This post is not for those who are well-versed with the LSAT, but, instead, for those who do not know the first thing about the LSAT and where to begin. We will discuss the basics and go from there.
1 What Is the LSAT and Why You Need to Do Well on It
The LSAT stands for Law School Admission Test which is administered by the Law School Admission Council which is also known as the LSAC.
As of now, you need to take the LSAT or the GRE in order to apply for the law school. The LSAT is the most popular test of the two, since it has been the de facto requirement for decades while the GRE has only recently been added as another option.
We clarified that the LSAT is one of the testing requirement. The next question is how important is it to your applications.
And the answer is that is super important! The LSAT is an integral part of your application and getting into a good law school.
In some ways it could just as or more important than your GPA, so it is imperative to take it seriously and study for it.
2. What is on the LSAT
As of now, the LSAT is administered online through LawHub with the help of ProcotorU. The test is made of up of three core sections and a fourth variable section, which is called experimental and not counted in tabulating your score.
The three sections are:
1. Analytical Reasoning or More Commonly Known as Logic Games
The logic games section is made of four games with around four or five questions per game. These games list a host of condition in which you can make a model and from this model you can solve the questions.
2. Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is pretty self-explanatory. You read a text and comprehend it in order to answer relevant questions. If you took the ACT or SAT, then it is pretty much the same thing as those reading sections. The only difference is that the LSAT reading comprehension is a bit more nuanced and difficult.
3. Logical Reasoning
The last section is logical reasoning. This section is composed of around 25 questions where each question is composed of a small paragraph where you need to decipher the paragraph and answer the questions given.
These questions usually take the form of an argument. Some example questions tips would be conclusion questions where you need to find the conclusion, flaw questions where you need to find the issue with the argument, and strengthen questions where you need to find a piece of info that makes the argument stronger.
Is there a writing section on the LSAT?
Yes, there is a writing section on the LSAT. The good news is that you can take it whenever you feel like. You do not need to take it at the same time as your administered LSAT, although you need to complete your writing section to unlock your LSAT scores.
The writing section is not too important. It is not graded, but it will be sent over to law schools when you send your LSAT. Most schools might not even look at it, but it is still important to try your best on it.
There is an example on LawHub if you would like to try it.