The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized test for admissions to Law Schools in Canada, USA, and a few other countries.Administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates, the LSAT is designed to assess reading comprehension, logical and verbal reasoning proficiency.

LSAC administers the LSAT four times per year: June, September/October, December and February. The June examination marks the start of a new “cycle” of testing as most test-takers plan to apply for admission the following year. The September/October administration is typically the most popular with the February administration being the least popular.

LSAC has not given a specific eligibility criteria for LSAT. Although, candidates must make sure to meet the eligibility criteria specified by the particular college a candidate is interested in applying to. As per a general eligibility requirement goes, candidates are required to have completed their undergraduate programme.

There are two major ways to register for LSAT; first one being online registration on LSAC.org, and the second one being registration by phone.

The test is an integral part of the law school admission process in the United States, Canada (common law programs only), Australia,and a growing number of other countries, including India.

Nearly all American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law schools require the LSAT as one component of an admission file.

The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score. These sections include one Reading Comprehension section, one Analytical Reasoning section, and two Logical Reasoning sections. The unscored section, commonly referred to as the variable section, typically is used to pre-test new test questions or to pre-equate new test forms.

A 35-minute, unscored writing sample is administered at the end of the test. Copies of your writing sample are sent to all law schools to which you apply

Some of the tips to crack LSAT are:

Get acquainted with LSAT exam pattern – Before you start studying for LSAT, it is advisable that candidates get themselves acquainted with the test structure of LSAT. Understand the topics, and the weightage given to each section. It will help you to understand how to approach LSAT.

Consistent practice: The most important piece of advice is to do disciplined and segmented study regimen. Scoring well in LSAT needs constants practice. Candidates are suggested to do it in parts. Continuous practice and preparation keep aspirants in touch as well as in control of the syllabus.

Work on strengths; work harder on weaknesses : Candidates are suggested to find their areas of interest and improve them. Also, they are advised to increase their command over language. Following the similar exercise, candidates are advised to identify their weaknesses and start designing ways to target them.

Practice, because nothing beats practice and analyse : Only practising sample papers will not suffice, candidates are suggested to analyse their answers as the test not only quizzes the candidates on the content but also on their logical and analytical approach.

Practice sample papers : As it holds true for any exam, preparation for LSAT is incomplete without practising sample papers. Candidates are advised to practice solving specific sections.

Take mock tests : Mock tests are one of the best ways to prepare for LSAT. A number of centres allow to take mock tests with them. Besides, candidates can also register online for mock tests LSAT.

Answer each question : Unlike a number of exams, LSAC does not penalize candidates for incorrect answers. Candidates are, therefore, suggested to answer all the questions and go with their best guess where they feel they do not have the correct answer for a particular question.

Test of Elimination : LSAT is a multiple-choice exam. Like all multiple-choice exams, it is a test of elimination rather than selection. Candidates are suggested to read through the answers and eliminate the wrong options before they start to think for the correct solution.