Every year, thousands of Canadians make the decision to pursue a career in law, which begins by first getting into a law school. A large proponent of the admission process is the Law School Admission Test, commonly referred to as the LSAT.

The LSAT is administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). It is a standardized test required for admission to over 220 LSAC member law schools located in Canada, the United States, Australia and a growing number of other countries worldwide. The LSAT does not actually test your knowledge of law. Instead, it measures whether you think like a future lawyer. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and reasoning skills that law schools can use in assessing applicants. The LSAT is the single most important variable in a student’s law school application. The score scale for the LSAT is 120 to 180.

The LSAT is administered in two parts.

1st Part: Multiple-Choice Exam

The first part consists of four 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. There are three different question types:

1. Two scored logical reasoning sections: This section tests your ability to dissect arguments and think critically.
2. One scored reading comprehension section: Think of yourself reading a complex contract or legal brief under time pressure. You need to understand not just what it says, but what it means and implies. This section simulates that real-world skill, and
3. One unscored section of either logical reasoning or reading comprehension.

The last section is used to pre-test new test questions and pre-equate new test forms and is not included in the final LSAT score.

Online, Live, Remote-Proctored LSAT: the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT is available for students to take either at home, in an online, live, remote-proctored environment, or in person at a Prometric digital testing centre. Visit LSAC.org or more information.

2nd Part: LSAT Argumentative Writing

As of July 30, 2024, LSAT Argumentative Writing replaced LSAT Writing. This second part of the LSAT lasts 50 minutes and is administered exclusively in an online proctored, on-demand environment using secure proctoring software that is installed on the test taker’s computer.

LSAT Argumentative Writing presents the student with a debatable issue, and they must then draft an argumentative essay in which they take a position on the issue. The primary purpose of the LSAT writing sample is to assess a candidate’s ability to formulate a clear, logical, and well-organized argument in writing; there is no “right” or “wrong” position.

The writing sample is not scored but a copy is sent to all law schools to which you apply. For more information, visit LSAT Argumentative Writing.

After the LSAT

After you’ve successfully passed the law school admission test, the next step is getting your scores to law schools.

Through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service, your scores automatically reach your target schools. Canadian schools typically consider your highest score, which means retaking to target a higher and more competitive score will increase your chances.

Retaking the LSAT

Improving one’s LSAT score becomes vital because the LSAT score influences three critical decisions:

• If your application will be reviewed (Initial screening)
• How do you compare to other candidates (Comparative assessment)
• If you will receive scholarship money? (Financial aid decisions)

To be sure you need to retake the LSAT, consider these factors:

• Did your score match your practice test average?
• Does it fall within your target schools’ competitive ranges?
• Did test-day issues affect your performance?

For more information, view other LSAT topics or visit LSAC.org

								
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