LSAT (Legal Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a standardized legal test for assessing the scholastic abilities of a student, which is mandatory for applicants who are going to enter the United States or Canada for master’s programs in the field of Law. Purpose: assessment of the verbal and analytical skills of the test takers. This article will help you to get a good score on the LSAT.
Exam structure
The LSAT consists of 5 sections: Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reasoning, Writing Sample, and an experimental section for which points are not awarded. In general, modern tests include 99 to 102 items, which are evaluated in points. During testing, several forms are used, where the sections are placed in a different order, so that it is more difficult for students to deceive the examiner or guess which section is experimental. Each section has 35 minutes.
The LSAT includes two Logical Thinking sections. The goal is to assess the ability of the test takers to analyze the argumentation. Each section consists of 24-26 questions. In each question, a brief reasoning or statement is first given, followed by a task: determine the assumption on which the reasoning is built, identify the conclusion, find errors or omissions, choose another thesis with similar argumentation, or choose a principle that confirms or refutes the statement.
The Reading Comprehension section consists of four texts. Each is given 5-8 questions, a total of 26-28 questions. There is no pattern in the selection of texts, but passages devoted to jurisprudence, culture, humanities, natural science and sociology are mainly used. The assignments usually require identifying the main idea, finding specific information, drawing a conclusion, or describing the structure of a passage. In 2007, instead of one of the four texts, the task for “comparative reading” was introduced. It requires you to read two short passages that present two different points of view on the same problem.
The Analytical Thinking section consists of four “games” that fall into several categories: classification, juxtaposition, and ordering of elements. The section “logic games” includes 22-24 questions. In each game, the starting position and conditions governing the relationship between the elements are first described. Next, you need to draw a conclusion based on these statements. It is necessary to show the ability to analyze all the possibilities arising from these rules.
An invaluable experimental section. The tasks in it are constantly changing. It is used to test the effectiveness of new questions for future tests. The results of this section are not included in the final grade. In order not to distort the data, the testers are not told which section is experimental.
The written assignment is the last part of the test. It provides a description of the problem and two points of view on it. The test taker must choose one of the points of view and substantiate it by giving arguments. For this task, not too acute problems are selected. There can be no right or wrong answer, the main thing is to substantiate your point of view and challenge the opposite point of view. No points are awarded.
How to register
You can register for the test on the website. Please remember that the deadline for registration is May 1st annually. The cost of the test is $ 175 excluding taxes and commissions. You can pay for LSAT online using your credit card. Upon registration, you will receive a so-called LSAT Admission Ticket, that is, your confirmation of registration and payment for the test. On the day of the test, you must bring it with you to be admitted to testing. Also, you need to have an identity document with you.
Tips for preparing for the LSAT
- Solve as many practice tests as possible.
- Learn to allocate time in order to have time to solve all the tasks.
- Pay special attention to the “Analytical Thinking” section, it is considered the most difficult.
- Check the list of items that can be brought to the exam.
- Remember that all questions are scored the same, no matter how difficult.
- It is important to fully read the texts and assignments so as not to make mistakes.
- Learn the basics of formal logic.
- Don’t ignore the writing section and get ready for it.
- It is worth spending at least 3 months on preparation to sort out all the tasks and learn how to solve them.
