LSAT

The Law School Admissions Test, is required for all ABA approved law schools. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants. The test is administered four times a year at hundreds of locations around the world. The exam costs $115.

The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score. These sections include one reading comprehension section, one analytical reasoning section, and two logical reasoning sections. The unscored section typically is used to pretest new test questions or to preequate new test forms. The placement of this section, which is commonly referred to as the variable section, varies for different administrations of the test. A 35-minute writing sample is administered at the end of the test. The writing sample is not scored by LSAC, but copies are sent to all law schools to which you apply. The score scale for the LSAT is 120 to 180.

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The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to think critically, and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others.

Law schools weigh the LSAT score very heavily, so doing well on this exam is crucial. Getting a high score is mandatory to get into the top tier law schools, even if your undergraduate grades were outstanding. Law schools also weigh your work experience, and recommendations. Applications to law schools have been on the rise, since lawyers are among the highest paid professionals in the world. This exam is usually only taken once in a two to three year time period. 

The LSAT is sometimes required for online law schools, please check with your individual programs.