Notice of Upcoming Changes to the LSAT
Beginning with the June 2007 administration, LSAC will introduce a variant of reading comprehension, called comparative reading, as one of the four sets in the LSAT reading comprehension section. In general, comparative reading questions are similar to traditional reading comprehension questions. However, there is one significant difference: instead of being based on one longer passage, comparative reading questions are based on two shorter passages. The two passages together are of roughly the same length as one reading comprehension passage, so the total amount of reading in the reading comprehension section will remain essentially the same. A few of the questions that follow a comparative reading passage pair might concern only one of the two passages, but most questions will be about both passages and how they relate to each other. More information, including test preparation material for comparative reading, will be available on the LSAC website (www.LSAC.org) in mid-February 2007. This information will also appear in the printed 2007-2008 LSAT & LSDAS Information Book, to be distributed in February 2007.
Also beginning with the June 2007 LSAT, test takers will no longer be randomly assigned one of two different kinds of writing prompt—decision or argument—for the writing sample. All test takers will be assigned a decision prompt. The writing sample will continue to be unscored.
These two changes are a result of extensive research by LSAC staff and consultations with the LSAC Test Development and Research Committee.
Writing Sample Survey Result
According to a 2006 LSAC survey of 157 United States and Canadian law schools, almost all utilize the unscored LSAT writing sample in evaluating some applications for admission. Here is the question on the survey and the tabulation of responses:
How often do you use the current writing sample to evaluate a candidate’s qualifications for law school?
Response Count % of Total
Always 16 9.9%
Frequently 41 25.3%
Occasionally 53 32.7%
Seldom 41 25.3%
Never 11 6.8%
Letter of Recommendation Demos Now Online
Animated demonstrations about different aspects of LSAC’s Letter of Recommendation Service are now available. The demos include general information about the LOR service, how it works, what a general letter is, what a targeted letter is, and how to direct particular letters to specific law schools. To find the demos, click here or go to the LSDAS information section in the index to the left of the main LSAC.org screen.
LSAT ItemWise™ Is Here
LSAC is pleased to announce our first online LSAT item familiarization tool: LSAT ItemWise. With ItemWise, you can answer questions comprising all three LSAT® item types—logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension; keep track of answers; and view explanations as to why the answers are correct or incorrect. Although it is best to use paper-and-pencil Official LSAT PrepTest® products to time yourself and otherwise prepare for taking the LSAT, you can enhance your preparation by understanding all three LSAT item types and why answers are right or wrong. For a one-time fee of $18, you can have unlimited access to LSAT ItemWise for as long as you have an active LSAC online account. To purchase ItemWise, click here.