August is upon us, and that means it’s almost time for the August LSAT! Before we dive into some section-specific predictions, there are a couple of updates for the August 2023 test.

What’s Changing for the 2023 August LSAT?

First, you are now allowed to bring in six sheets of 8.5×11 paper (as opposed to five before August). Second, you can no longer use your computer to control or command + F to search for keywords. In its place, the test has a designated text search box tool you can use, which I’d highly recommend checking out on LawHub before test day. Finally—and likely the biggest change—you will now have the option to take the test remotely or at a testing center, but the format will remain the same and you will still take it on a computer.

What Will Be on the August LSAT?

Logical Reasoning

Logical reasoning has been relatively consistent on recent tests, and there are some patterns you can pretty much bank on going into test day. The first 10 questions will be relatively low difficulty, so I’d aim to get through them quickly and confidently, but make sure not to sacrifice those low-hanging points for harder questions later on.  

Many test-takers dread the parallel and parallel flaw questions on test day due to their length and the fact that they have six arguments to analyze, but you’ll almost definitely see one of each on test day (the LSAT has been pretty consistent on this front). If you know that these are particularly time-consuming, it might be a good call to save them until the end unless they appear in the first ten questions, in which case they are likely a bit easier.  

If you’re looking for question types to study before test day, I’d recommend the high prevalence questions such as flaw, strengthen, weaken, necessary, and soft must be true.  

Reading Comprehension

While there often seems like a lot to keep track of in reading comprehension, most passages really boil down to your big-picture understanding. This test will likely be no different — if you can describe the passage’s subject matter, the viewpoints on that subject matter, and the author’s opinions, you’re in good shape to tackle most of the questions.  

As a general rule, the more viewpoints there are, the more likely questions will be about identifying similarities and differences. This means that comparative question sets will almost exclusively focus on the similarities and differences between two passages, so try to describe their relationship before diving into the questions.  

Substantively, the LSAT has been relatively consistent in the types of passages it tests. I would expect one science passage, one social science passage, one legal passage, and an arts passage. While my approach doesn’t drastically change depending on the subject matter, certain patterns show up in each passage type. For example, science passages are often about a particular phenomenon and our evolving understanding of that phenomenon. 

Logic Games

For logic games, expect a couple of relatively straightforward games (usually the first two), a more challenging game, and then a game with a wrinkle or twist. With this in mind, you want to make sure to get through the first games quicker than the last couple, as they tend to be a bit easier and less time-consuming. A good baseline for how long you should spend on a game is the number of questions, as easier games tend to have fewer questions than harder games.  

On recent tests, the LSAT has embraced additional elements on tougher games that shake up the usual formula.  Perhaps the test will combine grouping and ordering elements, add additional characteristics to track in grouping games, or even throw in some elements from neither game.

If you see something that looks brand new, it’s probably an ordering or grouping relationship in disguise, so stay calm and try to bring it back to rules or relationships you’re more comfortable with. Remember that these tests are standardized and intend to be fair; part of that fairness comes from consistency! Call on your broader understanding of patterns, ordering, and grouping, and you’ll be equipped to tackle whatever the section throws at you!   

Final Thoughts

While the LSAT is a challenging and demanding test, it tends to be predictable. Use this to your advantage! With this last week of studying, focus on reviewing historically and commonly tested strategies and question types in each of the sections. If you get stuck on test day,  try to call upon your knowledge of similar past questions to guide your response. Most importantly, though, your last week should be about resting up and taking care of all the logistics, so you can focus on acing the LSAT on test day!