LSAC announced a change to the LSAT’s format beginning in August 2027. The experimental will be removed, and unscored questions will instead be included within each of the three sections.

New section order and timing

Every test taker will take the sections in this order:

1. Reading Comprehension: 52 minutes, six passages, 40 questions.
   • Four passages with 27 scored questions.
   • Two passages with 13 unscored questions.
2. Logical Reasoning: 45 minutes, 32 questions.
   • 25 scored questions and seven unscored questions.
3. Logical Reasoning: 45 minutes, 32 questions.
   • 25 scored questions and seven unscored questions.

There will be a 10-minute break after each of the first two sections.

What stays the same

• The question types and skills tested.
• Scores will still be based on one Reading Comprehension section and two Logical Reasoning sections.
• The number of scored questions.
• The 120–180 scoring scale, with scores remaining comparable across years.
• According to LSAC, test takers will continue to have the same amount of time per question.
• LSAC explicitly stated that the content is NOT changing in difficulty or kind. There has been speculation by both students and even some in the LSAT industry.

Timeline and prep materials

• Through June 2027: No change to the current test format.
• February 2027: LawHub will release prep materials aligned with the new format.
• August 2027 onward: The new three-section format takes effect.

LawHub will continue offering materials in the existing four-section format through the June 2027 test.

So this person just posted her October test results...did some ppl get them early? I thought we had to wait until Wed?

Someone tell me something hopeful for scores coming out soon 😆

Hello,

I’m a first year uni student and really interested in going into law.
However, I live in canada where the LSAT floor is really high, the school I want to go to needs a 165 LSAT. I haven’t studied for it yet but my diagnostic was around 150.

The issue is this was the old format. Apparently according to people here the new format is much harder and will grade deflate. Getting to 165 with the old format was already gonna be brutally hard, and now that they’re deflating scores I doubt I will hit it.
Should I switch majors and stop doing pre law because of the new testing format? How much harder is it.

It doesn’t help that since i have adhd with accomodations the already long sections would be longer. I mean 78 minutes of RC wtf??

It just feels so upsetting because i planned my degree for law school and now because of the testing format change i have to switch degrees despite not having pre reqs which will delay my graduation by like 2 years. I hate LSAC so much.

LSAC FAQ page on their recent announcement: https://www.lsac.org/lsat-will-look-little-different-starting-august-2027

Maybe I'm too critical, but this feels so sloppy lol. Beyond the tacky, potentially AI-inserted emojis, there's also "score" questions.

I've always thought about the experimental section as a way to "test" new LSAT questions before administering them in real exams. In the past, these experimental questions were quarantined, so to speak, in an experimental section. Now that they are embedded with real questions I was wondering what the impact would be if/when LSAC includes a bad question or two. Now that they are no longer isolated, couldn't a test taker conceivably spend too much time wrangling with an experimental question (or passage for RC) because it was poorly designed? This would tradeoff with attention for scored questions. LSAT questions are not answered in a vacuum on the real test---some people flag questions, allocate time based on perceived difficulty, and engage in various other test-taking strategies that are created by the context of having a section and don't apply as much to a isolated series of individual questions.

Presumably there are bound to be some experimental questions that never get used again because of some issue---if there were no such cases, the utility for the experimental in the first place seems limited. And would LSAC calculate how much time they expect test takers to spend on experimental questions/passages? If so, how given that they are being tested in real sections? And would people get the same "experimental" questions? If not, how would LSAC "standardize" these sections filled with varied experimental stuff? Would it be fair if someone got a section with experimental questions that perform well enough to be used officially while another person got 2-3 questions that didn't?

LSAC probably does some testing before even releasing experimental content, but surely it can't be comprehensive or as accurate as testing them in real-time. After all, why have the experimental to begin with if you didn't need to experiment?

EDIT: Commented some interesting info about what "pretesting" (experimental stuff) is used to prove. There's clearly a process before questions are pretested, but I think there's still risks.

how screwed am i? i’ve seen people waiting 4 months and if this is the case for me too, it is going to obliterate my cycle 😭😭😭 omg i’m about to cry

Affirmations needed!! I felt really good leaving and need hopecore stories of people who left feeling really good and calm also getting good scores that reflect that feeling!!!

Hello!

I received an October score hold email with the text pasted below. What could this mean? I was hoping to apply in November, but I’m worried it could be on hold for months. I tested in person and I can’t think of any anomalies. I’m just confused!!!

Email text:

We are writing to let you know that your recent LSAT session is currently being reviewed, along with others, for an incident that was recorded during the administration of the test. Please be assured that your session is intact and your test answers have been recorded properly.

Most reviews are completed within a few days of score release, but some may require a more comprehensive review. We are working diligently to complete the review as quickly as possible. If you have not received your score within 21 days of score release, you may reach out to TestSecurity@LSAC.org for more information.

By argument, I mean information made up of evidence (premises) leading to a conclusion.

I cannot adequately express the importance of reading arguments with this mental framework:

WHY is the conclusion true? Because the evidence is true.

Put another way:

This conclusion true. WHY? Because the intermediate conclusion is true. WHY is the intermediate conclusion true? Because the evidence is true.

Note that most arguments do not feature an intermediate conclusion.

Reading arguments in this way does two things. First, it confirms that the conclusion has been properly identified. In fact, this goes to the very definition of the meaning of a conclusion: Information supported by evidence. In other words, evidence answers WHY a conclusion is true.

More importantly though, asking WHY is the best way to identify the assumption, the flaw, the gap, or whatever you want to call it. It takes practice though. Not with new material at this point though. Use previously answered questions until you’re comfortable with the process.

Specifically, ask WHY the conclusion is true and identify any and all information that purportedly answers this question. “Purportedly” because most arguments are initially invalid.

Most of the time, one or two pieces of evidence will answer WHY the conclusion is true. Three pieces of evidence is rare, but can happen. So when looking at previously answered questions, make sure to identify any and all information that supports the conclusion.

Keep in mind that background/contextual information is relevant, even though it doesn’t answer WHY the conclusion is true. 

If necessary, practice by saying the process out loud, but do NOT change any of the wording of the argument, which should be looked at as the law. With enough practice, it becomes clear that the evidence provided in the argument is simply not enough to demonstrate the truth of the conclusion. 

In other words, it becomes easier to see the assumption, the flaw, etc. But again, it does take practice. 

Happy to answer any questions. 

Hi everybody! I know this myth is frustrating, and many people ask the same question over and over again, but I would love to hear some words of advice because I’m so nervous for score release, and the wait has been so brutal for me. My best LSAT score is a 161 from June, and since then, I’ve been testing in the mid-170s before taking the October LSAT. I’m starting to believe the score hold rumors, and I fear that I’m just going to be disappointed again due to my bad test anxiety. Is it normal for in-person scores not to be held with an increase of 10 or so points?

is anyone else freaking out. i legit had a nightmare last night that I got only one point better than my previous attempt. it's def me being nervous but oh my god it feels like a bad omen. august score release day trauma is coming back. >.<

also crazy that i have to register for my November test the day before scores come out. i need to be free of this exam.

Hello! I am stuck at around -2 LR and -4 RC and would love to hear about the best way to review incorrect RC questions.

My approach is to redo the question I got incorrect (which I get right 90% of the time the second time around), look at the wrong answer and think something along the lines of, this is wrong because the passage didn't say that, and I went wrong because I didn't read carefully. Then I look at the correct answer and say this is correct because the passage says so in x paragraph.

When I review LR, I am much more thorough in understanding exactly why my wrong answer is wrong, why I picked it, and why the correct answer is correct.

It's not that I'm rushing through RC review, it's just that I will quickly get through it and be like, okay, I understand now, so I'm done here lol.

What are some things to think through when reviewing RC? Are there any questions you ask yourself? How can I be more thorough and get my accuracy up? Was there anything in your reviewing process that led to a breakthrough?

The Nov lsat being 15 ish days away, does anyone have any last minute tips to increase score.

I know this is extremely ambitious and psychotic for a lack of better words, but I’m currently in the low 150s and I want to be around like 160s, preferably mid 160s.

Literally whatever - anything - studying 24 hours a day - whatever advise somebody has, I will take it all.

I've been studying for the LSAT for the past six months and now I am at a point where I can consistently score within the 173-180 range. The biggest hurdle for me in getting to this point was reading comprehension, and I am confident that I am not alone in this. If you are also struggling to score higher on reading comp I have some advice that I think you need to hear. DO MORE READING COMP. There isn't a secret trick to getting better at reading comp, you can't approach reading comp like you would logical reasoning. You just need to do more of the reading comp sections and I promise you will score better. I'm sure you think you do enough reading comp but I promise that you are wrong. This isn't necessarily your fault, there are less reading comp sections in general, which is why it's all the more important that you set time aside specifically for reading comp. Thanks and good luck!

I was looking at this chart on 7sage, and it seems that for the most recent PTs, the curve is more often an -8 than a -7. Does this mean the test is more likely to have a -8 curve? I think the Oct LRs that I had were very challenging compared to some of these PTs. Just curious as I cope for score release day

Per LSAC data, we are about 20% of the way through the cycle in terms of total applicant count. Here's the breakdown of Applicants, compared to last year:

The applicant numbers have already come down since the first data was released about 10 days ago, and are now up only 6.8%. That may look bad but remember that over the last two years the early numbers were up 26% and 33%, so these increases are considerably lower than the prior two years. The numbers are fairly volatile this early in the cycle, but this quick drop is an encouraging sign that this cycle may end up less competitive than last year.

Because things are hard to read at this point, you’ll see law schools be a bit hesitant while they wait and see what happens, and that points to another slow cycle as far as decision-making is concerned.

Let’s take a look at the LSAT scores for the applicants so far:

These numbers are also down compared to the opening numbers, and with the October LSAT scores coming out this week we should see some additional movement. I’ll check back on these in more detail next week, but for now these numbers are lower compared to last year, which is good news.

TL;DR: We are only 20% of the way through the cycle, so numbers remain small and will move plenty in the coming weeks. Early applicant numbers are up, but not nearly as much in the prior two years, which is a hopeful sign we may see the overall number of applicants decrease eventually compared to last year.

Any questions, please let me know!

I had technical difficulties in my October exam and I’m worried it was flagged and I have to retake or my score will be held for longer when I plan to apply as soon as I get my score

LSAC has announced there will be no more standalone experimental section and it will instead be incorporated into the other sections on the exam.

Here is the official language:
In the Reading Comprehension section, test takers will have 52 minutes for six passages with a total of 40 questions. Four passages with 27 questions will be scored and two passages with 13 questions will be unscored.

For each Logical Reasoning section, test takers will have 45 minutes for 32 questions. In each Logical Reasoning section, 25 questions will be scored and seven questions will be unscored.

There will be a 10-minute break after the first section and another 10-minute break after the second section.

What are your thoughts?

I certainly feel this makes the exam harder and maybe a way to combat score inflation with longer sections, but wow, definitely going to be a harder RC battle for almost an hour straight.

Will my gpa prevent me from getting into T20 law schools? I know my LSAT score is solid but is my gpa likely to offset it?

I received this email notifying that I have a temporary hold on my LSAT. I’m seeing a lot of posts and comments on here about people waiting for MONTHS. I’m feeling very anxious because this throws off my timeline for retaking the test and my application cycle.

I’m currently registered for the November test because I just wasn’t sure how I’d do in October, so my plan was to either continue with the November test or withdraw by the 11/11 deadline depending on this test, but now I’m worried I won’t get my score back in time to make a decision about the Nov. test. (My Oct. test also took like 7 hours start to finish, which was absolutely brutal so id prefer to avoid taking Nov. if possible)

I’m also a non-traditional/potentially splitter candidate, and I was really counting on the edge of applying earlier.

Some context about my tests:
- took in August in-person, no accommodations (scored 161)
- took in October remote with accommodations: extra time, stop/start breaks, permission to speak aloud, unlimited scratch paper.
- PTs were in 170s leading up to Oct.

Well I mean…. I can’t say I’m very surprised that my test was flagged considering how extensive my accommodations were. The majority of my studying was also done after my Aug. test (I took it w/out much studying as kind of a practice experience) so I was also anticipating a large score increase, which I think can also get flagged. I just didn’t know that LSAC did holds that would last past the score release date. Oh and btw, I didn’t cheat obviously. It would honestly have been very difficult to cheat even if I had wanted to because the security of the remote testing was so intense (hence why my test session was so long). I’m just hoping that that’s obvious from my testing video and I’ll get cleared quickly. :(

This ended up being a very long post but I guess I’m posting for some reassurance? Or at least solidarity from other testers who are in a similar situation as me.

When does exam scheduling open for Nov/ where do I found out?

Looking for hope core: anyone score multiple points above any PT 🙏 I am praying for 170+ and highest PT I’ve gotten is 170. Felt calm and focused during the test and this waiting period is excruciating. Any success stories to help me cope would be appreciated