LSAT Test Prepareation Tutoring

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The LSAT was traditionally comprised of:

• Two Logical Reasoning Sections
• Reading Comprehension Section
• Logic Games Section
• One Random Section
• Writing Section

The Random Section can take the form of either a Logical Reasoning, a Reading Comprehension, or a Logic Games Section, and is used for the test writers’ reference (in the formulation of future LSAT questions). Whilst the Random Section will not contribute to one’s final LSAT score, the test taker will have no means of determining which Section is the Random Section. All test takers are also required to complete a Writing Section (though this can now be done at home). Each Section (including the Writing Section) is 35-minutes long making for a total testing time of 3 hours and 45 minutes (a 15-minute break is given). As for the components of each Section, the Logical Reasoning Sections feature 24-26 questions each, the Reading Comprehension Section features four passages and 26-28 questions, and the Logic Games Section features 22-24 questions. The test taker’s raw score will be converted into a scaled score out of 180 – generally speaking, an LSAT score of 165+ (90th percentile) is considered a competitive score.

What changed because of COVID-19?

Due to COVID-19 and the need for a remote testing solution, the LSAC (Law School Admission Council) implemented the online LSAT-Flex. The LSAT-Flex is comprised of only 3 Sections that feature the same questions from the traditional LSAT: i) a Logical Reasoning Section, ii) a Reading Comprehension Section, and iii) a Logic Games Section. There has been a lot of debate as to whether an LSAT-Flex score is comparable to the traditional LSAT score as the implementation of the LSAT-Flex resulted in a dramatic increase in 99th percentile scorers (estimates put the inflation at over 100%) and an incredibly competitive application cycle for 2020 and 2021.

What other test can I do for Law School?

Whilst some schools may accept tests other than the LSAT (for example the GRE and even the GMAT in the University of Pennsylvania’s case), it is recommended that students take only the LSAT as it is the only test accepted by all ABA-accredited law schools. Since September 2019, test takers have been able to take the tests up to three times in a single testing year (August to June) though only up to seven times over one’s lifetime. It should also be noted that both LSAT and LSAT-flex scores are valid for only five years.

As to whether it is worth pursuing a legal degree in the United States, it should be noted that there are many benefits to holding a Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school. For example, taking the New York Bar Exam will render one eligible to practice immediately in over 50 countries, Hong Kong included, without any conversion exams.