The LSAT
The LSAT is one of the most difficult and lengthy of all college and university entrance examinations. Your LSAT test day can be an exhausting five hours, depending on break times and other scheduling matters. The test is broken down into a question period lasting 175 minutes total (five sections of 35 minutes) plus a 30 minute writing sample. That's a total of 3 hours and 25 minutes.
All law schools in the United States and the majority of law schools in Canada require you to take an LSAT. Doing well on the LSAT is absolutely critical; law schools find a strong correlation between LSAT scores and first year student performance. Many law schools have more consideration for LSAT scores than your GPA or any other measure.
The LSAT does not evaluate specific knowledge, but preparation is absolutely necessary.
The LSAT evaluates your critical reading and analytical skills. No one does well on the LSAT without lots of preparation. On the other hand, preparation that follows the right formula is quite feasible: the basic content of the test is the same as it has always been.
LSAT Scoring
The LSAT scores from 120 to 180. Your LSAT score also renders a percentile ranking, showing how your score compares to the entire pool of applicants. For most schools, a score between 150 and 160 will be acceptable for admission to the program. More prestigious law schools and universities may require higher scores, of course.
Getting the LSAT score that gets you in
You can find out the statistics for accepted applicants for any school in which you are interested. Your goal is to better those scores, of course. Be aware that the entrance sores will vary from one year to the next. You can never do too well or be too well prepared for your LSAT.
You might also find out and bear in mind the way each school handles scores once they receive them. Some schools will average LSAT scores from more than one test, while others might only take your highest score. The best advice anyone can give you is:
- study hard
- Fully exploit all preparation possibilities
- take the test once and do your very best the first time.
You can fully explore LSAT preparation by clicking on links nearby.
You can also find out more about online law degrees and more about lawyers.
