LSAC Expands LSAT Schedule

Prospective law students will have more opportunities to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) starting in mid-2018. The Law School Admission Council announced today an expanded testing schedule that will increase testing dates from four to six annually.

The additional LSAT dates were announced at LSAC’s Annual Meeting and Educational Conference, which is taking place this week in Palm Desert, California. Attendees include representatives from LSAC’s member law schools, who participate in professional development, networking, and opportunities to discuss and provide feedback on LSAC’s legal education services, including the LSAT.

“The additional test dates are an important part of LSAC’s continuing efforts to reduce barriers to entry into legal education,” Dean Susan L. Krinsky, chair of LSAC’s Board of Trustees said. “The LSAT has always been the most valid, reliable, and widely used test in law school admissions. It is the best test for predicting success in law school, and therefore LSAC constantly explores ways to improve its delivery. We will continue to look for innovative ways to enhance access and diversity in legal education, while ensuring the quality of both the LSAT and all the services we offer.”

The more flexible testing schedule will benefit both prospective law students, who will have more options if they have a conflict with a particular test date, and law schools, whose application cycles have shifted in recent years.

The expansion of LSAT test dates is the latest of several test-related initiatives LSAC has announced over the last several months. Earlier in May, it announced that there will no longer be limitations on the number of times a test taker can sit for the LSAT in a two-year period. LSAC also conducted a successful pilot of a Digital LSAT in May as part of its research into student-friendly alternative testing models. And in February, LSAC entered into an innovative partnership with Khan Academy to develop interactive online materials for the LSAT, and make personalized practice free for all.

LSAC also recently made a significant investment in the Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc. (CLEO), to assist in that organization’s efforts to advance the diversity of the legal profession.