a fee. If you'd like more personalized instructions, we recommend:

TestMasters

TestMasters offers 80-hour classroom based LSAT courses throughout the country. They also offer a 16-hour weekend LSAT course. They offer a set of real LSAT questions grouped by type so that students can grasp the underlying consistencies of the exam.

Kaplan

Kaplan offers complete preparation for the LSAT with classroom courses, private tutoring, summer programs and online programs. Their courses include LSAT Smart Reports - "advanced computer analysis of performance on practice exams and quizzes to identify individual strengths and weaknesses."

Please note: We are members of the affiliate program for Kaplan. All links to their products include our affiliate id.

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