Billy Wheelan, Sentia Founder & Eduardo Villalta, Sentia Master LSAT Tutor
The Law School Admission Council, purveyor of the most popular test for US law school admissions, announced on April 7th that LSAC’s upcoming April LSAT administration would be canceled and replaced by a shortened version of the test to be administered on personal computers in the test taker’s home in the second half of May.
LSAC was a late entry into the world of digitally administered exams, lagging behind competitors that offer the GRE and GMAT in rolling out a computer-based version of their signature offering. So the speed with which LSAC has pivoted to what might soon become a new normal of home administered tests is leaving prospective law school students in uncharted territory. (The GRE, an alternative to the LSAT, began offering an in-home option last month).
LSAC left open the door to additional administrations of the updated LSAT, dubbed LSAT-Flex, to be offered in the spring and summer “if the situation warrants.” Candidates registered for the April 2020 test will be automatically registered to take the new version of the test in the second half of May unless they choose to apply the credit toward a future LSAT date.
The shortened LSAT mimics the organization’s practice tests and will include three scored 35 minute sections: one each of reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning. Test takers who struggle with the stamina to complete the traditional LSAT’s five sections (including one unscored experimental section) will likely welcome the change.
Caroline Scott, Director at Sentia Education, calls the new offering a game changer but warns that while students may be more comfortable in a home setting, “distractions and connectivity issues could add stress to an already high pressure situation.” Still, most test takers will likely welcome the opportunity to sit for an exam in an environment that closely resembles that of their practice tests. “Overall, the prepared student will benefit from this change.”