International Exams · Entrance Exams

LSAT Exam Pattern

Three scored sections, one that is not, and an essay that is unscored but required. Everything is timed at 35 minutes.

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LSAT · checked 19 September 2026

LSAT at a glance, from the official notices

The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.

Free LSAT mock testLSAT syllabusToday’s current affairs
19September 2026

Checked 19 September 2026

LSAT: the facts that matter now

  1. 01

    9–10 October 2026; 15–16 January, 9–10 April and 11–12 June 2027, with US-style dates also open to some

    International dates

  2. 02

    Law School Admission Council, at Prometric test centres from August 2026; Argumentative Writing online at home

    Administered by

  3. 03

    Admission to all ABA-approved US law schools and Canadian law schools; some programmes elsewhere

    Used for

  4. 04

    Four 35-minute sections — three scored, one unscored — of Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning, plus a 50-minute unscored essay

    Format

Pattern

LSAT — How the paper is structured

The LSAT as LSAC describes it.
ComponentTimeQuestionsScored?
Logical Reasoning35 minutes per sectionAbout 25 eachTwo or three sections; all but the variable one count
Reading Comprehension35 minutes per sectionAbout 27 eachOne or two sections; all but the variable one count
Variable section35 minutesOne of the two typesNo — used to trial questions; not identified
LSAT Argumentative Writing50 minutes, online at homeOne promptNo — read by law schools; required before a first score is released
2026–27 international administrations. Dates are US Eastern Time; the registration deadline is also the free date-change and refund deadline.
AdministrationTest datesWriting opensRegistration deadlineScheduling opensScore release
October 20269–10 October29 September27 August22 September28 October
January 202715–16 January5 January1 December 202622 December3 February
April 20279–10 April31 March25 February23 March28 April
June 202711–12 June1 June29 April25 May30 June
Scoring
The raw score is the number of questions answered correctly, all weighted equally, with nothing deducted for wrong answers. It is converted to the 120–180 scale so that scores from different forms are comparable, and reported with a percentile rank and a score band.
Fees for 2026–27
US$253 for the LSAT including Argumentative Writing; $219 for the Credential Assembly Service that assembles transcripts and letters for applications; $45 per law school report. Score Preview costs $46 before the first test day or $87 after; a score audit $150; a test date change after the deadline $153 within seven days and $253 thereafter.
Testing mode
From August 2026 the multiple-choice test is taken at Prometric centres. Remote testing continues only for approved disability accommodations, US military abroad, and domestic candidates more than 180 miles or three hours from a centre with capacity; those approved use a smartphone as a second camera. Argumentative Writing remains remote for everyone.
Repeats and validity
A result is reportable for five testing years after the year it was earned, testing years running from 1 July to 30 June. LSAC limits how many times the test may be taken in a testing year, in five years and in a lifetime; the current limits are on its Limits on Repeating the LSAT page.

Exam resources

Everything for LSAT

Six resource pages, each kept in step with the latest official notification.

LSAT SyllabusLSAT syllabus — the Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning question types, the unscored section, and what LSAT Argumentative Writing asks.LSAT Exam PatternLSAT exam pattern — four 35-minute sections, the 120–180 scale, the writing requirement, the 2026–27 international dates, fees and the return to test centres.LSAT Previous PapersLSAT previous papers — the Official LSAT PrepTests in LawHub, the free ones and the Advantage library, and how to use retired tests.LSAT Mock TestsLSAT mock tests — full four-section sittings in the LawHub interface, scored on 120–180, with the error analysis that raises a score.LSAT PreparationLSAT preparation — a plan around the international dates, the Logical Reasoning method, reading dense passages, and the admin steps that hold up a score.LSAT Study MaterialLSAT study material — Official LSAT PrepTests through LawHub, LSAC’s free resources, and the reading and reasoning sources worth adding.

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