The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is required for admission to
all law schools that are members of the Law School Admission
Council and is designed to provide a standard measure of reading
and verbal reasoning skills that are essential to success in law
school. The LSAC administers the LSAT four times per year, in
June, September, December, and February.
The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice
questions plus a thirty minute essay on a specified topic. This
can be summarised as:
- One analytical reasoning section with around 24 questions.
- One
reading comprehension section with around 26 questions.
- Two logical reasoning sections with around 26 questions.
- One experimental section, which can be any of the above.
- One 30 minute essay on a specified topic.
Only four of the five sections will contribute to your score as
the fifth section is used to test new questions which may be used
in future tests. The 30 minute essay is not scored but is sent
with your application, this provides a sample of your reasoning
and writing skills.
Analytical Reasoning
These questions are not designed to measure your facility with the
English language. They are designed to test your ability to take a
series of facts expressed in words and to understand and
manipulate the information to solve a specific problem. These
verbal reasoning questions provide an insight into whether you
have the key intellectual skills that are the foundation for
success in the legal profession.
These questions involves grouping, matching, and ordering of
elements. For example:
Pedro goes either hunting or fishing every day. If it is snowing &
windy then Pedro goes hunting. If it is sunny and not windy then
Pedro goes fishing. Sometimes it can be snowing and sunny.
Which of the following statements must be true:
- If it is not sunny and it is snowing then Pedro goes
hunting.
- If it is windy and Pedro does not go hunting then it is not
snowing.
- If it is windy and not sunny then Pedro goes hunting.
- If it is windy and sunny then Pedro goes hunting.
- If it is snowing and sunny then Pedro goes hunting.
In obtaining the answer (B) you are demonstrating your ability
to make logical decisions based on the information given.
Reading comprehension.
This section consists of three passages of 400-500 words with 5-8
questions per passage. The questions ask you to establish the
author's main idea, to draw inferences from the text and describe
the structure of the passage.
There is also a fourth part to this section where you are
presented with two passages about 250-300 words in length with
differing perspectives on a particular topic. You will then be
asked a series of multiple choice question where you have to
compare the passages. For example:
- Which of the following assumptions is common to both
passages?
- Which of the following is mentioned by the author of Passage
A, but not by the author of Passage B?
- The authors of the two passages would be most likely to
disagree over which of the following?
- The author of Passage B would be most likely to make which
of the following criticisms about the analysis contained in the
last paragraph of Passage A?
- The relationship between Passage A and Passage B is most
analogous to the relationship between the documents described in
which of the following?
- Which of the following most accurately describes the
relationship between the argument in Passage A and the argument
in Passage B?
Logical Reasoning
The LSAT contains two logical reasoning sections. Each begins
with a paragraph that presents an argument or set of facts. You
are then asked to find the argument's assumption, an alternate
conclusion, errors in the argument or to identify a statement that
would either weaken or strengthen the argument.
Experimental Section
Each exam includes one experimental section, used to test new
questions for future exams. Your performance on this section is
not reported as part of the final score.
Essay Question
The essay question is given in the form of a problem and two
criteria for making a decision. You are required to write an essay
favouring one of two provided options over the other. This essay
is not marked but is digitally imaged and sent to admission
offices along with the LSAT score.
Scoring
The LSAT is scored on a scale from 120 to 180. While the average
score is about 150, top law schools typically accept applicants
with scores over 160. Contact law schools that you're interested
in to learn about the average score of accepted students.
Go to
psychometric tests
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