All law schools require that you take the LSAT prior to admission. The LSAT is administered multiple times per year, and you should take the test early, preferably in the spring of your junior year or the summer after your junior year. Taking it early will give you more flexibility should you need a second attempt. We recommend talking with a pre-law advisor regarding your LSAT timeline.
You will register for the LSAT on the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website.
Questions about the LSAT
When should I take the LSAT?
We recommend only taking the test when you have thoroughly prepared for it.
In general, students tend to perform better after their junior year of college. However, if you are in the Pre-Law 3+3 Program, your timeline will be accelerated. Please consult with a Pre-Law advisor.
How long should I take to prepare?
Advice from LSAC:
Because every test taker is different, there is no single timeline that will be appropriate for everyone. Test preparation involves looking at a lot of LSAT questions to develop familiarity with the test and to hone one’s reasoning and reading skills. If you have a schedule that allows you to take on a large test-prep “workload,” you might be able to dramatically improve your score in as little as a month. But others may need significantly longer. We often recommend three months as a sort of baseline answer to this question, but you should look closely at your own circumstances when deciding when to begin studying for the LSAT.
How many times should I take the LSAT?
Prepare as if you are only going to take it once. If you think you can make an improvement to your score with additional preparation, you can take it a second time. We recommend consulting with your pre-law advisor regarding additional attempts at the LSAT.
What does it test, and how is it scored?
- The LSAT is administered in two parts. The first part consists of four 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. The test consists of two scored Logical Reasoning sections and one scored Reading Comprehension section, plus one unscored section of either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension. The second part of the LSAT consists of an unscored writing sample, known as LSAT Argumentative Writing.
- Raw scores are converted to a scaled score with a high of 180 and a low of 120.
How do I register?
Go to the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website to register and to find out the current fee.
Should I use an LSAT prep program?
It depends whether you feel it is necessary in your preparation for the test, as there is a cost associated with many programs. We generally recommend taking a free practice test on the LSAC website so you have a sense of your baseline score. Then you can consider options that you think will work best for you.