The Ultimate Guide to the LSAT for International Students

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By Shorelight Team
Last updated on February 29, 2024

If you want to become a lawyer or politician, you may be wondering what is the LSAT? Scoring high on this entrance exam is key to admission to top grad school programs in law and political science.

An attorney wearing a pinstriped suit stands with her back to the camera facing a jury in the background.

Planning on going to law school in the United States? Read on and learn everything you need to know about the LSAT!

What is the LSAT? The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized exam administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) that is required to apply to most law school graduate programs in the United States.

What does the LSAT measure? This half-day standardized test is designed to assess reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.

English comprehension factors heavily into success on the LSAT, too, so foreign students who are just starting to learn English should set aside extra prep time for language studies.

Here is everything you need to know about this popular grad school test. This includes how long does the LSAT take, how the LSAT score is calculated, and what is considered a good LSAT score. 

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October 2023 update

Along with the online version of the LSAT introduced by the LSAC, the standard in-person test can be taken at a Prometric testing center. The cost of the online LSAT is the same as the standard LSAT.

For the online and in-person LSAT, students have the option of choosing a time that works best for them from a list of preset options. It takes approximately three hours to take the exam. As of August 2021, LSAC included an additional unscored section to the online LSAT. The exam now consists of three 35-minute scored sections and one 35-minute unscored section — with a 10-minute intermission between the second and third sections.

Starting August 2024, LSAC will be making changes to the structure of the test. The analytical reasoning section of the LSAT will be removed and replaced with another logical reasoning section. The structure of the multiple-choice section for the 2024-2025 testing cycle will consist of two scored logical reasoning sections and one scored reading comprehension section, plus one unscored section of either logical reasoning or reading comprehension. Score ranges will not be affected and remain the same.

Your LSAT scores will be released on the specific date associated with your testing date. For more specifics, visit the LSAT website

If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to a Shorelight representative.

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What Is the LSAT? 

The LSAT General Test is a standardized law school admissions exam that covers reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and analytical writing. 

How Hard Is the LSAT? 

This grad school test requires students to analyze and evaluate written material, which is particularly important for international students who do not speak English as their first language. Since law school admissions in the United States are quite competitive, your score is important to the law school admissions process.

What Is the Structure of the LSAT? How Is It Scored?

More specifically, how many sections does the LSAT exam have? How many questions are on it? How is each section scored?

The LSAT comprises two parts: the first consists of three 35-minute scored sections and one unscored section of multiple-choice questions. The unscored section may cover reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, or logical reasoning. The second consists of one 35-minute LSAT writing sample which can be completed online at any time up to one year after your official test date.

The LSAT sections include: 

  • The logical reasoning section has 24-26 questions that involve dissecting and analyzing a short argument or set of facts to identify the main assumption, alternate conclusions, errors and omissions, similar arguments, and elements that strengthen or weaken the argument.

  • One 26-to 28-question reading comprehension section consisting of four 400–500-word passages with five to eight related questions each. Topics may include law, humanities, physical sciences, biological sciences, or social sciences, and require test takers to identify the main idea, specific information, inferences, and/or writing structure.

  • One 22-to 24-question analytical reasoning section, consisting of four logic games that require grouping, matching, and ordering elements, based on a premise and set of conditions and relationships between subjects that set the basis for conclusions based on the statements.  The answers are not straightforward and require the test takers to carefully analyze each question and select the right answer. Many consider this to be the LSAT’s most difficult section and the one where many test takers focus most of their practice.

  • The variable section is where administrators test new questions for future exams, and the results are not factored into the final score. But remember, there is no way to tell which section is the variable while taking the test.

  • Finally, the writing exam is completed separately, on the test taker’s own computer, using a secure proctoring software. Test takers have 35 minutes to read a decision prompt or problem, plus decision-making criteria, and then write an essay arguing for one of two options. The focus is on the writer’s ability to argue for the chosen standpoint and also against its opposition. This section is not scored, but a scan of the essay is sent along with the scaled numerical score to applicants’ prospective law schools.

How Long Is the LSAT? How Long Does It Take to Get Scores?

The standard in-person LSAT and the digital LSAT consist of four 35-minute sections in addition to a 10-minute interval — it takes about three hours to complete. Scores are typically received three to four weeks after the exam. You may need to have your LSAT writing sample on file to view your scores.

What Is a Good LSAT Score?

The raw scores from these sections are converted to a scaled score between 120 and 180, with a median score around 150. Depending upon the competitiveness of the program, a score that is above average is desired.

LSAT Logistics

When Is LSAT Registration? 

The exam is offered multiple times a year worldwide. You can find international LSAT test dates, designated testing centers, and register at lsac.org.  

How Much Does Taking the LSAT Cost?

Exam fees are $222. You can cancel a score up to six days after the exam. Note that while LSAC will not report this score, it still shows that the test was registered for and taken. 

How Many Times Can You Take the LSAT?

The LSAT may be taken up to five times in a single LSAC year, which goes from August to June, up to five times over five years, or up to seven times in a lifetime. Tests taken before September 2019 do not count toward these totals. Additionally, LSAT tests from May to August 2020 do not count under these limitations. Keep in mind that canceled scores will count towards the limit, whereas absences and withdrawals will not. All scores from the past five years are reported, and either your highest score or an average of your scores will be used, depending upon your potential law school’s policy. 

How to Study for the LSAT

PrepTests are LSAT’s official practice tests; these are a valuable resource on the types of questions that can appear on the test. Other reputable LSAT study guide test prep materials are available from Kaplan and The Princeton Review.

Remember that test scores are only one part of the admissions process, so do your best and good luck! 

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