Hey … let’s get the perfunctory first question out of the way: how are you holding up? Well, we hope. It feels like every time we catch up with you there’s some major announcement about the LSAT or law school admissions. Remember when there was so little LSAT news that we’d occasionally have to do some wacky post as a lark? Yeah, we remember that, and many other pre-COVID things, too.

But this post is coming to you in media res-piratory disease pandemic, so this will not be a wacky, pointless post. This will be a post about yet another LSAT cancellation. As you’ve probably been made aware, the LSAT that was scheduled to occur on Monday, June 8 has been canceled. In its place, LSAC will hold what will be the second-ever LSAT-Flex administration, on Sunday, June 14, or Monday, June 15. Like the recently announced May LSAT-Flex administration, this will be another at-home, online, remotely proctored (using a testing software made by ProctorU),  three-section exam, with one Logical Reasoning section, one Logic Games section, and one Reading Comp section. That means no experimental section and no break. LSAC is targeting Tuesday, June 30 as the score release date.

With this major announcement, you probably have some questions. Let’s address some of those.

Can I choose to take the June LSAT-Flex?

You do not choose the LSAT-Flex. The LSAT-Flex, so far, chooses you. Only those who were signed up for the June 8 LSAT as of April 29 are eligible to take the June-Flex exam. That means you can’t sign up for the June Flex, if you weren’t already registered for the regularly scheduled June LSAT.

What if I’m signed up for the June LSAT-Flex test but don’t want to take it?

Hit up LSAC, and let them know if you’d like to opt out of the June LSAT-Flex. They’ll give you a voucher to sign up for any exam between July 2020 and April 2021. (LSAC is offering May LSAT-Flex registrants the same deal, but the deadline to take advantage of that is Sunday, May 10). Or maybe you’ll come to your senses and realize that taking a shorter LSAT from the convenience of your own home is a pretty good deal.  

When do I even take this exam? You said it’s on June 14 and June 15???

You get to choose when you take the exam. You can sign up for the two-hour time slot to take the test on Wednesday, May 13, at noon Eastern Time. 

For the May Flex exam, time slots were offered every twenty-minutes, from 9 am to 7 pm Eastern on both May 18 and 19. Signing up was a little … complicated for most May Flex registrants. There were a lot of 404 error pages, but every student I spoke to was able to reserve a time slot after a lot of page refreshes.   

Two factors we recommend that you consider when picking your time slot: (1) when do you feel the mentally sharpest during the day, and (2) when can you secure two-hours of undisturbed solitude at the place you’ll be taking the test. Consider those issues carefully before May 13. 

How do I know if I have all the equipment to take the June LSAT-Flex? 

You can consult the requirements listed on ProctorU’s website. And once you set up your ProctorU account, you can test your system to make sure everything’s up to snuff. If you’re missing some component, reach out to LSAC. They’ve promised to work with test takers — including offering to send out “loaner” equipment — to help make the LSAT-Flex accessible to everyone. 

What am I allowed to have with me as I take this LSAT-Flex? Scratch paper?

On the LSAT-Flex you’re allowed to have everything that you’re normally allowed to have with you on a traditional LSAT. Permitted items include your ID, some wooden pencils, a highlighter (if you want to highlight your scratch paper for some reason), a non-mechanical eraser, a pencil sharpener, tissues, and a beverage (in a plastic or juice-box style container not to exceed 20 oz). And yes, scratch paper is also permitted. You’re allowed 5 sheets of blank scratch paper to use on the exam.

Most things that wouldn’t be allowed on the normal LSAT will not be allowed on the LSAT-Flex either. One cell phone is allowed for the check-in process, but it must be turned off and stowed away during the actual exam. Hats, hoods, sunglasses, earplugs, headphones, and other face-obscuring and sense-muffling devices are prohibited. 

What are the rules of taking LSAT-Flex? 

Wave hi to your FBI agent…I mean, LASC employee. You’re going to be recorded during the entire LSAT-Flex. There’s going to be a proctor watching what you’re doing. And you’re going to have to keep your face visible in your webcam during the entire test. That means no getting up to stretch, take a quick walk, or use the restroom. And the room you’re taking the test in has to be private. If someone else enters the room, you must stop working and ask them to leave immediately. The proctor will tell you to begin working once the unwanted intruder leaves the room. Pets are allowed to enter your room though. So anyone with a corgi that’s really good at Logic Games might want to keep that loophole in mind. 

How do I prepare for the LSAT-Flex? How do I take practice exams?

Other than being composed of three-sections, the LSAT-Flex is going to be the same test as it ever was. Same concepts, same types of LR questions, RC passages, and games. No more or less difficult than any other LSAT. In other words, don’t change what you’re studying, just because you’re now taking an LSAT-Flex.

You may want to change how much you’re studying each of the three sections, however. On the LSAT-Flex, each of the three sections is worth about the same in your final score (OK, Reading Comp is probably going to be worth the most, by a hair). That’s different than a normal LSAT, where Logical Reasoning contributes to about half of your final score. Since the Reading Comp and Logic Games sections are comparatively more impactful on the LSAT-Flex, it makes sense to dedicate more study time to those sections than you were before. 

For practice exams, we have some tips — and an online calculator to help convert your three-section raw score into an estimated four-section raw score — here. 

If you’ve been prepping for the normal June LSAT—which, unless you’re clairvoyant, you probably are—you might want to look into taking a course designed to refine your skills to address the LSAT-Flex nuances. Where can you find such a magical course? We’ve got one, actually it’s the only prep course made specifically for the LSAT-Flex.

Can I apply to begin law school in fall 2020 with a June LSAT-Flex score?

Maybe. Some law schools haven’t been accepting applications for a while now. Some will still be accepting applications through the targeted June 30 score release date. Some law schools that wouldn’t normally take applications this late in the cycle have extended their deadlines to adjust for … you know, this thing we’re all trying to make adjustments for. Make sure to check with the law school to see if they’re accepting the June LSAT-Flex for application this admissions cycle.

But will law schools judge my LSAT-Flex score differently than a traditional LSAT score?

LSAC has now hosted not one, not two, but three separate webinars with real law school deans in which the main takeaway was that law schools are not going to judge LSAT-Flex scores more harshly than traditional LSAT scores. So, no. Law schools will see that your score was from an LSAT-Flex administration, but LSAC is attaching a note to all applications reminding law schools about this whole COVID-19 sitch (as if anyone is at risk of forgetting it) and that you were kind of force to take this untraditional LSAT. And law schools will treat your amazing LSAT-Flex score the same way they’d treat it if it were earned on a regular, old LSAT. 

Just when we think we’ve got 2020 figured out, it keeps surprising us. But, so what? As future lawyers, you’ve been preparing for spontaneity your whole life. I guarantee that you will look back on this time as you’re preparing to go to battle with a tricky and unpredictable opposing counsel. Until then, we’ve got your back no matter what happens.