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One of the most important steps on your way to law schools is, of course, the Law School Admission Test. At first glance, the LSAT is just a test – you’ve done plenty of them in your undergraduate years, and you’ve probably even done a bunch of standardized ones like the SATs. Don’t let this thinking fool you, though – the LSAT is probably one of the most important tests you’ll ever take if you ever plan on becoming a lawyer.
The LSAT is scored on a scale of 120 to 180, but the most important thing to remember about that is the fact that it’s curved. This means that your score will be a reflection of how you compare to all the other law school applicants. If you’ve ever come across the archetypal law student, you’ll know that they’re particularly known for being over-achieving, super-competitive, and are willing to work for it. Your competition is stiff.
And while there are law schools in North America that will accept you with lower LSAT scores, you might want to think twice about taking them on their offer. The legal profession in the United States is particularly oversaturated, and finding a job isn’t easy on the open market. Potential employers will care both about your grades and the quality of the school you’re coming from. Going to a low-tiered school for a legal degree could be a recipe for disaster: law school isn’t cheap, and if your job prospects are slim you very well might end up saddled with a whole lot of debt and few prospects for paying it off.
Fortunately, while it might seem like an aptitude test, the LSAT is, in many ways, a learnable test. In fact, the Law School Admission Council, which administers the LSAT, very clearly suggests that individuals planning to take the test practice for it extensively. There are many programs, such as our LSAT Courses, that are specifically designed to help students improve their performance on the test. There are also plenty of free resources available online to help you out in this regard.
First things first though: if the LSAT is something you’re planning on doing, you should know what you’ll be up against. The best way to get started is usually by attempting a full practice test under ideally timed conditions. Download this free LSAT practice test, and follow the instructions to the dot. It might not go all that well the first time, but it’ll give you a taste of what you’re going to have to master and a sense of where you stand at the moment.
This might be one of the more difficult tests you’ve ever come across, but remember – if you plan on becoming a lawyer, it will also be one of the most important.
