How Long Is The LSAT?: 2023 Ultimate Guide

How Long Is The LSAT 2020

How long does the LSAT take?

If you have been asking this question for a while now, then you must be taking the LSAT soon or know someone who would. 

Knowledge about how the exam goes during the test day would help you plan your pacing and lets you know what to expect during that nerve-wracking day. 

In this article, I have covered everything you need to know about the LSAT length – the sections, time breakdown, and break schedules. Go further below as I help you become test-ready for the LSAT.

LSAT Timing Breakdown

The entire LSAT exam takes 2 hours and 55 minutes to finish, with each section running 35 minutes long. This does not include the break schedule. If the 15-minute break schedule is included, then it would take around 3 hours and 10 minutes.

What are these sections? Ultimately, the LSAT consists of six sections, with the last one being the writing sample. However, you won’t take the writing sample on the test day. I will touch more of the writing sample section in the latter part of this article.

On the test day itself, you will encounter five sections only, and they are as follows:

  1. 2 sections for Logical Reasoning – each contains 25 to 26 questions
  2. 1 section for Logic Games – contains 22 to 23 questions
  3. 1 section for Reading Comprehension – contains 27 to 28 questions
  4. 1 Experimental section (1)

The above-mentioned sections are in multiple-choice formats. The Experimental part is unscored but plays a crucial role in your test performance. You won’t also be able to identify which part of the test is the experimental section, so you have to treat every single section as if it is scored.

As with the break schedule, it occurs after the third section, so you would have spare time to go to the comfort room, drink water or coffee, and eat your power bar to keep you awake until the end of the exam. Of course, you have to maximize your break time since it only runs for 15 minutes. After that, you should be ready to take the last two sections.

Although the test, including the break schedule, takes only 3 hours or so, the overall time you would most likely spend in the test center is 4 to 5 hours given the waiting time, registration, and other possible occurrences.

The Writing Sample

How Long Os The LSAT

The writing sample is the last segment of the LSAT, but you won’t take it on the test day. Instead, you will be given up to one year from the LSAT test to complete it online. It also runs for 35 minutes, so you have to prepare for this part very well in terms of organizing your thoughts in the most logical way possible.

Moreover, this section is unscored, but it doesn’t mean that it is less relevant. In fact, almost all law schools would look at your write-up and evaluate it as part of the admission process. It’s one way for law schools to gauge your ability to think critically and transform ideas into words.

LSAT Test Day Tips

When taking the exam, preparation is key. Whether it is a few months or a few days ahead, you should be ready physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Here are a few essential tips that you can apply to survive the day:

1. Get a good amount of rest – Taking lots of rest works like magic. You can sleep the night before the test day, or if you cannot, which usually happens among frantic test-takers, then you need to at least rest your brain. Answering practice questions at an ungodly hour won’t help you either. 

2. Use your break time wisely – Go to the comfort room if your body calls for it. If not, make sure to drink water to keep yourself hydrated or have a brief snack of energy-giving food to make yourself pumped up throughout the test.

3. Try to avoid other test-takers – Avoid the extra stressors during the test day. Some test-takers like to talk when they are nervous, and it’s not a good idea to absorb that kind of energy if you want to focus on the test.

So, in case you’re wondering: how long does the LSAT take? These tips are sure to get you through the process. 

I hope that this article has given you the right amount of insights to make you successful in your quest to become a law student.

Reference

  1. https://7sage.com/what-is-the-experimental-section/