About the LSAT--Law School Admission Test

The LSAT is a test of logical reasoning and deduction skills used for admission to all law schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). To get into a top law school, prospective students need good grades in their undergraduate coursework, and particularly good grades in pre-law courses. They also need to have several letters of recommendation, a compelling personal statement, and a high LSAT score.

With average or even below average LSAT scores, one can still be admitted to law school, but statistically, those who graduate from top tier and second tier law schools make more money. This is something to consider carefully if you plan on taking out student loans to finance law school. High LSAT scores can open the door to a high paying career in law, so prospective law school applicants should do everything they can to ensure a high score. Here is more information about the LSAT and some resources to help you study.

LSAT Structure

The LSAT has 4 scored sections that contain roughly 25 multiple choice questions each, for a total of about 100 scored questions. Additionally, there is an unscored experimental section, but you won't be able to tell which one it is because it is unlabeled and not necessarily last. So the total exam has 5 sections of multiple choice questions. Each section is timed at 35 minutes, and there is a break after the first three sections.

There is a 6th section at the end of the test called the Writing Sample. It is unscored, and serves to provide law schools with an additional sample of your reasoning ability.

Of the 4 scored sections, 2 will be Logical Reasoning, 1 will be Reading Comprehension, and 1 will be Analytical Reasoning. The unscored experimental section may be any of these three types.

Logical Reasoining: analysis of short arguments; questions ask about the soundness and logical structure of mini-proposals, viewpoints, and short conversations.

Reading Comprehension: 4 passages with 6-7 questions each; questions ask about main ideas, details, author's tone, and implicit elements of the short articles.

Analytical Reasoning: aka "Logic Games" where you must figure out the arrangement and distribution of elements in a particular set up.

All questions are multiple choice with 5 answer choices. The writing assignment requires that you draft a persuasive argument describing the best course of action for a person or business. You will be given a set of circumstances and a list of criteria that must be met. There is no right or wrong answer for the LSAT Writing Sample. The important thing is to provide a sound argument for whichever stance you take.

LSAT Scoring

Your raw score from the 100 questions is converted into a scaled score that ranges from 120 to 180. There is no extra penalty for answering a question incorrectly, so you should answer every question, even if you must guess. The median score is about 151 for most administrations of the LSAT. The writing section is not scored, but the law schools you apply to will receive a copy of your short essay, so they can judge your critical thinking and writing ability from that sample.

If you choose not to write the essay, your LSAT scaled score will not be affected. However, some law schools may not consider your scores valid unless you complete the entire test.

LSAT Resources:

For LSAT study books, your options include

• 10 Actual, Official LSAT Prep Tests
• 10 More Actual, Official LSAT Prep Tests
• Master the LSAT (Prep Course Series)
• Cracking the LSAT, 2010 Edition

The first two are booklets of real LSAT exams published by the LSAC, the makers of the LSAT. Every few years, the makers of the LSAT publish prep books with the most recent past exams. These are essential for any test taker, no matter their current practice scores.

Retaking the LSAT

When you retake the LSAT, law schools will still be able to see all of your previous scores. Some schools may consider only the highest or most recent score, while others may average your scores. Most people who retake the LSAT improve their score by at least 5 points, but score increase is most closely correlated with amount of time spent studying. Therefore, if you decide to retake the LSAT, make sure you can commit to studying extra hard.

LSAT Logic Games Sample Questions

The following is a set of LSAT Analytical Reasoning (aka Logic Games) sample questions. The level of difficulty for these LSAT practice questions is easy/medium. If you time yourself, allow no more than 35 minutes to complete the entire set.

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A company generates five-digit employee ID numbers according to the following rules:

• Each code uses the digits 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and no others.
• Each digit occurs exactly once in any code.
• The second digit has a value exactly twice that of the first digit.
• The value of the third digit is less than the value of the fifth digit.

[1] If the last digit of an ID number is 2, it must be true that the

(a) first digit is 4.
(b) second digit is 0.
(c) third digit is 6.
(d) fourth digit is 8.
(e) fourth digit is 0.


[2] If the third digit of an acceptable ID number is not 0, which one of the following must be true?

(a) The second digit of the employee ID number is 4.
(b) The third digit of the employee ID number is 6.
(c) The fourth digit of the employee ID number is 0.
(d) The fifth digit of the employee ID number is 6.
(e) The fifth digit of the employee ID number is 2.

[3] Which one of the following must be true about any acceptable ID number?

(a) 2 appears in some position before 4.
(b) 2 appears in some position before 6.
(c) 4 appears in some position before 6.
(d) 6 appears in some position before 0.
(e) 8 appears in some position before 6.

[4] Any of the following pairs could be the third and fourth digits, respectively, of an acceptable code, EXCEPT:

(a) 0, 2
(b) 0, 6
(c) 2, 0
(d) 6, 0
(e) 6, 8

[5] Which one of the following must be true about any acceptable ID number?

(a) There is exactly one digit between 0 and 2.

(b) There is exactly one digit between 2 and 4.
(c) There are at most two digits between 2 and 6.
(d) There are at most two digits between 4 and 6.
(e) There are at most two digits between 4 and 8.

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Five swimmers, Adam, Brit, Clay, Dawn, and Eric, hold a contest among themselves. The contest is comprised of six races, and the outcomes of all six races are given below:

• Dawn always finishes behind Clay.
• Adam always finishes either first or last.
• Eric always finishes either first or last.
• There are no ties in any race.
• Each swimmer finishes each race.

Points are awarded to the each swimmer according to their place in each race as follows: 4 points for first place, 3 points for second, 2 points for third, 1 point for fourth, and 0 points for last place.

[6] If Adam finishes two places ahead of Dawn in the first race, all of the following will be true EXCEPT:

(a) Clay finishes ahead of Brit.
(b) Dawn finishes two places ahead of Eric.
(c) Brit finishes fourth.
(d) Clay finishes immediately behind Adam.
(e) Dawn finishes ahead of Clay.

[7] If Brit finishes third in the last race, which of the following must be true of that race?

(a) Eric finishes first.
(b) Adam finishes first.
(c) Clay finishes second.
(d) Dawn finishes second.
(e) Eric finishes ahead Clay.


[8] If Adam's total for the six races is 12 points, which of the following must be true?

(a) Clay's total is more than 12 points.
(b) Dawn's total is more than 12 points.
(c) Eric's total is 12 points.
(d) Brit's total is less than 12 points
(e) Clay's total is more than Brit's.

[9] If Brit finishes second exactly twice, then the lowest total number of points that Clay can earn in the contest is

(a) 10 points
(b) 13 points
(c) 14 points
(d) 16 points
(e) 18 points


[10] If Eric finishes first in four races, who of the following could score fewer than 7 points in the contest?

(a) Clay only
(b) Dawn only
(c) Brit only
(d) Adam or Dawn
(e) Brit or Dawn


[11] If Zack enters the fourth race and finishes behind Dawn and Brit, which of the following must be true of that race?

(a) Adam finishes first.
(b) Eric finishes sixth.
(c) Brit finishes second.
(d) Zack finishes fifth.
(e) Dawn finishes third.

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Periodically, a company forms committees from members two groups: the group of the sales executives D, E, F, G , and the group of sales managers U, V, W. Any committee is formed according to the following conditions:

• A committee must have either three, four, or five members.
• Both sales executives and sales managers must be present on any committee, but never in equal numbers.
• A committee is chaired by a member of the group whose representatives are in the minority on that committee.
• D and U cannot be on any committee unless they are together.
• E or V or both must be on any committee that is formed.

[12] Which of the following is an acceptable committee, with the chair person listed last?
(a) E, F, V
(b) E, U, W, D
(c) F, G, V, E
(d) E, U, V, W
(e) F, G, D, W, U

[13] If G is the chairperson, who could the remaining committee members be?
(a) F, V
(b) V, W
(c) E, U, V
(d) E, V, W
(e) U, V, W

[14] If F is the chair of a committee, and a new committee is formed by replacing one member with another person and naming V as head of the new committee, who must have been replaced?
(a) D
(b) E
(c) G
(d) U
(e) W

[15] If V is the chair of a committee, then who can be the other members of the committee?
(a) D, E, U
(b) E, G, W
(c) E, F, G
(d) D, E, F
(e) E, F, G, U

[16] In an unusual situation, a committee was formed from 6 members. Who could have been left out of this committee?
(a) D or F
(b) D or G
(c) V or W
(d) U or W
(e) E or V

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A college has 4 dormitories--Torva, Vermeer, Upjohn, and Wildfowl--each of which has a north and south wing. Students are assigned to the dorms according to these rules:

• Each wing houses only one gender, male or female.
• Males are assigned to exactly three wings.
• Upjohn North and Torva North are female dormitories
• If a dorm has males assigned to one wing, then females are assigned to its other wing.
• If males are assigned to Vermeer South, then males are also assigned to Wildfowl North.

[17] It CANNOT be true that females are assigned to both
(a) Upjohn South and Wildfowl South
(b) Upjohn South and Torva South
(c) Upjohn South and Vermeer North
(d) Torva South and Wildfowl South
(e) Vermeer North and Wildfowl South


[18] If females are assigned to both wings of Vermeer, then which of the following could also house female students?
(a) Upjohn North and Torva South
(b) Upjohn South and Wildfowl South
(c) Upjohn South and Torva North
(d) Torva North and Wildfowl South
(e) Torva South and Wildfowl South

[19] If Wildfowl North is assigned to females, which of the following must also be a female dorm?
(a) Torva South
(b) Upjohn South
(c) Vermeer South
(d) Wildfowl South
(e) Vermeer North

[20] If the fourth rule is omitted, which of the following pairs could NOT be female-only dormitories?
(a) Torva and Upjohn
(b) Torva and Vermeer
(c) Torva and Wildfowl
(d) Upjohn and Vermeer
(e) Vermeer and Wildfowl

[21] If males are housed in Vermeer South, which of the following is correct and complete list of dorm wings that CANNOT house males?
(a) the north wings of Torva and Upjohn
(b) the north wings of Torva, Upjohn, and Vermeer
(c) the north wings of Torva and Upjohn, and the south wing of Wildfowl
(d) the north wings of Torva, Upjohn, and Vermeer, and the south wing of Wildfowl
(e) both wings of Upjohn, the north wing of Torva, and the south wings of Vermeer and Wildfowl


[22] If Upjohn South is assigned to females, then females could also be housed in
(a) Torva South and Wildfowl North
(b) Torva South and Wildfowl South
(c) Vermeer North and Wlidfowl North
(d) both wings of Vermeer
(e) Vermeer South and Wildfowl South

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Answer Key:
a, c, c, e, e,
e, c, c, d, e, d,
a, b, e, c, c,
b, d, c, e, d, e