Before you start pursuing a career in law, you will need to understand what lawyers do and determine strongly to give it all it would take for a successful pursuit. Once that is settled, preparing for the LSAT is the next line of action.
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a regulated test controlled by the LSAC. While some law schools accept other standardized tests like the GMAT and GRE, the LSAT remains the most acceptable test by all the law schools authorized by the American Bar Association.
This article entails everything you need to know about the LSAT including what the test does, how long it takes, and the LSAT score range.
What Does the LSAT Test Do?
The LSAT is an objective and skill-based test that measures your readiness for law school.
Research has shown that the LSAT has over the years proven to be capable of predicting the first-year performance of aspirants in law school.
Therefore, the exam primarily evaluates your reading and comprehension skills, analytical and logical reasoning abilities, and writing skills, which are the major skills you will need to survive and succeed in law school. Get yourself familiar with the LSAT sections and structure and know what each area entails.
In the process of preparing and sitting for this exam, aspiring law students are also able to genuinely determine if they're making the right choice of pursuing law as a career.
What is the Difference Between SAT and LSAT?
The difference between the LSAT and SAT is that the former is a requirement for law school admissions, and the latter is for college admissions.
While both have strict timing, the LSAT is still considered tougher. They also differ in content and testing areas.
How Long is the LSAT?
Time is taken seriously in the LSAT because each section comes with a lot of materials to read and process. Think of an approximately 3-hour exam with 35 minutes for each multiple-choice section and a 10-minute break at the end of the second section.
Meanwhile, there are three multiple-choice sections in the LSAT with each having up to 25 questions.
The fourth section which is the LSAT writing sample is not multiple choice. However, you will also be given 35 minutes to complete your writing task, but on a different day.
LSAT Score Range
As you look forward to taking the LSAT, the mindful of the fact that the LSAT scoring system is not as straight-forward as other exam scores. Therefore, one incorrect response does not mean that one point is reduced from your final score. Let’s examine some of the terms associated with the LSAT scoring system:
Raw Score:
This is used to refer to the total number of questions you got correctly in your LSAT exam. For instance, you answered 50 questions correctly out of 76 questions, your raw score here is 50.
Scaled Score:
The scaled score is a converted raw score and it ranges from 120-180. Therefore, whatever your raw score is will be converted with a mathematical formula to give you your scaled score which is what law schools use when considering your application.
Percentile Score:
A percentile score is primarily used to compare your score with every other candidate who took the same exam.
Researching the average scores of the institutions you are applying to is usually a good idea when setting an LSAT score goal. The mean LSAT score is about 153, and because of the narrow range of scores, even a little performance improvement can have a significant impact on your score. This implies in certain cases, just a point rise in your score might elevate your percentile ranking by up to five points.
Are LSAT Sections that Hard?
Saying that the LSAT isn't hard wouldn't be an accurate answer to this question. The LSAT is a quite difficult test, and one of the reasons is that the LSAT is not content-based. Instead, it tests certain skills that are not taught as core subjects in colleges or other undergrad programs.
Therefore, succeeding in the LSAT requires lots of preparation which may be time-consuming. The majority of students do not find it easy to pass the test with a short-time LSAT preparation.
However, with the right LSAT tutor, patience, and hard work, you will hit your target score faster. You can prepare or get a personalized LSAT study guide or register for an LSAT training.
Moreover, the skills are learnable and you don't have to be an “extraordinary” student to attain your desired scaled score.
For instance, you can go wrong with about 12-13 questions and still have a 166 scaled score.
How Much Does the LSAT Cost?
The standard fee for the LSAT exam price is $222. However, there are other fees you should be aware of:
The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) subscription: This fee is used to aid the processes of gathering, authenticating, and dispersing your application materials during the law school admissions process. It cost $200
LSAT Score Audit Fee: The LSAT score audit fee costs $150. It is required if you want a reassessment of your LSAT scores.
The Date Change Fee: As the name implies, there's room for changing your LSAT test date. Changing it before the deadline set by the test admin. registration elapses is free, but a sum of $135 will be required ten days after the deadline. $222 is the sum of the LSAT test date change after the 10 days.
Conclusion
Convinced that law school is the right path for you? Then the LSAT is your portal. This standardized test isn't just about memorizing facts – it's about assessing the core skills you'll need to thrive in law school. From comprehending complex legal passages to analyzing arguments and crafting persuasive writing, the LSAT evaluates your readiness for the thoroughness of legal education.
The encouraging part is that With dedication and strategic preparation, you can develop the competencies to conquer these learnable skills you need to succeed in the LSAT. Remember, hard work is key. The LSAT might be tough, but it's preferable.
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