About LSAT
Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test to assess one’s aptitude for studying Law. LSAT is an integral part of admission process for law schools in United States, Canada and some other countries abroad.
LSAT is mandatory for admission to law schools affiliated to American Bar Association (ABA) and Canadian Common Law Schools. The test was created in the year 1948 as a measure to provide the Law schools with a standardized way to test candidates in addition to their GPA.
LSAT was previously administered four times a year- June, September/October, December and February. However, starting 2018, LSAT is conducted six times in a year- January, March, June, July, September and November.
LSAT is designed to test your Critical Reading and Analytical Thinking Skills, which are considered important for success in a law school.
Exam Pattern
LSAT is designed to test the key schools needed in a law school, including Reading Comprehension, Analytical and Logical Reasoning. LSAT consists of multiple-choice questions and the duration of the test is 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Section |
Time Allowed |
Number of Questions |
Logical Reasoning -I |
35 min |
24-26 |
Logical reasoning-II |
35 min |
24-26 |
Logic Games (Analytical Reasoning) |
35 min |
22-24 |
Reading Comprehension |
35 min |
26-28 |
Experimental Section |
35 min |
22-28 |
Writing Sample |
35 min |
1 Essay |
One section is experimental section, which doesn’t add to the overall score. However, the four sections which do contribute to the score are: Logical Reasoning (Both), Analytical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension.
Logical Reasoning: The two sections of Logical Reasoning, also known as “arguments” are designed to test a candidate’s ability to analyze arguments. Each Logical Reasoning Section has 24-26 questions, which begins with a short argument or a set of facts. One needs to identify the underlying assumption, alternative conclusions, errors or logical omissions, arguments with parallel reasoning, or a statement that would strengthen or weaken the argument. The two sections of Logical Reasoning account for 50% of the score.
Analytical Reasoning: Also referred to as “Logic Games”, this section has 22-24 questions. The questions are in sets of single passages and tests one’s ability to draw conclusions from the set of statements. The challenge is to analyze the range of possibilities embedded in a set of rules. This section is generally considered the most by the candidates writing the LSAT exam and accounts for 23% of the score.
Reading Comprehension: Accounting for 27% of the score, this section has three long passages and 1 short passage with a total of 26-28 questions. The sections test one’s ability to draw inferences, describe structure, author’s main idea. The passages generally relate to law, arts and humanities, physical and social sciences.
Writing Sample: Also known as Essay Writing, this section is the final section of the exam. he writing sample is presented in the form of a decision prompt, which provides the examinee with a problem and two criteria for deciding. The examinee must then write an essay arguing for one of the two options over the other. LSAC does not score the writing sample. Instead, the essay is digitally imaged and sent to admission offices along with the LSAT score.
Variable Section: This is a wild card. It is used to test new questions for future exams. The performance of the examinee on this section is not reported as part of the final score. The examinee is not told which section of the exam is experimental.
Eligibility
Law School Admission Council (LSAC), is the official body to conduct the LSAT exam and doesn’t specify any conditions to write the exam. Candidates need to check for any specific criteria with their targeted law schools. Test is intended for candidates desirous of studying law and have graduated or are about to graduate and looking for admissions in a law school. There is no age limit to write the test.
Law Schools accepting LSAT Score
Top Law Schools in United States:
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Yale Law School
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Stanford University
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Harvard Law School
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University of Chicago
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Columbia University
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Top Law Schools in Canada:
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University of Toronto
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McGill University
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University of British Columbia
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Osgoode Hall Law School
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University of Windsor
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