At this time, the LSAT is offered roughly 8 times a year. In determining which date to select, there are several factors to consider. The most critical factor is the application windows of all the schools to which you plan to apply. The application window is the period between the date that the law school will begin accepting applications and the last date it will accept applications. This window is critical, and more important than the application deadline, because law school admissions as well as financial aid awards are considered on a rolling basis. In other words, the applicant who
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NOTE: The information below refers to the in-person LSAT which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been suspended indefinitely. In its place, LSAC now administers the virtual LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. Each test taker is paired with a remote proctor who monitors the test-taking environment before and during the test. Because of proctoring issues and other considerations, the LSAT-Flex is significantly shorter than the in-person LSAT. Rather than four 35-minute sections, the LSAT-Flex includes only three 35-minute sections, one each of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games).
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Taking the LSAT and applying to law school is not an inexpensive endeavor. In addition to the fee that the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) charges for registering for the LSAT test, there are significant costs associated with preparing for the exam. The good news is that you may be able to get some of these costs reduced. Currently, the "basic fee" for taking the LSAT is $200. However, there are several potential "auxiliary" fees. For example, if you need to change your test date or test location, you will have to pay an additional $125. Visit LSAC.org for a
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NOTE: The information below refers to the in-person LSAT which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been suspended indefinitely. In its place, LSAC now administers the virtual LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. Each test taker is paired with a remote proctor who monitors the test-taking environment before and during the test. Because of proctoring issues and other considerations, the LSAT-Flex is significantly shorter than the in-person LSAT. Rather than four 35-minute sections, the LSAT-Flex includes only three 35-minute sections, one each of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games).
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LSAT Prep can be quite expensive. Live LSAT prep classes from popular test prep companies such as Kaplan or Princeton Review range in price from $1500-$2500, while many online LSAT courses can be up to $800. Simply purchasing LSAT study guide books for self study can also be expensive as a book or a series of books will cost anywhere from $40 to over $300. However, by doing some research and being a little creative, it is possible to find free LSAT prep materials. Here are a few ideas. Law School Admissions Council The Law School Admissions Council's (LSAC) website
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) suspended in-person LSATs and began offering the LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. Each test taker is paired with a remote proctor who monitors the test-taking environment before and during the test. Is the format of the test different than the in-person LSAT? Yes. Because of proctoring issues and other considerations, the LSAT-Flex is significantly shorter than the in-person LSAT. Rather than four 35-minute sections, the LSAT-Flex includes only three 35-minute sections, one each of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning
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LSAT Tip #1: Take the LSAT Early. The best time to take the LSAT is in February or June of the year prior to when you plan to enter law school. Many law schools accept applications beginning in early December and ending in February or March, and make admissions decisions on a rolling basis. Law schools will receive February and June LSAT scores early in the admission process, increasing your changes of being accepted. LSAT Tip #2: Prepare Early. It is best to start test preparation 8-12 weeks prior to the test date. This is not a college exam, so
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The LSAT is currently offered roughly 8 times each year. The structure of the LSAT is the same for each test date and the level of difficulty does not vary based on the month in which the test is administered. Law School Application Deadline To ensure the best possibility of being accepted by a law school, you should make sure that your law school application and LSAT score gets to the law school not only before the application deadline, but more importantly, as close as possible to the first day the law schools accept applications. For example, many law schools
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NOTE: The information below refers to the in-person LSAT which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been suspended indefinitely. In its place, LSAC now administers the virtual LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. Each test taker is paired with a remote proctor who monitors the test-taking environment before and during the test. Because of proctoring issues and other considerations, the LSAT-Flex is significantly shorter than the in-person LSAT. Rather than four 35-minute sections, the LSAT-Flex includes only three 35-minute sections, one each of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games).
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NOTE: The information below refers to the in-person LSAT which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been suspended indefinitely. In its place, LSAC now administers the virtual LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. Each test taker is paired with a remote proctor who monitors the test-taking environment before and during the test. Because of proctoring issues and other considerations, the LSAT-Flex is significantly shorter than the in-person LSAT. Rather than four 35-minute sections, the LSAT-Flex includes only three 35-minute sections, one each of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games).
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Many students come out of the LSAT thinking that they did terrible, but this doesn’t mean it’s true. Cancelling the LSAT is irreversible. If you are considering a cancellation of a completed test, do not do it on the day of the test—you have six days to do so, and you should use that time to weigh your options carefully and rationally. Explain your situation to a trusted advisor for his or her opinion. If you had a lot of trouble with one section, remember that it could have been the experimental section—you can determine which section was experimental by
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For the past several years, the legal industry has faced long-term financial pressures, resulting in fewer jobs for inexperienced attorneys just entering the job market. Many law schools, including such top-tier schools as Yale Law School, have decided to admit smaller classes because of the smaller available applicant pool. It is not surprising that there has been a corresponding downward trend in the number of students sitting for the LSAT. Yet these trends appear to be reversing. After a steep decline in LSAT administrations, applications, and acceptances between 2010 and 2015, LSAT administrations have increased sharply while applications and acceptances
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After spending countless hours thinking about, preparing for and taking the LSAT, once it’s over, good or not so good, you have your score. You can now focus on completing law school applications. Your LSAT score is a reality check that will help you narrow the list of law schools to which to apply based on the probability of acceptance. Free online law school admission prediction calculators will give you an idea of your chances of being admitted to specific law schools based on your LSAT score and GPA. While no predictor is 100% accurate, the Law School Admission Council’s
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NOTE: The information below refers to the in-person LSAT which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been suspended indefinitely. In its place, LSAC now administers the virtual LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. Each test taker is paired with a remote proctor who monitors the test-taking environment before and during the test. Because of proctoring issues and other considerations, the LSAT-Flex is significantly shorter than the in-person LSAT. Rather than four 35-minute sections, the LSAT-Flex includes only three 35-minute sections, one each of Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games).
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If your score on the LSAT is worse than you had hoped, you may be tempted to retake the LSAT. According to one study, candidates who took the test a second time scored on average 2.7 points higher than their first scores. But, remember, this number is an average. Many test takers achieve higher scores but also many test takers actually earn lower scores. Some law schools will look at the higher score, but many will average the scores. One important thing to remember is that the American Bar Association (ABA) recently changed the requirements for LSAT reporting from member
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The LSAC presents your LSAT score in three ways: the LSAT raw score, the LSAT scaled score, and the LSAT percentile. The scaled score is the one that “matters,” in the sense that it’s the one the schools look at. The raw score is between 0 and 100 to 103 and is based on the number of questions answered correctly (each LSAT will typically have 100 to 103 multiple-choice questions, with each question being worth 1 point). The essay section is not scored. There is no deduction for blank or incorrect answers, so no matter what, leave no blanks! If
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Now that you are intent on doing your best on the LSAT, here’s what you need to do: 1. Give yourself at least three months to study for the LSAT. Create a study plan and follow it. Devote at least 150 hours to study before taking the test. 2. Figure out your weaknesses. Take a full practice LSAT early in your preparation so that you can figure out which sections give you trouble. 3. If you can attend a live preparation (“prep”) course do it. These courses are expensive; find the money if at all possible. If you cannot attend
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After taking the LSAT, the Law School Admissions Council sends you a report that includes your LSAT scaled score that ranges from 120 to 180, as well as your LSAT percentile. Unlike the LSAT scaled score, the LSAT percentile does not measure the number of questions that you answered correctly on the LSAT. It is an indicator of how well you performed on the LSAT relative to other test takers who took the LSAT in the last three years. Your LSAT percentile indicates the percentage of students who have scores lower than your score over the last 3 years. For
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Preparing for the LSAT requires time, commitment, and the right tools. One of the most important aspects of preparing for the LSAT is to take full-length practice exams under conditions that closely mimic actual LSAT exam conditions. An LSAT virtual proctor is a practical tool that will increase the effectiveness of taking practice exams. NOTE: The information below refers to the in-person LSAT which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been suspended indefinitely. In its place, LSAC now administers the virtual LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. Each test taker is paired
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After weeks of preparing for the LSAT, the test is now just a few days away. You may find yourself nervously glancing at the calendar, counting down the days. It is easy to fall into a panic mode and begin to feel the need to ramp up your study routine and take practice test after practice test until Saturday. A more effective way to spend the last few days prior to the LSAT is to avoid trying to “cram” and instead focusing on preparing your mind and body to handle the rigors of taking the real LSAT. Here is a
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The Law School Admissions Test, or LSAT, is a standardized test that is required to be taken by applicants to law schools within the United States. Obtaining a high score on the LSAT is considered to be as important as (in fact, often more important than) an applicant’s undergraduate grade point average by law school admissions committees. The LSAT consists of six sections including one experimental section, one written essay section, and four multiple-choice sections. Among the multiple choice sections is a section on Analytical Reasoning, often referred to as the “logic games” section. (NOTE: This breakdown refers to the
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LSAT self-study is a way to prepare for the LSAT without attending a live LSAT prep course. Instead, you would rely on LSAT prep books, LSAT practice tests, and other purchased and free study material. Many students chose to self-study because live LSAT prep courses are considerably more costly. Others feel that it is more convenient to self-study because of location or scheduling factors. Still others feel that self-study is more consistent with their learning styles. Whatever the reason, before deciding to self-study you must take a realistic self-assessment to determine if you will be able to effectively prepare for
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The Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT questions will comprise half of the scored portion of your test. Devote the majority of your study time to this section.(NOTE: This is true only of the in-person LSAT which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been suspended indefinitely. In its place, LSAC now administers the virtual LSAT-Flex, an online version of the LSAT that prospective law students take at home. This version of the test contains only one Logical Reasoning section instead of two. For more information on the LSAT-Flex, please visit our LSAT-Flex FAQ page.) Identifying the question types as based
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The LSAT Reading Comprehension section is just one of the three multiple-choice sections on the LSAT test. The other two are Analytical Reasoning (logic games) and Logical Reasoning. The Reading Comprehension section contains four 400-600 word passages, each with 5-8 questions, for a total of approximately 27 questions to complete in 35 minutes. Of the 4 passages, one is a “comparative reading” section that is made up of two related shorter passages. Skills tested include drawing inferences, finding the main idea, understanding intricate text and the ability to compare and contrast. Topics covered in the reading passages include the humanities,
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The only proven way to perform well on the LSAT is to practice, practice, practice. And the best way to practice is by working through questions from official LSAT exams. The LSAC publishes released LSAT questions in the form of PrepTests in its 10 New Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests book series and the Official LSAT SuperPrep. However, except for the Official LSAT SuperPrep, the LSAC publications provide LSAT questions and answers without explanations. The more useful resources are those that provide step-by-step guidance or detailed explanations as to how to solve the problems as they will help you learn from
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Completing LSAT practice tests is an important part of preparing for the LSAT. Practice tests will help prepare you for answering questions under time constraints and condition your mind and body for the rigors of taking the 4-hour exam on test day. Almost all LSAT test prep companies offer LSAT practice tests that are actual LSAT exams released by the Law School Admissions Council. Many also develop their own practice LSAT tests. The key is to use practice tests that also offer detailed explanations of each answer. Here are 10 of the best resources for LSAT practice tests. Free practice
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There are many LSAT prep books and book series that typically cover the three LSAT question types: Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning. Each series provides an overview of what to expect on LSAT test day, along with strategies for tackling each question type. In addition, each includes hundreds of practice questions and 2-8 full-length practice tests with questions from real LSATs that have been released by the Law School Admissions Council. Here are details about 3 of the most popular LSAT prep book series. Manhattan LSAT Manhattan LSAT prides itself on its small class sizes, 170+ focus, and
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There are now dozens of apps and tech tools to help with LSAT preparation. While they are not a substitution for other study methods and materials, many conveniently provide help in areas not covered by traditional classroom LSAT prep courses or self study prep books. For example, LSAT Arcade by Manhattan LSAT is a fun and interactive way to supplement your studying. Other tech tools are more comprehensive, offering thousands of test questions and lessons to help students master each question type. Here is a rundown on 4 popular digital tools to accompany your LSAT study plan. LSAT Arcade by
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The decision as to how to prepare for the LSAT is an individual one. Factors such as convenience, personal style and cost should be examined. Ultimately, in order for a system to be effective, a person must be comfortable enough to focus and thrive, and the student must put in the time. LIVE COURSE Advantages: Live LSAT prep classes typically offer between 35 and 100 hours of live classroom instruction by a teacher who scored in the 98th or 99th percentile on the LSAT. In addition, while each live LSAT prep program is a little different, top-rated programs such as
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LSAT prep courses are expensive, especially when you compare their cost to purchasing other study materials online. Studies show, however, that students who take a live study course perform 2-5 points better than students who don’t. If at all possible, take a preparation course, as they can be very meaningful to your LSAT score. Even if you only get a two-point bump in your score, this investment is well worth the money and effort. Many people will tell you can do as well doing self-study as a prep course if you have enough discipline. You will often hear “If you
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