Learning about the Law School Admissions Test, a.k.a. LSAT
Apr 14 '06 (Updated Aug 06 '06)
The Bottom Line The LSAT is necessary for Law School admission and prospective law school students need to take it seriously.
Admission to law school is a serious undertaking and many students begin preparation early in their undergraduate studies. Selecting a law school and getting an acceptance letter to one’s school of choice is the ultimate goal. But before that moment arrives, one important task must be completed: Taking the LSAT, otherwise known as the Law School Admission Test.
Who Requires the LSAT?:
The LSAT is required for admission to any one of the more than 200 law schools in the United States. These schools are members of the Law School Admission Council and completion of the LSAT is a requirement for admission consideration.
Test Breakdown:
There are four sections on the LSAT and these sections are intended to test a student’s ability to write, comprehend, and use reason. The different sections include:
Logical Reasoning, Part I- This part of the test is allotted 35 minutes and contains 24 to 26 questions. This section tests a student’s ability to use logic and it accomplishes this by presenting an argument followed by multiple choice answers that ask the student to select the one that completes the logical flow. Some of these questions will ask the student what core assumption is necessary to make the logic complete. Other questions will ask the student to select a statement that, if true, would weaken or strengthen the argument. There are other types as well and they all focus on the use of logic.
Logical Reasoning, Part II- This part of the test also receives 35 minutes of time and also contains 24 to 26 questions. It works the same way as the first logical reasoning section.
Analytical- This is also known as the “Games” section of the test and it takes 35 minutes to complete with about 21 to 23 questions. In this section of the test, the student is presented with a situation of some sort, followed by a set of conditions. The student is then asked to make conclusions based on the information given.
Reading Comprehension- This part of the test takes 35 minutes to complete and contains about four passages with between six and eight questions about each passage. The questions can cover most anything, from the main purpose of the passage to inferences about its line of reasoning.
Writing- This is considered the easiest part of the test by most students because, among other reasons, it isn’t graded. The student will be asked to write an essay based on a decision or argument. This part of the test takes 30 minutes and even though it isn’t graded, a copy of it will be sent to the law schools where the student applies.
In addition to this, there is also an “experimental” section on the LSAT that every student has to take but that doesn’t figure in the scoring. This experimental section can pop up in any one of the above sections (except writing) and it isn’t identified. So, you have to be prepared to sit through an additional section of the test knowing that it won’t count in your score. But since you have no way of knowing whether the section you are taking is the experimental one or not, you have to be prepared and do your best on all sections.
How is the LSAT Scored?:
The score range on the LSAT is from 120 to 180. The 50th percentile occurs around the 150 to 151 level. Moving up from the median score, the 60th percentile is reached at a score of 152; the 70th is reached at 155; the 80th percentile is reached at 158; and the 90th percentile is reached at 163. A score of 172 would put a student in the 99th percentile.
As you can see, the scores on the LSAT are clustered around the median and a few points above and below it. The vast majority of test takes score within seven points of the median. The number of test takers exceeding a score of 170 is so uncommon that the percentile changes very quickly. Only two points separate the 50th and 60th percentiles. Only three points separate the 60th and 70th percentiles and the 70th and 80th percentiles. Moving from the 80th percentile to the 90th percentile requires scoring an additional five points. Once the score exceeds 163, there are so few students in this high- scoring territory that the percentile doesn’t change much anymore.
How/When do I Apply to Take the LSAT?:
Registration for the LSAT can be completed online at lsac.org- the Law School Admission Councils main web page. A student can register by phone, mail, or internet. The registration carries a one- time fee of about $118 (subject to increase at any time) that is refundable under certain circumstances. If you register after the deadline, you will have to pay a late fee of about $60.
LSAT is offered only a few times per year and the tests are usually administered on a Saturday or Monday. Testing takes place at testing centers across the nation roughly once every quarter with February, June, September, and December the most common months for the LSAT (there are also a couple other dates offered from time to time, in October and other months, to accommodate students who cannot take the test on a Saturday). The deadline for registration is usually about five weeks before the actual day of the test, so students need to act promptly to ensure a place is reserved at the testing center.
Final Thoughts:
The law school admission test is one of the most feared of all graduate level examinations. I have been a test- prep instructor for several different admission tests and the LSAT ranks with the MCAT (medical school admission) and GMAT as the most dreaded tests for graduate students. Some students put off taking the LSAT until the last minute, mainly due to test taking anxiety. They fear the worst: a low score that will prevent acceptance to their school of choice.
Is the LSAT deserving of such intimidation? In some ways, it is deserving of its feared status because it does require preparation and skill and if one doesn’t possess the necessary ability to use logic and reason, there is a good chance he/she will not succeed on the LSAT. But the LSAT isn’t insurmountable and if a student takes it seriously and either buys an LSAT study guide or enrolls in a preparation course, there should be no problem achieving a respectable score. One thing that makes the LSAT a little different (and in some opinions, easier) is that it doesn’t contain a mathematical section. Thus, if a student is more inclined toward verbal tests and struggles with math, the LSAT might prove to be an easier test than the GMAT and others that contain a good deal of math.
Admissions vary widely from one law school to the next, but an increasing number of schools want all students to score at least in the top half of all test takers. On LSAT, that translates into a score of 151- a score that, coincidently, falls almost right in the middle of the possible range of scores. But even a lower than average score doesn’t exclude a student from admission. Several other factors come into play when a law school decides who to admit and who to reject. Your undergraduate GPA is one factor and there are others as well. With a high GPA, you can get away with a slightly lower LSAT score and still gain admission to many different law schools. Like other graduate schools, most law schools have a formula that combines the LSAT score and GPA into one overall score. The schools use this to determine admission status.
Preparation for the LSAT is very critical if a student wishes to maximize his/her score. It is surprising how many students go into these tests completely blind. That is, they haven’t even bothered to purchase a book about the LSAT test and they haven’t done anything else other than register. These types of students usually skip preparation because of attitude. They are convinced that they know what they are doing and that test preparation is for the less intelligent students. What they do not realize is that there is much more to achieving a high score on the LSAT or other graduate test than simply possessing vast levels of knowledge. There is also a great deal of strategy involved and knowing this strategy can easily translate into several extra points. And with a test like LSAT, these points are substantial and it can have a tremendous influence on acceptance. Look back at the percentile rankings listed above and you will get a sense for the value of a few points are when it comes to the LSAT.
Law schools vary in prestige and the name of a highly acclaimed school next to a student’s name can open up doors of opportunity that were once sealed tightly shut. Everyone already knows that Yale, Harvard, and other law schools carry tremendous academic and professional clout. But gaining admission to these top of the line schools is likely a pipe dream for most students. Still, there are plenty of other well- respected law schools that should suffice. One publication that releases law school ratings/rankings is US News and World Report and many consider it a good gauge to measure the prestige level of a specific law school. However, critics of US News and World Report claim its ratings are inaccurate because they place too much emphasis on a school’s reputation rather than more practical measures, like the number of graduates employed in high- level law firms. The Law School Admission Council also publishes a guide and many consider it a better, less biased determinant of law school ratings.
Gaining admission to law school can be a daunting task and many factors are considered before a law school sends out its letters of acceptance. A good GPA is one factor, but a high score on the LSAT is often the most critical factor of all when law schools decide who to admit. Proper preparation and the ability to use logic and reason are the keys to succeeding on the LSAT test. A high score can make the difference between acceptance and rejection at the law school of one’s choice. It is a grueling test, but a good score is within reach with the right preparation.
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