INTRO TO LSAT - A BREAKDOWN

So you realized from previous posts that your GPA (grade point average) in college is going to play a role in your pursuance of law school.  With that out of the way lets get to know the crucial part of the admissions process that determines whether the fact that your friends and mother tell you "Law school is your calling..." will really come true.

The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is known as many things amongst which terms like "The Gatekeeper", "The Factor", but also known as "The worst test you'll ever take", "I hate this thing" etc. 

First let me get this out of the way. The exam is not easy. It is long (4+HOURS), and it requires a lot of concentration and thought. This is not like your Psych 101 exam where you drank and partied the night before and came in the next day half-dead into the class and miraculously passed the exam with a C-. This will not be the case for you LSAT examination. It will take practice and long hours of studying and understanding to get the score you need on this exam.

The LSAT is given four times a year, usually in February, June, September and December. It consists of 5 timed sections of 35 minutes each. Of the 5 sections one is experimental. What that means is that the LSAC (the makers of the exam) get you to do some free labor for them by testing out questions that they might put on future exams. Of course they don't tell you which section is experimental so you have to focus and do each section given as if it were being counted. The test also has a Writing Sample portion which is NOT scored.

Here are the components: (these are the ones that they will score)

1.Two logical reasoning sections each with 24-26 questions.

2.One analytical reasoning [AKA logic games] section with 22-24 questions.

3.One reading comprehension section with 26-28 questions.

4.One unscored EXPERIMENTAL SECTION [could be games, logical reasoning, or reading comprehension]

5.One unscored Writing Sample which is timed.

The writing sample is usually a scenario which you are required to elaborate upon. The test makers want you to stay focused on the topic and either argue FOR or AGAINST the situation. The essay is then scanned and sent to law schools that you apply to. It could be used as a sample of your writing but being that you will be sending schools personal statements, addenda, and other written materials they will have plenty of your writing so the Writing Sample is not the most crucial thing on this exam. Not to mention that the Writing Sample is given as the last part of the exam and after 4 mind-crushing hours of testing your writing skills are probably affected for the worse.

Ok so we know now the components of the test. 

The test is scored on a scale and the resulting scores range from 120 being the lowest to 180 being the highest possible. Most students (about 55%) score between 145-158, and the rest of the percentage is divided and scores range below 145 or above 160. 

No matter what recruiters of schools, law students, websites tell you about the weight of the LSAT in the admission process, I will say this much: the test score is PROBABLY THE MOST important number entered into that admission "equation" along with the GPA, personal statement, letters of recommendation etc.

The next post will break down the components of the exam and discuss them in detail.