What Is The LSAT?

So you want to become a lawyer? Well, they've got a little test for you called the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). This aptitude test, or intelligence test, is created to challenge your ability as a potential law school student. Basically, the LSAT test will assess, in relation to every other law school applicant, how well you can handle difficult or complex law-related material. One cool thing is law schools average all your scores, so it's a good idea to take the five-part LSAT exam more than once - the law of averages.

The first section of the LSAT exam may be the most important as it accounts for half of your total LSAT score. This "Logical Reasoning" section includes multiple-choice questions that gauge your ability to analyze or evaluate different arguments or stimuli. Potential applicants who take a LSAT preparation exam, or practice test, tend to score much higher on this part than those who do not. This part of the aptitude test is a real measure of an applicant's ability to understand, evaluate, and manipulate argument - to be a lawyer, basically. Test takers will have 35 minutes each for two, 25-question sections of "Logical."

The second part of the LSAT is called "Analytical Reasoning" and includes 25 logic games that you'll have 35 minutes to complete. This gauges an ability to follow rules, draw conclusions, and apply reasoning to complex questions.

Part three of this intelligence test is the "Reading Comprehension" section, also known as the how-well-do-you-read part. Students read four short passages, then answer 5 to 8 questions on each passage. If you're a good reader, this section shouldn't pose any problems, and is usually considered the easiest.

The fourth section - though not included in your LSAT score - is the "Experimental Section." It is used by the creators of the LSAT exam to try out potential questions for future LSAT test takers and includes 25 questions that should be easily completed within the 35-minute time limit.

The fifth and final part is the "Writing Section", which should be taken with as much attention as the "Logical Reasoning" section. Though this is not necessarily "included" in your LSAT score, the law school receives your answers and can use them to make a final decision on your abilities if they think you're on the borderline. A decision and argument theme works here, with the two parts weighted to measure your ability to, well, make a lawyer-like written argument.

So, still want to be a law-school scholar? There are usually several dates to choose from for taking the LSAT exam, that way you can have an opportunity to score well. A word of advice, as every good lawyer trying a case knows, the way to success is planning and preparation. Take an LSAT prep course and give yourself a good shot at improving your LSAT score. LSAT preparation is just smart, and most lawyers will tell you - nobody preps to fail, they fail to prep.