1.  What is the LSAT?

The LSAT is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. Most law schools throughout the US and Canada use the LSAT results as part of their admission process. All LSAC-member schools require applicants to take the LSAT.

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 un-scored section typically is used to pretest new test questions or to pre-equate 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.

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.

Please visit the Law School Admissions Council for more information on and to register for the LSAT.

2.  When should I take the LSAT?

To maximize your chances of acceptance, we recommend taking the LSAT no later than October (or September) of the year that you are applying in. There are four (4) test dates every year: February, June, October/September and December. First-tier schools start reviewing applications by Thanksgiving. Applications that are submitted early get viewed more favorably than later applications because admissions is a human process: the people who read applications are not easy to impress after they have read thousands of applications.

Law schools accept on first-come, first-serve basis (known as rolling admissions), so by the time the application deadline arrives many of the seats in the entering class have been filled. On occasion, the entire first year class has been selected before the deadline for submitting applications has arrived.

Now if an applicant’s numbers are stellar (i.e., above the published average for the school), that applicant may be admitted even if the application is submitted right before the deadline. But if one does not have the numbers (i.e., either their LSAT or GPA is below the school's reported mean) - then one is strongly advised to sit out the year rather than apply both late and with low numbers.

3.  When should I begin preparing for the LSAT?

The rule of thumb is to begin as soon as possible. But many people have made meteoric rises (20 points or more) in a few weeks, while others may take a year to show a modest improvement (no more than 6 points). The typical profile is four months to achieve 10-15 points. Since taking and reviewing all the tests would require at least 150 hours, and attending the course requires another 100 hours, one would need to budget about 300 hours to prepare for the LSAT.

INSERT ANSWER TO QUESTION HERE