The 6 Exam Sections

• Logical Reasoning (35 minutes, 25–26 questions)
• Logical Reasoning (35 minutes, 25–26 questions)
• Analytical Reasoning (35 minutes, 4 sets, 23–24 questions)
• Reading Comprehension(35 minutes, 4 sets, 28 questions)
• Trial Section (35 minutes, 23–28 questions, unscored)
• Writing Sample (30 minutes, 1 topic, unscored)

Exam Sections—Order of Appearance

• The Writing Sample is always administered last (after other sections).
• The other five sections may appear in any order.

Ground Rules

• Scratch paper is permitted only for the Writing Sample section.
• Pencils and highlighters only (no pens), except for the Writing Sample section.
• No penalty is assessed for incorrect responses.
• Silent timing devices are permitted.
• Working ahead or going back to other test sections is prohibited.

Logical Reasoning. These questions are designed to evaluate your ability to understand, criticize, and draw reasonable conclusions from arguments. Each argument is presented in a brief one-paragraph passage. The LSAT includes two scored Logical Reasoning sections; thus, Logical Reasoning questions account for approximately 50% of all LSAT scored questions! The two scored Logical Reasoning sections are similar to each other in format, style, and difficulty level.
(To see what Logical Reasoning questions look like, take a peek at my Logical Reasoning Mini-Test.)

Analytical Reasoning. These questions are designed to measure your ability to understand a system of relationships and to draw appropriate deductive conclusions about those relationships. The questions are presented as a series of four distinct question sets—or logic games. Each "game" is accompanied by five to eight questions. For each game, you will need to draw diagrams in your test booklet in order to organize the information (premise and rules) and to analyze the questions. Each game will be presented on two facing pages of your test booklet. Thus, you respond to all questions for a game without turning pages. Adequate space for drawing diagrams is provided on the exam pages.
(To see what Analytical Reasoning questions look like, take a peek at my Analytical Reasoning Mini-Test.)

Reading Comprehension. These questions are designed to measure your ability to read carefully and accurately, to determine the relationships among the various parts of the passage, and to draw reasonable inferences from the material in the passage. The questions are presented as a series of four distinct question sets. All questions in a set are based on the same reading passage (400-500 words), except that one of the four question sets is based on two related passages (200-250 words each). Passages are drawn from a variety of subjects—including the humanities, the social sciences, the physical sciences, ethics, philosophy, and law. Each question set will be presented on two facing pages of your test booklet. Thus, you can read each passage and respond to all questions for a passage without turning pages.
(To see what Reading Comprehension passages and questions look like, take a peek at my Reading Comprehension Mini-Test.)

The Trial Section. The 35-minute trial section will look just like one of the scored sections (Logical Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning, or Reading Comprehension); however, the trial section itself is not scored. The testing service includes this section in order assess the integrity and difficulty level of new questions and, in turn, to determine whether to include them as scored questions on future exams. Trial questions are not interspersed among scored questions within one exam section. The trial section may appear at any point during the exam, and you will not be able to tell which section it is. However, by the conclusion of the exam, you will know which type of section was included as a trial section. For example, if two Analytical Reasoning sections appeared on your exam, you know that one of those two sections was the trial section.

The Writing Sample. The 30-minute Writing Sample topic is designed to evaluate (1) your ability to formulate persuasive and cogent arguments, (2) your ability to write an organized, coherent essay in a short time period, and (3) your command of the language and the conventions of Standard Written English. The Writing Sample topic will present two alternatives and call for you to argue in favor of one alternative over the other. The writing sample section is always administered after all other sections of the LSAT. You must respond in the writing space provided in the test booklet. Scratch paper will be provided for taking notes and constructing outlines. The Writing Sample is not scored or evaluated by the testing service. Instead, the service provides a photocopy to the law schools to which you direct your LSAT score for their own evaluation.
(To see what a Writing Sample topic looks like, take a peek at my Writing Sample Mini-Test.)

The basic design of the LSAT has changed very little since 1989 (when the test makers wisely replaced a very coachable section called “Facts and Issues” with a second Logical Reasoning section). Two recent changes (both beginning with the June 2007 LSAT) are as follows:

• On the Reading Comprehension section, one of the four question sets is now based on two related passages. Previously, every set involved only one passage. Most questions based on a passage pair involve both passages and how they relate to each other. The combined length of a passage pair is roughly the same as for one longer passage, and so the total amount of reading involved is about the same now as before this change.

• For the Writing Sample, the writing prompt is now the same for every test taker: decide between two given alternatives and defend your choice. Previously, some test takers were prompted instead to analyze a given argument.

Neither of these two changes makes the LSAT easier or tougher than before — just a bit different.

First, the total number of correct responses (out of 101–103 scored questions) is determined. This is your raw score. Remember: There is no deduction from your raw score for incorrect responses. Next, your raw score is converted to a scaled score, which ranges from 120 to 180. The purpose of converting raw scores to scaled scores is to account for slight variations in overall difficulty level and in total number of questions among the different exams administered over the years. (This conversion process is referred to by the field of testing and measurement as "equating".)

All of the nearly 200 American law schools accredited by the ABA (American Bar Association) require the LSAT for admission. Most non-accredited and state accredited schools, on the other hand, do not require the LSAT.

Each law school develops and implements its own policies for evaluating LSAT scores. Some schools place equal weight on LSAT scores and GPA, others weigh LSAT scores more heavily, while others weigh GPA more heavily. Your three most recent LSAT scores are reported by the LSDAS (see "Registering for the LSDAS") to each law school receiving your scores and transcripts. Most law schools average reported scores; a minority of schools consider only your highest reported score. A few schools have adopted a hybrid approach by which reported scores are averaged unless there is a sufficiently large discrepancy between scores, in which case the scores are averaged.

The LSAT is offered four times each year—in February, June, October, and December. Most law schools admit new students for the fall term only. Although application deadlines vary among the schools, if you plan to take the LSAT no later than December prior to matriculation, you are certain to meet application deadlines at all schools. Ideally, you should take the LSAT for the first time no later than October of the year prior to matriculation, so that you can take the exam a second time if necessary and still meet application deadlines. In any event, take the LSAT at a time when you are sure that you have adequate time to prepare for the exam.

You can take the LSAT at any time—even during your freshman or sophomore year. However, because the intellectual abilities that the LSAT evaluates are developed to a large extent during your four years of college, postponing the test may allow for further intellectual development—and higher LSAT scores. Most college students take the LSAT for the first time late in their junior year or early in their senior year.

The LSAT is not a test of substantive knowledge. Thus, no one specific academic course will provide you with a distinct advantage for the exam. Some academic fields, however, do bear more directly than others on the LSAT in the kinds of intellectual abilities involved. Those areas that correlate most closely with the LSAT in this respect include:

• philosophy and ethics
• English and literature
• political science
• history

Historically, test-takers with substantial Philosophy coursework perform better on the LSAT than any other group on the LSAT. That doesn't means that you should rush over to the Registrar's office and change your major just for the LSAT. Remember that, to a large extent, the LSAT is designed to evaluate the kinds of intellectual abilities that are developed over a lifetime.

To sit for the LSAT, you need to register in advance using the form supplied by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). You’ll find this form, as well as all the additional information you’ll need for registering, at the LSAC website (www.lsac.org). Electronic registration is also an available option. Or, you can contact LSAC by telephone (215/968-1001) to request a printed copy of the current LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book (also available for downloading), which includes the LSAT registration form. Keep in mind: LSAC may phase out the use of preprinted forms and of its preprinted Registration Book. By the time you are ready to register, the LSAC website may be your only source for registration forms.

The Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) is operated by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)—the organization that designs and administers the LSAT. The function of the LSDAS is to collect your undergraduate transcripts and LSAT reports, and to assemble a report or summary, which is sent to the law schools that you specify. You will need to register for this service during the year you are applying for admission. Registration is for one year only; if you register during one year but postpone law school entrance, you will need to register for the service again later. Detailed information about the LSDAS and a registration form are included in the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book.