How the LSAT works

The LSAT, as you probably know, is the required entrance exam for most U.S. law schools. It is administered by the LSAC (Law School Admissions Council) four times each year. You can take it at a location in your neighborhood, which will most likely be a college or university. If you took the SAT to get into college, then you should have a good idea about what to expect from the LSAT. The format and questions are slightly different, but the concept is the same. It's a timed, standard test to determine where individuals stand in comparison to their peers.
The exam has five multiple choice sections and one writing sample. Two of the multiple choice sections involve analyzing arguments (critical reasoning). You will get a three to five sentence argument and, based on that you must answer one question. The number of questions in each section varies, but is usually about 25. You'll also get a reading comprehension section, which is similar to the reading comprehension given in the SAT. Here you will need to read a longer, four to five paragraph (400-500 word) article and then answer a series of five to eight questions based on that article. There will be four separate articles within this section that you will need to read and respond to. The last multiple choice section of the exam consists of a logic or "games" section. Many people consider this to be the hardest section. You will be given a set of rules and then be questioned based on those rules. The questions themselves may or may not add rules and specifications, but you will have to respond based on the parameters that have been set up.
These sections will not come in any specific order, so the person sitting next to you in the exam room may, and likely will, have a different format than you. There will, however, always be two argument sections, one reading comprehension section, and one logic section. There will also be a fifth, experimental section on every test that is also one of these categories. You will be able to tell which type of section is experimental when you are taking the exam (for example if you get two reading comprehension sections you know that one must be experimental), but not which of that type is the experimental one. This allows the test makers to determine how that experimental section stands up to the general public of test takers (i.e. whether it's too easy, hard, etc.). You may also be unaware until you open that last section which is experimental because you must take each section of the test one at a time, and thus will not know what the next section will be until you have completed the section before it.
Once you complete all five multiple choice sections, you will be given a statement that will allow you to argue in two separate and opposite ways. You must choose which side you want to take, and then construct an argument and write it down within a certain amount of space. This is also timed (30 minutes) and allows anyone looking at your scores to see your thought process and determine how well you can, first and foremost, write; then how you not only back up the argument you are promoting, but how well you can nullify the opposing argument as well. This section does not factor in to your actual LSAT score because that would make the exam subjective. However, your written response will accompany your LSAT scores to the law schools that you eventually apply to, so it is important to write and argue competently, which can be difficult after sitting through four hours of multiple choice questions.
The test will, on average, take between four and five hours, with short breaks in between each section. Once you have completed a section, you may not return to it, which means that even if you finish one of the argument sections early you cannot return to the logic section you had previously in order to spend more time there. It is a long day and one that you should, and likely will, spend months preparing for. Many students will take a test preparation class that explains the test and goes over the different types of questions that are usually asked. Although the actual questions will never be the same, there is a format that the LSAC follows strictly as to how the questions are asked. An LSAT class will help you work this format out and understand how the test is written; it will also give you the opportunity to practice taking the test and then to ask questions about anything that may confuse you. If you choose not to take a class, buying a book with full length exams is a must. It is vital that you practice, practice, practice before the day of the actual test because that way nothing will come as a surprise.

*Keep in mind that there are accredited online programs available (some of which are affiliated with this site) that do not require that their students take the LSAT. These programs will typically have a short introduction course that assesses you and ensures that you are qualified and will be able to complete the program, which serves the purpose of the LSAT.

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