Admission into a good law school involves passing the law school admission test (LSAT). It is one of the things an aspiring lawyer must prepare for before he can begin his legal education. Since it determines whether an applicant is qualified for legal education, it is important for every aspiring lawyer to have basic knowledge on the law school admission test.
The Law School Admission Test
As an examination conducted by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the Law School Admission Test aims to serve as a standard gauge for law schools in the United States and Canada to determine if the applicants have the necessary skills (such as verbal reasoning and reading) they require for legal education in their institution. (1)
The law school admission test is conducted four times in a year, usually in February, June, October, and December. Today, the law school admission test is comprised of five sections with time limits of 35 minutes each. The test has five multiple choice portions and a writing sample: Logical Reasoning, also known as “LR” or “arguments;” Reading Comprehension, or “RC;” Analytical Reasoning, also known informally as the “logic games;” Unscored Section, which is used as an experimental section for future test questions; and the last portion of the exam, the writing sample. (2)
Preparation for the law school admission test
Since it is an important factor that determines whether an applicant is qualified to take legal education in a good law school, the Law School Admission Council advises applicants to make early preparations for the exam. Although there is no specific course that prepares an applicant for the law school admission test, applicants who took courses that develop deductive reasoning have an advantage over those who did not take such courses. (3) However, there is a way for all applicants to make adequate preparations for the LSAT. Applicants can look for some companies and law schools that offer review classes for those who wish to take the law school admission test. (4)
The law school admission test is one of the most important examinations that future law practitioners are required to take, since it is used by law schools to determine whether applicants are qualified to take legal education in their institution. As such, applicants are advised to make sure that they are adequately prepared for the law school admission test.
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_School_Admission_Test
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_School_Admission_Test
(3) http://www.xu.edu/pre_law/preparing_lawschool.cfm
(4) http://www.acu.edu/students/plc/plclsatprep1.html