LSAT (Law School Admission Test) Information

About the LSAT
Information provided by Kaplan Test Prep

The LSAT^* is, among other things, an endurance test. It consists of 175 minutes of multiple-choice testing, plus a 30-minute writing sample. Add in the administrative details at both ends of the testing experience, plus a break of 10-15 minutes midway through, and you can count on being in the test room for at least four and a half to five hours.

The Breakdown
The LSAT consists of five multiple choice sections:

2 Logical Reasoning
1 Logic Games
1 Reading Comprehension
1 Experimental Section
In addition, there is a Writing Sample section in which you'll have to compose a short essay.

Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning questions evaluate your ability to understand, analyze, criticize, and complete arguments. The arguments are contained in short passages taken from a variety of sources, including letters to the editor, speeches, advertisements, newspaper articles and editorials, informal discussions and conversations, as well as articles in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.

Each logical reasoning question requires you to read and comprehend the argument of the reasoning contained in the passage and to answer one or two questions about it.

See sample Logical Reasoning Questions

Logic Games
Logic games are designed to measure your ability to understand a structure of relationships and to draw conclusions from it. You will be asked to make deductions from a set of statements, rules, or conditions that describe relationships among entities such as persons, places, things, or events. These questions simulate the kinds of detailed analyses of relationships that law students must perform in solving legal problems.

See sample Logic Games Questions

Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension questions measure your ability to read examples of lengthy and complex materials with understanding and insight. These questions require you to read carefully and accurately to determine the relationships among the various parts of the passage and to draw reasonable inferences from the material.

This section contains four passages, each approximately 450 words in length, followed by 5-8 questions that test your reading and reasoning abilities. Topics are drawn from a variety of subjects, including the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, ethics, philosophy, and the law.

See sample Reading Comprehension Questions

Writing Sample
You will be given thirty minutes to complete a brief writing exercise. Although this exercise is not scored, it is used by law school admissions officers to assess your writing skill. Read the topic carefully and spend a few minutes considering it and organizing your thoughts before you begin writing.

There is no right or wrong position on the writing sample topic and no special knowledge is required or expected. Law schools are primarily interested in how skillfully you support the position you take and how clearly you express that position.

See a sample Writing Sample Topic

Experimental Section
The experimental section allows Law Services to test questions for use on future tests. This unscored section will probably look exactly like one of the others; so don't waste time trying to identify it. Just do as well as you can on every section, and you're covered.

More: LSAT Question of the Month

More Information
Learn more about law school admissions at www.kaptest.com/law.
Learn about Kaplan's LSAT programs at www.kaptest.com/lsat.
Enroll in a Kaplan course at www.kaptest.com/enroll.