So you’re planning on taking the LSAT? You sure?
Of course, you’re sure. You’re going to law school, so you know you have to take this exam. Perhaps you’ve been following our step-by-step approach to applying to law school, and you’re currently stuck on step number 2.
Or perhaps you haven’t figured out what you want to be when you grow up and want to give law school a try.
Whatever the reason may be, you’re now scouring the internet trying to figure out what the LSAT is. Fortunately, you’ve stumbled upon a beginner’s guide to taking the LSAT. By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid foundation of what the LSAT is and how to start preparing for it.
What Is the LSAT?
Starting with the most important question: Is it L-S-A-T or “el-sat?” Doesn’t really matter.
The LSAT stands for the Law School Admission Test. That’s a pretty self-explanatory name (and quite uncharacteristic of the test in general). Nearly every law school requires applicants to report a score from some standardized test and the LSAT is accepted by all ABA-accredited law schools.
The LSAT originally debuted the same year as the Ed Sullivan Show — it’s an old test. However, it didn’t take its current form until June 1991. The exam is written and administered by the Law School Admission Council, or LSAC.
The test can be taken in person or remotely.
How Is the LSAT Scored?
The LSAT is scored on a scale of 120 to 180. In addition to your scaled score, you also receive a raw score and a percentile. Here’s how your LSAT score breaks down:
RAW SCORE → PERCENTILE → SCALED SCORE
There are approximately one hundred scored questions on the exam. The number you get right is your raw score. LSAC uses your raw score to determine your percentile. Percentile is simply the percentage of other test takers whose raw score you topped. Your percentile, in turn, puts you at a particular location on the 120-180 scale.
Let’s take an example. Say, for instance, you took the May 2020 LSAT. You answered 72 questions correctly. Your raw score was 72. Your scaled score was 175. Compared to all the other test takers, you ended up answering more questions correctly than 99% of other test takers. Nice work! Your percentile is 99%.
What Does the LSAT Test?
If you ask the writers of the exam, they’ll say it tests the skills necessary for law school: critical reasoning, reading comprehension, and persuasive writing. They do this through roughly 100 multiple-choice questions and a writing task.
The LSAT is comprised of three scored sections, one unscored experimental section, and one unscored writing task.
What Are the LSAT Sections?
Two sections of Logical Reasoning: This is the section that tests your logical reasoning skills, obviously. This section tests your ability to draw deductions from a set of facts and understand/evaluate arguments.
Each question consists of a brief paragraph (usually an argument), a question about the contents of the paragraph, and five answer choices. You’ll get about 25 questions in both Logical Reasoning sections.
Further Reading
One section of Reading Comprehension: If you’ve taken basically any standardized test ever, you know how these go. Long passages followed by questions about that passage. Rinse and repeat.
On the LSAT, somewhere between 26 and 28 questions will be distributed among the four passages included in this section.
Further Reading
📖 How To Approach Reading Comprehension
👀 What I Wish I Knew About Reading Comp Before Taking the LSAT
One LSAT Writing Section: You’ll also have to complete a writing task within a year of your LSAT test date. Using exam software provided to you by LSAC, you’ll write a short essay in thirty-five minutes. It’s not a big deal and it doesn’t count toward your LSAT score. However, it will be sent to law schools and you won’t receive your LSAT score without having a completed writing sample on file.
One experimental section: This section is basically a “fake” section thrown in at some point during the test that won’t count toward your final score. It could be an additional Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension Section. Unfortunately, you won’t know which of the sections you come across is the experimental one. Assume they’re all being scored!
Changes to the LSAT
If this LSAT format looks strikingly different from the LSAT your best friend from college took, you’re probably right!
The LSAT used to be composed of six 35-minute sections. Now it has four sections on test day.
In addition to Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension, the LSAT used to have an Analytical Reasoning (also known as Logic Games) section. These so-called games tested your ability to follow directions, draw connections between rules, identify patterns, and project outcomes.
The Logic Games Section was removed from the LSAT in August 2024.
When’s the LSAT Offered?
The precise schedule changes a bit from year to year, but it’s offered nearly every month. Before your test day, you will choose the day and time slot to take your LSAT. LSAC offers alternative dates for certain religious reasons and accommodations.
The LSAT is also offered all across the world — not just in North America — although the dates for the international LSAT administrations can vary.
Can I Take the LSAT More Than Once?
There are limits to how many times you can take the test, but you can certainly take it more than once. You can take the LSAT five times in five years and seven times in your life.
I bet I know your follow-up question: “Does it look bad to retake the LSAT?” Not really! Or, not at all, really. Almost every law school will judge your application on your highest score. Schools looking at just your highest score is not only in your interest but in theirs as well. Learn about how law schools view multiple LSAT scores.
Which LSAT Should I Take?
Well, that’s your choice, my hypothetical buddy! A couple factors to consider, though.
If you’re applying to law school the same year you’re taking the LSAT, you should consider taking an earlier in the year, if possible. Law schools use rolling admissions, which means they start sending letters of acceptance to applicants as soon as the schools start receiving applications in September or October. So applying early in the application cycle can give you an advantage. And having to take a later LSAT—such as one in October or November—could prevent you from applying “early” in the cycle.
Keep in mind that law school deadlines can go into the spring. Taking the LSAT between October and January won’t bar you from submitting your application. Still, the sooner you can submit your completed application, the better!
However, your primary concern when selecting an LSAT date should be study time. You want to make sure the two to four (or perhaps even six) months before the LSAT you register for will afford you adequate study time.
Which brings us to the next question…
How Early Should I Start Preparing for the LSAT?
It really depends. Some people are able to do great on this test without much studying at all. Most, however, will take somewhere between two and four months to prepare. Some will have to take six months or more. It all depends on how much time you can dedicate to your studies and how big of a score increase you’re aiming for. So, no matter when you want to take the test, now is a great time to start studying.
How Should I Start Studying for the LSAT?
Start by taking a diagnostic LSAT exam. You don’t need to study beforehand. This is just to determine your baseline. Click here to get a free one (with personalized performance analytics) from us!
The score you get back from your diagnostic will probably be unflattering, but that’s OK. The whole point of studying for the LSAT is to improve that score.
Your diagnostic score can also help you build an LSAT study schedule. If you’re trying to improve only a few points before test day? That may only take one to two months. Trying to improve by around ten points? That may take as many as four months. Trying to make a massive score improvement? You’re looking at maybe five or six months.
The point is, the first practice exam will give you a realistic sense of how long studying for the LSAT will take, and you can plan your following months accordingly.
Find Out How Long It Will Take To Get to Your Goal LSAT Score
How Should I Study for the LSAT?
Without a doubt, you will need an LSAC LawHub account to access all official LSAT exams. That’s a non-negotiable no matter what other materials you use.
Beyond taking official practice LSAT exams, you’ll need to learn how to think like the LSAT. It will feel like learning an entirely new language.
Most students opt to use an LSAT prep course. Enrolling in a live LSAT class allows you to learn from LSAT experts and get support from other LSAT students.
Alternatively, you can go at your own pace in a Self-Paced Course to study whenever you can fit it in. Other students also learn best with a private LSAT tutor.
Ultimately, choosing your LSAT prep method comes down to your learning style and goals. We’ve created a free quiz to help you find the best LSAT course for you—check it out here!
We also host free LSAT classes where you can meet our instructors and experience the Blueprint method!
Further Reading
What Should I Know About the Specific Sections Before I Start Studying?
The good news is each LSAT tests, broadly speaking, the same core concepts. The advice given to test takers in 1991 could still help test takers now.
Logical Reasoning Tips
Arguments are the foundation of the Logical Reasoning Section. You’ll need to learn how to deconstruct arguments, understand their structure, and, identify why arguments are bad/flawed. Doing the latter will help you in all sorts of ways on this exam.
Whether you’re asked to strengthen an argument, weaken an argument, identify an assumption made by the argument, or simply relate why an argument is flawed, knowing what makes a bad argument is a crucial skill.
You’ll also need to learn how to make deductions—especially deductions based on conditional statements. This includes how to diagram conditional statements and what conditional keywords are.
Aside from those conditional relationships, causal relationships are the most common type of relationship on this exam. Being able to identify and understand cause and effect is another central skill.
Reading Comprehension Tips
For the Reading Comprehension Section, being able to look past the topics of the passage and understand how the authors are making and supporting their conclusions is the central skill you want to develop.
To do so, you’ll want to focus on discerning the author’s opinions, making solid notes on the function of each paragraph in the passage, and identifying common devices authors use to support their points.
Reading Comprehension as a whole has gotten more difficult in recent years. Brush up on some tips on how to deal with inevitably difficult passages about science, the law, and the arts.
OK, Those Are All My Questions!
Right on. We hope this guide eased some of your LSAT nerves. If you’re still not sure where to start, take the first step toward your goal LSAT score by creating a free Blueprint LSAT account!
