LSAT
The Law School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day, standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. All American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law schools, most Canadian law schools, and many other law schools require applicants to take the LSAT as part of their admission process. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.
A high score on the LSAT is your ticket to the law school of your choice. If you have visited our Law School Rankings page, you already know the median Law School Admission Test score for the law schools to which you will be applying. Your score needs to be higher than that average to assure admission.
Your score on this test is critical to your future. You absolutely must score above 150 to get into the majority of the law schools and above 160 to get into the highest ranked law schools. Data shows that people with an LSAT score below 150 rarely succeed, so law schools will generally not go below this number unless there is strong evidence in your file that you can succeed such as a GPA in at least the 3.5 range or other factors such as your work experience which might offset a low score. Virtually no law school will accept a LSAT score below 140.
The exam consists of five sections plus one writing test. The scores of the exam depend on the scores of four sections: namely reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and two logical reasoning sections. The fifth section is a variable section and is an unscored section. All the sections consist of multiple-choice questions and are of 35 minutes each. The total number of questions is 101. In the reading section there are 27 questions and the analytical reasoning section consists of 25 questions. There are two logical reasoning sections; both of them consist of 25 questions each. The variable section consists of about 25 questions. The Law School Admission exam is graded on a scale of 120-180. First raw scores are computed on the basis of the number of questions, which you have answered correctly. Then these raw scores are converted to scaled scores. Apart from this score you are also given a percentile score. The writing section comprises of an essay that is not graded. It is imaged and sent as it is, to the law colleges.
Like law school exams, the best way to prepare for the LSAT is to take similar exams under test conditions. Here are some of the study aids we recommend as you prepare for the exam. Good luck.
Law School Admission Test Websites and Study Guide
Here is your checklist for the Law School Admission Process
Checklist for Your Law School Application
To compare yourself with other test takers fill out your information for any law school you're interested in.
For the main factor each law school considers besides GPA and LSAT. If you are a URM (under-represented minority) then look for schools emphasizing "diversity". The ABA is requiring all law schools to improve their diversity so you may have a good shot at a law school scholarship.
If you are contemplating a retake and want to know a particular school's policy on applicants with multiple law school admission tests.
Multiple Law School Admission Tests
The official LSAC site with registration information and law school forum dates and sites
LSAT Official Site
Law School Admission Test Study Guide This is taken from a forum post by someone who claims to be a Kaplan instructor.
LSAT PRACTICE TESTS
The Law School Admission Test Practice Tests
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