August is upon us, and that means it is time for another LSAT! The August LSAT kicks off the new testing year with a significant milestone. This year, it stands out as one of the largest August LSAT administrations in recent history, with over 33,000 registrants! So what can you expect to see on the LSAT? Let’s dive in.
What Will Be on the 2025 August LSAT?
Logical Reasoning
The majority of Logical Reasoning questions will center around incomplete or flawed arguments. You’ll be tasked with identifying, replicating, or operating on those flaws. For these questions, the right answer will pretty much always center on the assumptions or gaps in the logic of the argument. Make sure you are focused on why the support isn’t enough to guarantee the conclusion. Gravitate away from answers that seem focused only on the premises or conclusions in isolation. The nice thing about Logical Reasoning questions is that you’ll know they are flawed by the prompt (flaw, parallel flaw, strengthen, weaken, sufficient, necessary, & crux), so make sure you have a handle on argument flaws before going into the answers.
You can also expect the Logical Reasoning Section on the August LSAT to get increasingly difficult as it goes, with spikes in difficulty happening around question 11 and question 16. Generally speaking, the later in the section a question is, the more likely there are subtle equivocations or traps in wrong answers that make otherwise correct answers incorrect.
Keep in mind that an answer is only as good as its worst or least supported elements. So, slow down a bit on these questions and make sure you are being a bit more open-minded to answers that perform the function you are looking for in an unexpected way. A good rule is to only eliminate answers if you can point to what is indisputably wrong with them. Try not to focus on subjective judgment calls that could go either way.
More LSAT Help
🧠 An Introduction to the LSAT Logical Reasoning Section
📝 If You’re Studying for the LSAT, Memorize This List of Vocabulary Terms
Reading Comprehension
Despite Reading Comprehension questions being purportedly focused on comprehending the details within a passage, you can expect most questions to be on viewpoints and how the structure of the passage is set up to express and support those viewpoints. While comprehending supporting details can be helpful, most questions will focus on why they are there, not what they are saying in an absolute sense.
On the August LSAT, you can generally expect:
- A main point question
- At least one viewpoint question
- At least one author attitude question
- And one organization/role question
- You can often expect a primary purpose question as well
These will all focus on the overall purpose of the passage, how the viewpoints weigh in on the issue at hand, and how the paragraphs fit into the broader structural context. While there will often be one or two inference/specific reference questions that focus more on detail, you still want to think about the scope of the passage (and its paragraphs) and whether those details make sense in the context of the passage.
You can also expect a mix of subject matters for the passages. It’s important to remember that the LSAT test-makers (i.e. the Law School Admissions Council) don’t expect you to know anything about those particular topics. They aren’t really testing your ability to comprehend complex science or technical art details. They are focused on your ability to use context clues to describe how the sentences fit together to make up each paragraph and how each paragraph fits together to make up the passage. Think of these as long-form arguments where your job is to identify the support structure, the main point, and the author’s stance on each argument expressed.
More LSAT Help
🎨 Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About the Arts
⚖️ Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About the Law
🧬 Getting Through Brutally Difficult Reading Comp Passages About Science
Final Thoughts
2025 August LSAT registrations are up nearly 50% from last year. Despite this jump in test-takers, it’s important to remember that the curve for the test has already been set in stone. It reflects how past test-takers performed on those questions when presented in experimental sections during past LSAT exams. What this means for you is that you aren’t actually directly competing against this batch of students. It also means that if you encounter a particularly challenging question or passage, it likely will come with a slightly more generous curve. You’ll be able to get more wrong than on an easier test and get the same score.
Focus on tackling as many easier questions first and don’t let those particularly challenging ones hurt your performance on those easier ones. No one question will make or break your score unless you let it impact your performance or timing.
Try to stay focused on giving yourself the best chance at the most points, instead of getting any one question right. If you find yourself stuck, take an educated guess and move on. Most importantly, trust your instincts, as they may be picking up on something subconsciously that might be tough to explain in the moment.
P.S. Decided to reschedule your August LSAT? Or simply getting familiar with the LSAT before your test date later this year? We can help maximize your prep time!
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