What is the LSAT Test?

If you have, plans to attend law school, you first have to take the Law School Admissions Test or LSAT. Administered in various communities throughout the world, the standardized test takes several hours to complete. So what exactly is the LSAT test? The test measures your reading skills. It also looks at your verbal reasoning skills, as they would relate to information taught in law school.

The test takes a little over three hours, including a writing test to get a sample of your writing ability. Organized in five segments, each segment is 35 minutes long. All of the questions are multiple choice except for the last section, which is a writing sample. The test is broken down into reading, logic, two analytical reasoning sections, and a writing section. Each section has 24 to 28 questions.

The average score of the LSAT is 150. The test will score from a low of 120 to a high of 180. These scores give your school an idea of how you think and what your writing skills are for entry into law school. Even though you take a writing test, there is no score for that section of the test. The writing section goes along for inclusion only as a reference to your writing ability. Each law school sets its average score for admissions, which is only part of the admissions process. It is best to research score admissions for the school you are interested in attending to get accurate information.

Administering the LSAT test four times a year allows the student the opportunity to retest if necessary to raise his or her score. Reviewing test scores allows schools to compare your scores to other students to get an idea of how well you may do in their program. Several test-prep programs will assist you in preparing for this test. They practice the test’s format and give you a better understanding of what the questions are asking you.

Getting into law school is a very competitive process. The LSAT is only part of the process, but it is a large part because the score is your first introduction to the various schools. The LSAT scores, along with your resume, biography, and transcripts make up your law school portfolio. This portfolio is used when you are applying to the various schools around the world. You will have a heads up concerning which schools to attend by noting what their admission scores are prior to applying. Keep in mind that you can always work at increasing your score for a higher advantage in getting into the law school you desire.