By now, you've probably heard about the addition of a 4th (aka experimental) section to the LSAT starting August 2021.
If you're confused and worried about what these changes mean for your prep and what's going to happen on test day, you're not alone.
And you've landed in the right place because I'm going to untangle all of this for you right here and show you why you don't need to worry.
Say goodbye to the Flex era
Starting in August 2021, all references to the "LSAT-Flex" will be dropped. The test will revert to simply being called "the LSAT."
Introducing the fourth "experimental" section
Why an experimental section?
LSAC uses test-takers as lab rats (like many organizations that administer standardized exams - think back to the SAT) to validate the scored sections of future LSATs.
The experimental section allows LSAC to pre-test questions with several thousand applicants to help determine which questions deserve to make it into future scored sections. They want to figure out each question's difficulty level and make sure that no group is uniquely disadvantaged by a particular question.
Keep in mind that LSAC is VERY good at writing LSAT questions -- any differences in experimental vs scored questions are prohibitively difficult to spot, even for LSAT experts -- LSAC is mainly trying to figure out if students will perform on them as expected.
More about this section:
· Not scored
· Looks like one of the three existing sections
· Its order of appearance is random on test day
· It means you're going to get one of the three types of sections twice. In other words, a section of Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, or Reading Comprehension will appear twice during the exam.
What's the same on test day:
· Same scoring, same question and section difficulty level, and same three types of sections: Logic Games (Analytical Reasoning), Reading Comprehension, and Logical Reasoning
· 35 minutes per section (assuming you don't get extra time as an accommodated test-taker)
· Online, proctored format (through June 2022 -- and likely beyond)
What will test day look like?
With four sections, you'll complete two sections back-to-back with a 10-minute break, then the remaining two sections back-to-back, and you're done.
Note that if you leave the room during the break, they'll briefly re-verify your ID.
The break and additional section add about 45 minutes beyond the previous three-section LSAT Test Day sitting. Assuming you're taking the exam with standard timing, you're looking at a total time of about two hours and 45 minutes.
The order of the four sections is random, as is the placement of the experimental section. So, you won't know that it's the experimental section while you're working on it.
And that can be unnerving. If you have two sections of Logic Games; you'll know one of them is fake, but you won't know which one.
Consider this scenario:
· Section 1: Logic Games
· Section 2: Reading Comp
· Section 3: Logical Reasoning
· Section 4: Logic Games
By the time you get to section 4, you realize Reading Comp and Logical Reasoning are real. Does that mean that section 1 doesn't count, or that section 4 (the one you're about to take) doesn't count?
How are you supposed to determine what's scored and what's not scored during the test?
It might sound a little harsh, but I'll give it to you straight:
Students are notoriously bad at determining the experimental section in the heat of the moment with all the stress and adrenaline of the real thing. On test day, you only have so much mental capacity - and what you should be doing is focusing on solving the questions, not figuring out if it's real or not.
What's the best way to prepare for the 4-section LSAT?
Simulate the testing experience as much as possible. That means the cruel and difficult task of including extra sections in your practice exams.
I recommend two approaches:
-Rotate the type of "extra" section(s) that you use.
-Make the extra section(s) the one that you like the least.
For most people, a combination of the two is probably ideal. Figure out the type of section you dread most and practice it more often than the others.
Practice, practice, and then practice some more
Practice tests are essential. Practice like it's going to be on game day. Take your practice tests in the same room you'll be in on test day, ensure your internet connection is strong and that no one else is using it. There's nothing more frustrating than getting kicked off in the middle of a timed exam. If you don't have a strong internet connection, reach out to LSAC about arranging an alternative location to take the test.
So, simulate and practice, practice, practice, and make sure you become acclimated to the online LSAT format. Don't do the majority of your studying in books -- the exam's format has changed completely. You want to use practice tests with the same look and feel. LSAC has released PrepTests from past four-section exams. So, if you want to insert Logical Reasoning as your extra section for the new LSAT starting in August 2021, you've got it built-in. However, you don't want to only use Logical Reasoning as your extra section. Make some little patchwork Frankenstein exams and mix it up.
Keep practicing on LSAC’s LawHub, which replicates the style, look, and feel of test day. Do your full-length practice tests with four sections, not three. So when taking your practice tests, add in one of Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, or Reading Comprehension as you normally would have and mix up the placement. Don’t always put the experimental section first or last.
So, do 4-section practice test sittings, splice in an extra unscored section from another exam, and place that additional section in any position—first, second, third, or fourth.
How admissions views the 4-section online LSAT
They consider it a valid LSAT comparable to the LSAT-Flex and the older in-person 5-section LSAT (which had 4 scored sections and one unscored experimental section).
Law schools remain confident in LSAC's ability to administer a valid and reliable admission test, regardless of differences in format and length over time. They're confident that an exam with 75 scored questions is equivalent to -- or can be equated with -- a 100-question exam.
They have little incentive to care about these differences and simply care about your scaled score out of 180. Why? Because that's what goes to the ABA -- meaning that's what's factored into the US News Rankings. So, don't worry about it.
(All admissions professionals I've heard from and spoken with directly say they consider online LSAT scores equivalent to those earned on previous LSATs.)
tl;dr Just get the score, the number is what matters the most at the end of the day.
Registration for the August 2021 to June 2022 LSATs is open on LSAC's website.
Upcoming Test Dates:
-August LSAT will be the week starting August 14
-October LSAT will be the week starting October 9
-November LSAT will be the week starting November 13
-January LSAT will be the week starting January 15
-February LSAT will be the week starting February 12
-March LSAT will be the week starting March 12
-April LSAT will be the week starting April 30
-June LSAT will be the week starting June 11
(The June 2021 LSAT-Flex was the final administration of the 3-section LSAT-Flex format, administered the week starting June 12, 2021.)
