The LSAT is the Law School Admissions Test, and it is a requirement for students who wish to join law school in American universities. It is given four times a year at authorized testing centers around the country. There are five sections on the LSAT test, each must be completed within 35 minutes and 4 of the 5 contribute to the final score. Four of the sections are multiple choice questions and the fifth a writing sample. The 5th section that is not graded serves to evaluate new test forms or new questions and the student will only know which section it was after they get the results back.
This is a very difficult and very competitive test that requires months of preparation. You may want to consider finding a tutor to help you with your LSAT test prep in addition to taking numerous practice tests to prepare yourself.
The test is structured as follows:
- Logical Reasoning
As a lawyer, you will have to analyze arguments and statements to decide whether they are strong or weak and also explain why you think so. This section examines how well a person can identify information that is relevant to an argument and how to know what information to discard. There are two sections of this nature on the test.
- Analytical reasoning
Can you understand how different sets of data are related and make conclusions out of your findings? This is what this section aims to find out. The student will be given a set of facts and rules which will be analyzed against a passage to determine which set contains the truth.
- Reading comprehension
Half your time as a law student and even as a lawyer will be spent poring over lengthy documents with lots of unfamiliar information. Can you make sense of this information and offer insight into what is being said and what is not being said? Reading sections for this test can come from any subject ranging from medicine, the law, or even humanities.
- Writing sample
If you can reason logically and analytically and comprehend complex material, then how well can you express your thoughts on paper? This is the reason why this part is included in the test. Students are presented with a problem and must choose a side and defend it with evidence while talking the reader into supporting their stand and criticizing the opposing viewpoint.
- The variable
This is the section that will not be marked and the candidate taking the test will not be aware of which section it is.
The LSAT is graded on a scale of 120 to 180 with the average being 150 and the best law schools requiring a score of 160 and above in order to accept students into their programs. It is highly competitive and not easy to pass. Many months of dedicated LSAT test prep are required for one to pass the exam.
It is also a timed exam which can add to the pressure, but the good news is there is no limit to the number of times one can take the test so if at first you don’t succeed, you can try and try again. It is advisable to prepare for about 3 to 4 months before you take the test. For you to pass, you’ll need to have the best LSAT test prep.
