LSAT goes digital – finally

The laggard LSAT followed by going digital and from now the examination will only be available online – a long overdue step in the right direction – the GMAT and GRE have been computerised for about 2 decades.

The Law School Admissions Council declared the LSAT will be a tablet-based administration starting in July 2019. Instead of a test booklet, students will receive a Samsung tablet, a stylus and a white pencil with a scrap sheet of paper. The stylus will not mimic handwriting; instead, it will feature testing tools including highlighting and underlining. There will also be a multitude of annotation tools such as numbering passages. A proctor will still be present in the room, but all timing will be done electronically on the tablet itself. In addition, there are an array of accessibility options built into the digital system. Students will be able to brighten the screen, make the text bigger and utilize a variety of other resources.

When the test transitions in July, about half of the students will take the computerized LSAT and the other half will take the standard pencil-and-paper test. Students won’t get to choose their type of test – it will be randomly assigned. Because of this, the LSAT is offering a one-time opportunity: Students will have the chance to see their score before they decide whether they want to send it to each of their prospective schools. Those who decide to cancel are allowed the option to retake the test until April 2020 with no additional costs. The upcoming July test is the only test for which this will be an option.

There are four paper-and-pencil administrations of the LSAT left: November, January, March and June.

As expected, opinions on the matter vary. On the one hand, it offers a sense of consistency and test results will be available faster. On the other hand, it adds some sort of unpredictability, as it is hard to imagine exactly what it looks like, and there are not going to be many digital tools available for students immediately at launch to practice; it may also require to alter the way you study.

Other recent LSAT changes

The LSAT moving digital is just one of the many changes LSAC has enacted over the past few years. In the upcoming 2019-2020 test cycle, the LSAT will be offered nine times, as opposed to the previous six, in order to allow candidates to assess their level of preparedness and accurately determine when they are ready.

In September 2017, the LSAC changed its policy on how many times you can take the LSAT. Before, a student could only take the test up to three times over a period of two years. Now, they’re able to take the test as many times are they choose.

Furthermore, in 2017, a move was made by a multitude of institutions, including Harvard University and Georgetown Law School, in which they would allow applicants to submit scores from the GRE – the Graduate Record Examination – instead of the typical LSAT.

Source: The Michigan Daily