{"id":14077,"date":"2019-05-08T02:47:21","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T06:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/?p=14077"},"modified":"2021-08-09T17:48:18","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T21:48:18","slug":"july-is-coming-so-here-is-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-digital-lsat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/july-is-coming-so-here-is-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-digital-lsat\/","title":{"rendered":"July is Coming So Here is What You Need to Know About the New Digital LSAT"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we inch closer to 2020, the LSAT will soon undergo the largest transformation in its 70-year history.\u00a0 No longer will test-takers need to ensure that answer bubbles are adequately filled-in using the trusty old #2 pencil.\u00a0 Instead, in July the law school admissions will be propelled into the future (well, I suppose, the present) by requiring prospective law school applicants to take the exam on a tablet.\u00a0 This is a major development in the law admissions arena and likely a step in the right direction for the long-term.\u00a0 However, the implications of this new format are currently unclear and we expect that the transition to be a bit bumpy in the beginning.<\/p>\n

New Digital Format<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Overview<\/em><\/p>\n

The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), which is administered by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), has been the primary standardized test required for admission to US law schools for over 70 years.\u00a0Since its inception, the LSAT has been administered in a pencil-and-paper format, where test-takers review questions in a booklet and fill in bubbles corresponding to their chosen answer on a separate sheet.<\/p>\n

In late 2018, LSAC first announced the decision to move to the new digital format.\u00a0 The LSAT is actually the last major graduate school entrance exam to go digital.\u00a0 According to LSAC, the actual substance of the LSAT will not change at all and will still consist of about 100 questions split into the existing three question types (logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension).\u00a0 The digital format will not be an adaptive test, like the GRE and GMAT, where the questions change depending on your performance.\u00a0 The writing sample, however, will now be separated from the LSAT beginning with the June 2019 administration.\u00a0 Rather than hand-writing the writing sample on the test day, test-takers will be able to type the sample on a secure online platform from home at the time of their choosing (for up to one year after their test date).\u00a0 This means that the LSAT testing day will now be 35-minutes shorter.\u00a0 LSAC sends scores to test-takers approximately three weeks after the administration of the exam.<\/p>\n

Testing Device and Purported Benefits<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite the LSAT\u2019s relatively delayed entrance into the digital world, it will be the only exam making use of tablet technology.\u00a0 The new digital LSAT will be taken on a Microsoft Surface Go tablets (with a 8.3\u201d x 5.5\u201d screen) that uses proprietary software developed by LSAC.\u00a0 LSAC announced<\/a> that its partnership with Microsoft is part of a broader collaboration with the tech giant focusing on using technology to improve legal education.<\/p>\n

LSAC has stated that the new digital format will provide a variety of benefits not only for test-takers, but also for law schools.\u00a0In LSAC\u2019s field tests, candidates reported that they found the new digital format easy to use.\u00a0 According to LSAC<\/a>, the software will include various functions intended to enhance the testing experience, including allowing users to:<\/p>\n