LSAT®
Administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC®), the Law SchoolAdmission Test (LSAT) is a standardised law entrance test conducted for admissionto law schools in the US, Canada and some other countries. It is held four times a yearat designated test centres across the globe; the LSAT evaluates aspirants on skillsthat he/she will have to execute in law schools. As such, the LSAT syllabus includes three main related topics that are analytical reasoning, logical reasoning and readingcomprehension. Since there is no specific eligibility criterion for taking LSAT; candidatesare advised to check the selection procedure for the respective law schoolsthey would wish to apply.There are three ways to register for LSAT exam, online, by phone and by mail. Thecommon way is to register for the test online. The initial step for the online registrationis to open an LSAC account. On opening the account, the candidate will be allotted an account number that will be his/her primary identification number forall LSAcorrespondence. Prospective test takers can also check their applicationstatus through the LSAT account. The fee for LSAT registration is $180. CredentialAssembly Service (CAS) fees- $175.
LSAT Test Pattern and Syllabus
According to the pattern of the test, LSAT allocates 35 minutes to each topic; exceptlogical reasoning, which gets 70 minutes for two sub-sections. Usually, February,June, October and December are the fixed months for taking the law entrance exam.However, not all test dates are available at all the LSAT centresThere are three multiple-choice question types in the LSAT-
●●Reading comprehension questions evaluate the ability to read, with understanding and insight, examples of lengthy and complex materials similar to those commonly encountered in law school.
●●Analytical reasoning questions evaluate the ability to understand a structure of relationships and to draw logical conclusions about that structure.
●●Logical reasoning questions measure the ability to analyse, critically evaluate, and complete arguments as they occur in ordinary language.
The test consists of five sections comprising of multiple-choice questions. Fourof the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score. These sections include oneReading Comprehension section, one Analytical Reasoning section, and two LogicalReasoning sections. The un-scored section, widely referred to as the variable section,typically is used to pre-test new test questions or to pre-equate new test forms. Theplacement of this section keeps varying. Identification of the un-scored section is notavailable until the candidate receives his/her score report.
LSAT Test Pattern
| Sections | Number of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 26 to 28 (approximately) | 35 |
| Analytical Reasoning | 22 to 24 (approximately) | 35 |
| Logical Reasoning (Two sections) | 24 to 28 (approximately) for each section | 35+35=70 |
| Variable section (Unscored) | - | 35 |
| Writing section (Unscored) | - | 35 |