CHOOSING AN LSAT
FORM OF THE LSAT
The LSAT is a half-day standardized test administered that is now offered SIX (6) times each year: January, March, June, July, September, and November. 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 LSAT consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions and approximately 101 scored questions in total. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score, which can range from 120 to 180. These sections include one Reading Comprehension section (about 27 questions), one Analytical Reasoning section (aka "Games" has about 23 questions), and two Logical Reasoning sections (about 25/26 questions each) . The un-scored fifth section typically is used to pretest new test questions or to pre-equate new test forms. The placement of this unscored section, which is commonly referred to as the experimental or 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 LSAT is a half-day standardized test administered that is now offered SIX (6) times each year: January, March, June, July, September, and November. 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 LSAT consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions and approximately 101 scored questions in total. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score, which can range from 120 to 180. These sections include one Reading Comprehension section (about 27 questions), one Analytical Reasoning section (aka "Games" has about 23 questions), and two Logical Reasoning sections (about 25/26 questions each) . The un-scored fifth section typically is used to pretest new test questions or to pre-equate new test forms. The placement of this unscored section, which is commonly referred to as the experimental or 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.
WHEN TO TAKE THE LSAT
The New NOVEMBER LSAT is akin to the May SAT
To maximize your chances of acceptance, we recommend taking the LSAT no later than November of your application year (which is the year before you plan to enter law school). Testing by November allows your applications to be submitted before the end of the application year. However, since all Law Schools are accepting the January 2019 LSAT, that exam is also timely. If you end up taking the January LSAT, you may need to file some applications before that test score is released (eg., when a school has a February 1 application deadline).
Law schools accept on first-come, first-serve basis known as rolling admissions, so by the time the application deadline for a particular school 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. 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 as easy to impress after they have read thousands of applications, the reality is that they become jaded. 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 (or even after). 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.
In sum, you maximize your chances by applying early with high numbers. Granted, slow is usually better than low, so if you need to retake the LSAT to raise your score that may be a wise move. But late and low is simply a no, for almost every candidate. Rolling admissions underscores the need for both a well-timed and well-executed admissions plan.
WHEN TO START PREPARING FOR THE LSAT
The 3J's : January of Junior Year, Start Preparing for the June LSAT
LSAT preparation generally requires between 2 to 12 months. Granted, many people have achieved meteoric rises (i.e., 15 points or more) in a few weeks, while others may take over a year to show a modest improvement (eg, 6 points). The typical profile is four-to-six months to achieve 10-15 points. Keep in mind that successful preparation is usually very time consuming because of the long hours of testing. Each practice LSAT takes 3-6 hours to administer and review. We recommend at least 40 practice tests so the total time commitment for just the testing will range between 120-240 hours. Attending the course requires additional hours, and additional practice tests are highly recommended (there are over 75 LSATs available). So, a typical candidate would be advised to budget over 300 hours to prepare for the LSAT.
For college students, we recommend the 3 J's: in January of your Junior year begin preparing for the June LSAT.
If you are not in school, it's the 2J's: begin your prep in January for the June LSAT. We advise the June LSAT so that any of the later LSATs may be taken, if necessary. The October LSAT is still early enough to produce a completed application well before the deadline for most law schools.
REPEATING THE LSAT & IMPACT OF MULTIPLE SCORES
It is not advisable to take an actual LSAT for "practice" purposes-- either test your best or not at all. Though schools have moved away from averaging LSAT scores, there is no reason to advertise your sub-optimal LSAT performance to admissions officers. A low LSAT score stays on your record for 5 years and makes you an admissions felon of sorts-- you have to write an addendum with your application explaining (and implicitly apologizing for) your LSAT record. If a bad score is foreseeable either do not sit for the exam (reschedule or withdraw) or cancel the score. It is our firm belief that adding even a hint of an LSAT vulnerability to your application is not advisable. However, if retaking the LSAT raises your score 6 or more points (thus escaping the +/- 3 point error of the test) , it will certainly be a considerable benefit to your application. Smaller improvements can also help, but they are not as statistically significant because the exam has a 3-point error.
The New NOVEMBER LSAT is akin to the May SAT
To maximize your chances of acceptance, we recommend taking the LSAT no later than November of your application year (which is the year before you plan to enter law school). Testing by November allows your applications to be submitted before the end of the application year. However, since all Law Schools are accepting the January 2019 LSAT, that exam is also timely. If you end up taking the January LSAT, you may need to file some applications before that test score is released (eg., when a school has a February 1 application deadline).
Law schools accept on first-come, first-serve basis known as rolling admissions, so by the time the application deadline for a particular school 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. 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 as easy to impress after they have read thousands of applications, the reality is that they become jaded. 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 (or even after). 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.
In sum, you maximize your chances by applying early with high numbers. Granted, slow is usually better than low, so if you need to retake the LSAT to raise your score that may be a wise move. But late and low is simply a no, for almost every candidate. Rolling admissions underscores the need for both a well-timed and well-executed admissions plan.
WHEN TO START PREPARING FOR THE LSAT
The 3J's : January of Junior Year, Start Preparing for the June LSAT
LSAT preparation generally requires between 2 to 12 months. Granted, many people have achieved meteoric rises (i.e., 15 points or more) in a few weeks, while others may take over a year to show a modest improvement (eg, 6 points). The typical profile is four-to-six months to achieve 10-15 points. Keep in mind that successful preparation is usually very time consuming because of the long hours of testing. Each practice LSAT takes 3-6 hours to administer and review. We recommend at least 40 practice tests so the total time commitment for just the testing will range between 120-240 hours. Attending the course requires additional hours, and additional practice tests are highly recommended (there are over 75 LSATs available). So, a typical candidate would be advised to budget over 300 hours to prepare for the LSAT.
For college students, we recommend the 3 J's: in January of your Junior year begin preparing for the June LSAT.
If you are not in school, it's the 2J's: begin your prep in January for the June LSAT. We advise the June LSAT so that any of the later LSATs may be taken, if necessary. The October LSAT is still early enough to produce a completed application well before the deadline for most law schools.
REPEATING THE LSAT & IMPACT OF MULTIPLE SCORES
It is not advisable to take an actual LSAT for "practice" purposes-- either test your best or not at all. Though schools have moved away from averaging LSAT scores, there is no reason to advertise your sub-optimal LSAT performance to admissions officers. A low LSAT score stays on your record for 5 years and makes you an admissions felon of sorts-- you have to write an addendum with your application explaining (and implicitly apologizing for) your LSAT record. If a bad score is foreseeable either do not sit for the exam (reschedule or withdraw) or cancel the score. It is our firm belief that adding even a hint of an LSAT vulnerability to your application is not advisable. However, if retaking the LSAT raises your score 6 or more points (thus escaping the +/- 3 point error of the test) , it will certainly be a considerable benefit to your application. Smaller improvements can also help, but they are not as statistically significant because the exam has a 3-point error.
