LSAT Exam 2022 – 2023 | India
LSAT general information on the eligibility, pattern, exam dates, test centers in India, exam fee (test price) and the best free LSAT preparation material.
What is LSAT?
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test that is required for admission to law schools across US, Canada, and increasingly many other countries. It is a way of measuring the applicant’s verbal and reasoning abilities and serves as an important factor in law school admissions. The LSAT does not involve memorizing stuff; it is instead a test of critical thinking skills that one acquires over a lifetime. The idea behind the design of LSAT is to make it democratic and inclusive for all test-takers, as it does not discriminate students based on any specific field of study.
LSAT Exam Eligibility
LSAC, the official body that sets the paper, specifies no specific eligibility criteria for applicants. The only thing that an aspirant needs to do is follow the test rules listed on their website. However, the candidate needs to ensure requirements (if any) based on the target schools. The test is intended to be taken by students who have graduated or are about-to-graduate, looking for admission in law schools. There is no age limit for taking the test. Passport serves as the primary identification proof for all test takers.
LSAT Exam Dates
The test is administered 4 times in a year: June, September/October, December, and February. The September version is the most popular with students. The LSAT exam dates for every year can found at here for Asia.
LSAT Centers in India
LSAT exam is administered in major cities, and the availability of seats is limited (first-come-first-serve). For getting the desired test date and center combination, it is a good idea to register as soon as possible.
| Location | Center Name | June | Sep/Oct | Dec | Feb | Center Code |
| Bengaluru | The Monarch Hotel | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 80281 |
| Hyderabad | Uniti Foundation | Yes | Yes | No | No | 80401 |
| Gurugram | Planet EDU | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 80371 |
| Pune | Hotel Centurion | No | Yes | Yes | No | 80671 |
LSAT Exam Fee | LSAT test price and registration
The basic fee for the exam is USD 180, which translates to around INR 11600 at the current exchange rate. One can use a credit card with international transactions enabled to pay for the test. Some auxiliary fees can also be applied based on case-by-case basis, such as late registration (100$), test center change (100$) or test date change (100$). The fee for Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is USD 185. For starters, it simplifies the application procedure for the applicant by sending the application bundle as a whole to as many schools as required, instead of sending individual packets to each school (bundle includes transcripts, letters of recommendation, essays etc.) On top of the CAS fee, the LSAC also charges a fee of USD 35 for reporting the score to each school.
LSAT Pattern
LSAT consists of multiple-choice-questions, and the total duration of the test is 3 hours and 30 minutes (35 minutes each for 5 sections in total). One section is an experimental section which does not add to the total score, but the applicant cannot guess which one is going to be the experimental one. The four sections that do contribute to the final score: Reading Comprehension (1), Analytical Reasoning (1) and Logical Reasoning (2). Another unscored writing section is delivered at the end, which is sent to every school that you apply to.
LSAT is set to test the skills that are considered essential for success in a law school: ability to derive insight from complex texts; the potential to systematically tackle information and derive reasonable conclusions; critical-thinking; and seeing through the validity of someone else’s arguments and reasoning.
Logical Reasoning: consists of 2 sections, each with 25 questions. It tests the ability to zero-in on the overall picture of the argument, applying reasoning to abstract notions, locating relevant information from a passage and analyzing the logic/reasoning given.
Analytical Reasoning: consists of a single section, 25 questions. It tests the ability to decipher effects of constraints on final outcomes, understanding relationships between ideas, analyzing conditions and reaching effective conclusions, and applying reasoning to ambivalent scenarios.
Reading Comprehension: consists of 4 sections: 3 longer passages and 1 shorter passage, with 27 questions. It tests the ability to draw inferences based on a written passage, getting the key ideas of a text, locating useful information, and understanding a lengthy and complex text.
Essay Section: It tests the ability to form consistent arguments based on given details, supporting thesis by relevant ideas and/or analogies, and using correct English to express an idea cohesively.
LSAT Preparation
The LSAT has a score range of 120-180. The raw scores are equated and the resultant scores lie on a bell curve. Generally, a score of 165 places you in the 90th percentile, while a score of 173+ will place you in the 99th percentile. It is advisable to solve a lot of PrepTests (official practice tests), and analyze the results afterwards to create a sound preparation strategy. Moreover, it is imperative to take the tests in conditions that replicate the test-day as closely as possible to have a better understanding regarding the time that should be spent on various question types.
Dedicated preparation of around 50 hours spread over a period of 3-4 months is usually enough for assimilating context and formulating the appropriate strategy. It is also advisable to consult preparation material from at least one company (Princeton Review, Kaplan etc.) for important tips and strategies to tackle various question types- especially for handling problems knows as “logic games”. Moreover, it is good to have a look at the old LSAT tests to get the general pattern and flow of the exam.
LSAC, the test-taker, has published a PDF that elucidates the various LSAT sample question types (here) and the general strategy for acing the exam. A complete official LSAT sample test is also provided here. Here is a list of the best LSAT preparation books (link) that can help you in scoring well on the test.
As with any other standardized test, there is no point in cramming a day before. A good sleep, diet and a relaxed frame of mind during the test will work wonders for you!
Learn more about the LSAT:
– LSAT syllabus and general pattern
– LSAT preparation
– Best LSAT Books
– Law schools
– Average GPA for the top Law Schools
Read about these other exams: GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, MCAT, IELTS, TOEFL