Only the LSAT?

Exams being used for entry to law school have been around since the 1920s, and the LSAT was introduced as a pilot in 1948 by Columbia, Harvard, and Yale to professionalize law school admissions through a standardized, skills-based exam. Over time, it evolved in format—moving to digital in 2019 and eliminating logic games in 2024. In recent years, the GRE emerged as an accepted alternative, with the ABA officially allowing its use by law schools in 2021. JD‑Next, launched in 2019, offers an eight-week course and exam aimed at reducing score disparities and expanding access; by 2025, over 50 schools had ABA approval to accept it. Looking ahead, the LSAT remains the default, but law schools now operate in a more flexible world that includes the GRE, JD‑Next, and even a test-optional pathway was cleared by the ABA for Fall 2025. Stay tuned because it is unknown how changes in the LSAT itself, a shifting legal market given the economic times, and multiple pathways for admission will play out.

What is the LSAT?

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test that is meant to gauge your critical and analytical thinking skills. It is not a content-based test: you don't need to know dates, names, or vocabulary terms. However, it helps if you have a broad general vocabulary so that you can understand the reading portions of the test.

For those of you unfamiliar with the LSAT, you should begin here, and work your way through the different sections. Material is updated frequently, so regularly check information as you are going through the application process beginning in your Junior year. Keep mental note on the dates for registration and follow those closely.

The LSAT currently allows for two modalities-in-person at a testing center or remotely (with requirements for academic integrity). The LSAT was also altered in 2024. Be sure to note the changes here.

Logical Reasoning (2 sections graded) (new! 2024!)

Logical reasoning questions are short questions that ask you to connect two statements logically. For example, the question might present a statement and then ask "which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the statement above?" Or "which of the following is an assumption made by the speaker above?" Normally, there are two scored sections with logical reasoning questions. After the "Analytical Reasoning" (referred to frequently as "Logic Games") was dropped, the LSAT now includes two Logical Reasoning sections. Perspective here.

Reading Comprehension (1 section graded)

Reading comprehension sounds like what it is, and it measures how quickly and effectively you can process information. You are asked to read a passage of five or six paragraphs and then answer a number of questions about that passage to ensure you understand the application of analytical thinking.

Experimental Section (1 section ungraded)

One 35-minute section of the LSAT is NOT scored. This is the experimental section. It may be either reading comprehension or logical reasoning. It is not graded because it is a section of questions that are being considered for inclusion on a future test. So, for example, if your exam has two reading comprehension sections, you will know that one of them is scored and one of them is experimental. However, you will not know which is which, so you need to treat both sections like they count.

Writing Section (1 section ungraded)

There is a short, writing task that is not scored, but it is noted by admissions offices to ensure that your extemporaneous writing skills are strong. The writing task is timed (35 minutes), so it may not reflect your best writing. However, it is an opportunity to demonstrate your persuasive abilities. Specifically, the writing component will present you with a question (recent example: “To what extent do colleges and universities serve their students’ best interests when they emphasize career preparation?”). The prompt includes facts that allow you to construct an argument on one side of the issue or the other. There is no correct answer. Rather, you are simply demonstrating your ability to marshal evidence and form a coherent argument.

Currently, the writing section of the test is administered separately from the rest of the exam. You can do the writing section at any time, using remote proctoring software on your own computer. If you decide to take the scored portion of the LSAT a second or third time, you do not need to repeat the writing component.

While this section is not scored, law schools will all receive a copy of your short essay to see your analytical writing skills. If it is horrible, it will undermine even the strongest of law school applications. For borderline applications, it may make a difference. LSAC is currently considering whether to make the writing prompt graded. Stay tuned.

No longer applicable-Analytical Reasoning ("Logic Games")

Prior to the changes in the 2024-25 cycle, the LSAT included a section on "Analytical Reasoning"-called frequently "Logic Games". This section typically included four or five sets of questions. Each set starts with a scenario and a group of rules.

In the fall of 2019, a group of students with vision-based disabilities filed a lawsuit against LSAC over the analytical reasoning section of the exam. Ultimately LSAC changed the structure in 2024.

How is the test scored?

The LSAT is (oddly) scored on a scale between 120 and 180. The mean and median scores are either 150 or 151 typically. Some thought that the median would change after the 2024 changes. It did not. The distribution of scores is almost always perfectly normally distributed. In other words, a large percentage of students score in the middle of the range (from 148 to 152) with fewer and fewer students achieving scores at either end of the spectrum.

What is a "passing score"?

There is no "passing score" for the LSAT. Instead, every law school will report its median score. Half of their admitted students score at or above the median, while half of their admitted students score at or below the median. Schools will also report their median GPAs. An admissions official from UT-Austin Law once told a group of UNT students that you really want one of your scores to be above the median. So if your LSAT score is lower, you need a higher GPA to compensate (or vice versa). Moreover, there are LSAT scores that make it very difficult to be admitted to law school. A score in the 120s, 130s, or 140s will make it very hard to get in to any law school. Frequently to be competitive for admission and scholarships you need to be reaching for a 166 or higher depending on your GPA.

To see the percentiles and associated scores for recent testing years, review data from LSAC.

What is the test format?

You may take the LSAT in person and it is offered at set times during the year. Be sure to plan ahead to register because prime locations will fill up quickly.

The LSAT is offered remotely. You need to have a quiet, private place to take the test; good internet; and a computer with a microphone and camera. You will need to download a remote proctoring system (called Proctor U). Then, on a designated day at a designated time you will access the exam. A human proctor will be watching you and listening to you while you take the test, but that person will not be in the room with you. Plan ahead if you decide to take this modality.

When is the LSAT offered?

The LSAT is offered multiple times each year depending on the modality (in-person or on-line). Exams offered remotely, have a limited time frame and will vary depending on registration availability. Thus you may take the test on a Tuesday at 2 PM while your best friend takes the test on Friday at 8 AM.

How much does it cost?

It currently costs $248 to take the LSAT.

There is a fee waiver program. If you are low-income, we strongly encourage you to apply for the fee waiver.

How do I sign up?

Register for the LSAT through the LSAC website. You need to register at least six weeks in advance of the test administration. Earlier is better, they fill up quickly for the June-October testing dates.

How should I prepare?

You should take a

There are a number of ways to prepare for the LSAT, but whichever approach you choose, you SHOULD definitely study. Whether you take the exam on-line at home or at on-line at a testing center, be sure to simulate as many computerized practice exams as possible (at least two full practice exams). If you are doing intensive study with a test prep course, give yourself 2-4 months of LSAT preparation (6 days/week, 2-3 hours of FOCUSED study). You should, however, begin looking at and trying LSAT sample questions 9-12 months prior to the exam. Students have been able to improve their scores by up to ten (ten) points through rigorous, long-term study, but one study found that test takers who took the exam a second time only increased scores on average 2.6 points. If you are planning to study through a self-guided program, give yourself about 9-12 months of regular review in addition to your academic studies or work. This allows you to prepare slowly and to shift study methods if you are not making progress or if you plateau. You can find a list of preparation resources here.

Remember there are NO MORE Analytical Reasoning questions. Spend double your time on Logical Reasoning.

Do I have to take the LSAT? What about the GRE?

In recent years, a number of law schools started accepting the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) as an alternative to the LSAT. You will need to take one of these tests to be admitted to any accredited law school. ETS has a list of all accepting GRE.

The version of the GRE you need to take is the GRE General Exam. It includes verbal reasoning (reading comprehension, text completion, sentence equivalence); quantitative reasoning (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis); and analytical writing (analyze an issue and analyze and argument). You can learn more about the test on the ETS website.

Beware! While in theory using the GRE may be your preferred choice, it has not been widely accepted at all. Indeed in the 2024-2025 admission cycle, out of 38,500 applicants, applicants, less than 2% submitted a GRE (~700). The majority of schools that accept both the LSAT and the GRE will look at your LSAT score if one exists. Thus, for example, if you take the GRE and then the LSAT, law school will consider your LSAT score and you cannot request the GRE score instead.

JD-Next

JD-Next is a 2-month online course and admissions test developed by the University of Arizona to teach core legal reasoning and case analysis skills. It was designed as an alternative to the LSAT and GRE and is now administered by Aspen Publishing under a five-year contract. For applicants to participating schools, JD-Next offers a flexible and inclusive path into legal education. As of 2025, 57 of 198 ABA-accredited law schools have received variances from ABA Standard 503, allowing them to accept JD-Next scores for admission. However, T14 law schools do not currently accept JD-Next, so applicants aiming for those programs should still plan to take the LSAT or GRE. While several law schools have begun being successful in using the process, the ABA has continued to only accept JD-Next admission students on a case-by-case evaluation before allowing the exam to be waived

Pro-Tip: Do your research. For example, Georgetown, the University of Denver, and the University of Georgia have ABA variances to accept JD-Next but do not currently use it for admissions, preserving the option for future consideration. Perspective here.

No Exam at ALL? (not so fast)
Beginning in 2025-26 cycle, the American Bar Association began no longer requiring that there be any test taken for law school admission, thus allowing law schools to eliminate that requirement in favor of other factors. The jury is still out on the verdict of how widely that will be used.

Additionally, as part of changes being examined by the ABA, the JD-NEXT program is increasingly being used. Be sure to stay current on this trend.