LSAT Exam

Building a strong career in law is a dream for many but accomplished by some. If you are someone who stands for justice, wins arguments and loves to accumulate knowledge, then you are the right person to pursue Law. Lawyers are revered as the torchbearers of justice and truth. Donning black suits, they exude an aura that would make anyone fall for it. While several law schools around the globe offer intensive degrees in this field, pursuing it from top schools adds to its appeal. A bachelor’s degree like LLB is a prerequisite to practice law. Political System, Introductory Economics, Preliminary Psychology, Basic Sociology, etc are some of the BA LLB subjects which give you a birds-eye view of the Judiciary, Legislature, and human behaviour. To get admission to a law school, the LSAT exam is imperative. It is an aptitude test to evaluate a candidate on various parameters to ensure that highly skilled and dedicated applicants are chosen for the course. 

Name	LSAT
Exam Mode	Online
Exam Duration	2 hours & 20 mins
Time Per Section	35 mins for each section
Test Language	English
Types of Questions	Objective
Sections	Four sections based on three subjects
Question Per Section	23-24
Total Questions	92 MCQs
Total Marks	On a scale of 420-480

LSAT Overview

Law School Admission Test is an entrance exam required for taking admission to law schools. The test is conducted by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and is valid all over the world. Besides the marks obtained in the class 12th class examination, the LSAT score is a prerequisite to pursue an LLB degree. The test consists of 99-102 multiple-choice questions which are scored on a scale of 120-180 points. Further, the exam has to be completed in 3 hours and 30 minutes. 

Also Read: Environmental Law

LSAT vs GRE

While LSAT is accepted at all the Law schools in the US and other countries, GRE, on the other hand, is recognized only by some. They are different in their goals. The law admission test is used for securing admission to Law schools, GRE can help you get into business schools, engineering, and medical schools also. Some of the key differences between the two exams have been tabulated below:

Criteria	LSAT	GRE
Fields Covered	Law	Law, Business, Engineering
Acceptance in Law Schools	All	Comparatively lesser
Medium	Paper Based	Computer-Based
Analytical Reasoning	Separate Section/ Scored	Separate Section/ Scored
Reading Comprehension	Separate Section/ Scored	Separate Section and Scored
Logical Reasoning	Separate Section/ Scored	A subset of Reading Comprehension
Writing	Supplementary-Unscored	Separate Section-Scored
Vocabulary	Not Required	Required
Maths	Not Required	Required
Exam Frequency	Six times a year	Throughout the year

What Does the LSAT Exam Consist of?

The exam is aimed at testing your skills based on three parameters namely, Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. Each section has a set of questions and an allotted time limit. Let’s have a look at LSAT Syllabus in detail.

• Analytical Reasoning

The primary objective of this section is to assess your ability to study a given text and answer the questions using deductive reasoning in the allotted time of 35 minutes. A set of conditions is given in the passage and you are required to answer the questions based on the available data. Since the candidates come from different fields, the questions asked in the section are not related to the Law. Further, The questions asked comprise ordering or grouping relationships or a combination of both. Grouping, distribution, seating arrangement questions, etc are some of the topics from where questions are generally framed.  You can also go through the sample questions from this section on LSAC’s official website.

• Logical Reasoning

This section comprises short data passages with several arguments and situations which you are required to analyze. After reading the passage, you are required to draw well-supported conclusions, identify flaws in arguments, and reason by analogy. To answer a question efficiently, you need to identify the various components of the argument and approach them one by one. This section constitutes an important portion of the LSAT examination as arguments are fundamental to Law. The section comprises 24-26 questions that are to be completed in 35 minutes. The questions are designed to test a wide range of skills like critical thinking and legal reasoning. 

• Reading Comprehension

Law schools, as well as the legal profession, require extensive reading of lengthy texts which include case files, evidence, judgments, lawsuits, wills, etc. As a lawyer, you are likely to encounter densely written texts from a variety of sources and of varying nature which require you to have strong comprehension skills to make apt inferences. The language of legal documents appears ambiguous to an ordinary citizen but as a legal professional, you are expected to understand and make conclusions from that text. LSAT’s Reading Comprehension section is thus aimed at checking your reading comprehension through four sets of reading questions. Each set consists of a text which is followed by 5-8 questions. While three sets have a single passage, the last part comprises two short passages that form the Comparative Reading. In this, around 27 questions are asked which have to be completed in the allotted time of 35 minutes. 

• Writing Sample (Unscored)

This part of the LSAT exam is unscored and additional. Many Law Schools require you to submit a writing sample to consider the completion of the exam. The test can be taken online on the LSAC’s official website using the webcam where you will be given 35 minutes to write the essay on the query presented to you. No score or marks are attached to the test but many Law Schools evaluate your profile based on the writing sample. 

Must Read: LSAT Syllabus

Registration and Eligibility for LSAT

As such, there are no eligibility criteria mentioned on the official website however, going through the requirements mentioned by the law school you are applying to is advised. The candidate can register online on the official website of LSAC. The application fee for the exam is USD 200 which is around 14,400 INR. It is advised to read the guidelines carefully before applying.

Sections	Basic Fees and Packages in 2019-2020
LSAT (includes LSAT Writing)	₹14,400
Credential Assembly Service (CAS)	₹14,000
Law School Report	₹ 3,300
Single-Report Package: LSAT (includes LSAT Writing), CAS, 1 Law School Report	₹30,900
Six-Report Package: LSAT (includes LSAT Writing), CAS, 6 Law School Reports	₹46,700
Standalone LSAT Writing	₹1,100

*Source: official website for LSAT, lsac.org

The steps to apply for LSAT India 2023 are as follows:

• To register, click on the application link. To complete the application form, enter your name, email id, mobile number, pin code, and academic details.
• Fill out your personal information, communication details, course preference (8 choices allowed), colleges where you want to apply, and exam centres. Note that a maximum of 3 centres can be selected in the order of priority.
• Upload documents like the photograph and signature must be uploaded as per the prescribed specifications.
• Pay the application fee can be paid online mode using credit or debit cards, or net banking.

LSAT 2023 Exam Date

Here are the LSAT 2023 Exam Dates as given on the official website:

Events	Dates 2023 (Announced)
LSAT Jan Session	LSAT June Session
The online Application process start	10th November 2022	10th November 2022
Registration close	11th January 2023	26th May 2023
Test Scheduling/ Admit card availability	12th December till 16th January 2023	17th April till 29th May 2023
LSAT India System Readiness check	18th December till 18th January 2023	20th April till 5th June 2023
Exam Date	22nd January 2023	8th to 11th June 2023
Scorecard	–	–

Exam Location, Validity, and Attempts

LSAT is conducted four times a year-June, Sept/Oct, December, and February. In India, the test is conducted at the following locations:

• Bengaluru
• Hyderabad
• Gurugram
• Pune

To check the dates and deadlines, you can visit the official website here.

Validity 

Like any other exam, LSAT has a limited validity period. The LSAC keeps your records for 5 years. If you take multiple tests during 5 years, LSAC will provide you with the average score and the score for individual tests also. Within 5 years of taking the test, you are required to get admission to a law school.

Attempts

If you are wondering how many test attempts you can take, then you must understand that LSAC allows candidates to take the test 3 times a year. But over 5 years, you cannot give more than 5 attempts. During your lifetime, you can appear 7 times for the test. 

Books to Prepare for LSAT India 2022

Following are the reference books for preparation: 

Book for LSAT India Preparation	Author Name
Legal Awareness and Legal Reasoning for the CLAT and LLB Entrance Examinations	A.P Bhardwaj
Legal Aptitude for the CLAT and other Law Entrance Examinations: A Workbook	A.P Bhardwaj
Thinking Like a Lawyer: A new tradition to Legal Reasoning	Frederick Schauer
Superprep Book for LSAT India	Pearson VUE

LSAT Exam Sample Test 2022

LSAT Scoring 

The test score can be very crucial while seeking admission to top Law schools. Since it is hard for evaluators to process your admission based on GPA or percentile due to the varying scoring systems in different countries, they largely rely on your LSAT score. The score is measured on a scale of 120-180 where 120 is the lowest possible score and 180, is the highest. 152 is considered the average score but the admission solely depends on the minimum score set by the respective Law school you are applying to. After the test, the score is sent to your email and not disclosed to anyone but your Law school. 

Subject-Wise Preparation Tips for LSAT Exam 2022

Candidates can go through the following tips for each section of the exam: 

Reading Comprehension

• Read books, novels, and blogs to increase the speed
• Know the correct meaning of sentences
• Enhance your vocabulary through various mediums like podcasts, videos, word games
• Manage time in passage-based questions

Logical Reasoning 

• Understand the questions for reaching conclusions
• Improve vocabulary
• Learn tricks to solve questions based on patterns, arrangements, and sequencing 

Analytical Reasoning 

• Mental calculations are a must to be quick in data analysis
• Identification of the question
• Practice more and more mock tests

Must Read: LNAT vs LSAT: Which Better for Studying Law Abroad?

Top Law Schools Under LSAT Exam

While most of the law schools offer admissions based on the LSAT, the students who have scored above 150 are likely to get admission to good law schools. However, to secure a seat in some of the prestigious universities like Stanford, Yale, and Harvard, you are required to score 170 or above. Given below is the list of top law schools and their accepted scores:

Law School	Country	LSAT Score	QS Ranking 2022
Harvard University	US	170-175	5
University of Oxford	UK	Not Required UCAS/LNAT Preferred	2
University of Cambridge	UK	Not Required	3
Yale University	US	170-176	14
Stanford University	US	169-174	3
The University of Melbourne	Australia	150+	37
LSE	UK	Not RequiredLNAT Preferred	49
University of California— Berkeley	US	165-170	32
Columbia University	US	170-174	19
New York University	US	167-172	42

Countries that Accept the LSAT Exam

While the law schools in the US affiliated with the American Bar Association (ABA) have made it mandatory for students to qualify LSAT to seek admission, the UK does not recognize the test and has its national exams. Further, top law schools across Australia also require admission test scores. Canada has also recently started admitting students based on the scores of this exam. Here is the list of some of the Law colleges in Canada that accept the exam:

• University of Alberta
• Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
• Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, Lakehead University
• University of Calgary
• Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
• University of Manitoba
• McGill University
• University of New Brunswick
• Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
• University of Ottawa
• Queen’s University
• Ryerson University
• University of Saskatchewan
• Thompson Rivers University
• University of Toronto
• Western University
• University of Windsor

LSAT Exam in India

To be at par with the rest of the world in terms of imparting quality education, the Law colleges in India have also adopted the test to offer admissions. But the test pattern in India varies slightly. The scores are measured on a percentile basis and the duration is comparatively lesser than the test held in the US and Canada. Besides, the LSAT-India is valid in India only and is administered by Pearson VUE. Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata are some of the 24 locations where the test is conducted. The registration process is completed online on the official website of Pearson by paying a registration fee of 3,800 INR. Given below are the details of the test contents in India:

Section Type	Number of Questions	Duration
Analytical Reasoning	23	35 minutes
Logical Reasoning (1)	22	35 minutes
Logical Reasoning (2)	23	35 minutes
Reading Comprehension	24	35 minutes
Variable	~23	35 minutes
	~115 Total	2 hours and 55 minutes Total

Some of the colleges in India that accept the LSAT exam and score to grant admission are: 

• Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat
• The ICFAI University
• ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad
• Alliance School of Law, Bangalore
• SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Sonepat
• Auro University School of Law
• Azim Premji University
• College of Legal Studies (UPES)
• JSS Law College
• NCU Law School     
• School of Law, Sharda university
• IIMT – Greater Noida
• BMS College of Law
• Lovely Professional University
• Asian Law College (ALC)

FAQs

Yes, if the deadline has not passed, you can change the test date on the official website of LSAT. However, you may have to submit a test date change form which is available to download from their website. 

LSAT is your golden ticket to entering your dream law school. Be it the US, Canada or Australia, the test is the first prerequisite for applying to universities for studying Law. For complete guidance on the application process, scores and admission to top law schools, you can reach out to our career experts at Leverage Edu who will guide you at every step throughout the admission process.