LSAT Dos and Don’ts

We want to ensure simple test day procedures don’t hamper your testing experience, so here are a few pointers on things to keep in mind as test day approaches. Always remember that proctors are trained to look for “prohibited behaviors,” all of which are clearly outlined in your Candidate Agreement. When proctors notice these behaviors, they’re instructed to “flag” your session, which triggers a security review of the video by LSAC. Depending on the specifics of your case, the security review could cause your score to be delayed, sometimes for weeks, while it is completed, or ultimately canceled.

Take a few moments to browse through these pointers. They can go a long way toward saving you time and potential stress.

Test Day Dos...

Familiarize yourself with LSAC’s policies.

We strongly urge you to take one final look at your Candidate Agreement, especially Sections 10 through 15, before taking the LSAT. This way, you’ll will have a clear understanding of what you can, and can’t, have in your immediate surroundings.

You may also want to familiarize yourself with all the LSAT Policies and Guidelines in the days prior to the test. Following these guidelines will greatly reduce the chance of having your testing session flagged for review and increase the likelihood of an on-time delivery of your score. 

Be on Time.

Make every effort to begin your session on the date and time you scheduled. Remember that you can arrive up to 30 minutes prior to your scheduled test time. Failure to begin your session on time may result in you being marked absent. 

Make sure your workspace is clear, and you only have permitted items on your desktop.

If you’re testing remotely, for security purposes, you will be directed to complete a room scan during the check-in process. If you plan to take the LSAT on a desktop computer, please have an external webcam available to use during the test, so you can complete the 360-degree room scan.

A major cause of sessions being flagged for review is an improper room scan before the test. Make sure you slowly (slower than you would think) conduct a complete 360-degree scan of your entire testing environment, including the top and underneath of your work surface, and be sure that there are no prohibited items in your work area. If you’re uncertain of which items are prohibited, review Sections 14 to 16 of your Candidate Agreement. 

Also, make sure that you are testing in a fully private and enclosed room with no floor-to-ceiling windows or glass walls, and that you’re testing on a hard surface, such as a table or desk, with a chair.

And remember that while the use of scratch paper is permitted for the LSAT’s multiple-choice portion, it is not allowed for LSAT Argumentative Writing. A digital notetaking section is available within the LSAT Argumentative Writing module, so you can type notes as you write your essay. 

Have your LawHub login credentials available and written down (if you haven’t memorized them).

You’ll need to be able to log into LawHub to take the LSAT. Ensuring you have your login credentials on hand will make the testing process go more smoothly and prevent delays.

Ensure your computer meets all system requirements.

If testing remotely, keep in mind that the ProProctor live proctoring software is only compatible with Microsoft or MacOS on laptops or desktops. Keep in mind that Chromebooks, Linux, and tablets are not compatible.

It is absolutely critical that you perform an enhanced system check at least 24 hours prior to your test. This is to make sure your computer is compatible with the ProProctor application. To perform an enhanced system check, follow the instructions in the Prometric ProProctor portal . The portal will guide you through the check and instruct you to download the ProProctor application and install it to your computer.

Generally, you’ll need:

• A laptop or desktop computer with one of the following active and licensed operating systems: Windows 8.1, MacOS 10.13 to 12.6.5, MacOS Ventura 13.3.1 and above, MacOS Sonoma, or MacOS Sequoia.  
• A screen resolution of 1024x768.  
• A webcam with a resolution of 640x480p and a microphone. Make sure your computer has functioning audio capabilities (without the use of a headset) to communicate with your proctor. If you’re taking the LSAT on a desktop computer, you will need an external webcam to complete the test.  
• A strong and stable internet connection with a download speed of at least 1.0 mbps.  
• The latest version of Google Chrome web browser.
• Administrative rights to the computer on which you’ll take the test. (This is so you can download the required proctoring software.)

If testing in person, the test center will provide computers that meet these requirements.  

For LSAT Argumentative Writing, it is also important to test your equipment through ProctorU’s functionality before you begin your writing sample. If you fail the system check, such as by not having working audio, ProctorU won’t stop you from taking LSAT Argumentative Writing. It is important that you ensure your system meets all requirements and is working properly before you begin.  

Have access to your testing location for the entirety of the test, which may take up to 5 hours.

The LSAT is composed of four 35-minute test sections, and there is a 10-minute intermission between the second and third sections. Under standard conditions, the test takes approximately 3 hours but can take up to five hours due to the time it takes to complete onboarding, troubleshoot any technical issues encountered, etc.

If testing remotely, make sure you’ll have access to a quiet, well-lit, private, enclosed room for the entire time you’re taking the test. You cannot move testing areas after you complete the room scan and begin the LSAT. Moving to another testing location after beginning your test is a guaranteed red flag resulting in a cancellation. You also cannot let someone else into the room during your testing session.

For more information about room requirements, please review the Prepare for Test Day instructions.

Test Day Don’ts...

Don’t use an electronic device, especially your mobile phone!

The #1 reason for cancelled test sessions is the presence of a prohibited electronic device. Don’t be that person!

Pretend you live in a world with no electronic devices. Leave your watches, fitness tracking devices, calculators, tablets, and any other electronic device in a different room. You don’t need them, and you can live without them for a few hours.  

Per the Candidate Agreement, you can have your mobile phone in the room, but it must remain “powered off, face down, out of your arm’s reach, and at a distance and location where it is unable to capture any images on your computer screen.” Your phone must remain within the view of the proctor for the entire multiple-choice portion of the LSAT.  

The only time you can use your phone is to communicate with your proctor or with LSAC, and that’s only if there’s an issue with your test that cannot be resolved through the proctoring interface. Note that these rules are also in place during the 10-minute intermission! 

Don’t take a picture of your computer screen or discuss the content of the test.  

Taking a picture of your computer screen at any point in the testing process will flag your test for review and could ultimately be grounds for cancellation. Similarly, sharing any test content or talking about test content — on online forums or social media (and that includes the r/LSAT Sub-Reddit), or even one-on-one conversations — could put your test, and all the time you invested, in jeopardy.

Remember, you don’t need to take a picture of your computer screen at any time. We have a record of your test from the moment you check in, and we also have a video, so you don’t need to save your own evidence of taking or completing the test.

Don’t use your own wired or wireless headsets or earbuds.  

Remote LSAT test takers may use soft, non-electronic, non-corded/banded, generic foam earplugs, which will need to be shown to and approved by your LSAT proctor. Unless a specified accommodation has been granted, remote test takers cannot wear headphones, earbuds, noise-reducing earmuffs, or anything similar that is not a soft, non-electronic, non-corded/banded, generic foam earplug. These types of items are unable to be monitored by proctors to ensure a fair and equal testing environment.  

In-person LSAT test takers will be assigned noise-reducing earmuffs as part of their equipment and materials. In-person test takers can only use the earmuffs assigned to them.  

Please ensure that your earplugs or center-provided earmuffs will not interfere with your ability to receive instructions from your proctor. Test takers are responsible for adhering to proctor instructions and communications at all times. LSAC’s goal is to safeguard your test and score by putting this policy in place to mitigate testing irregularities that could result in the termination of your session or cancellation of your score.  

Don’t read aloud the test materials or move out of the camera’s view.  

For test security reasons, you are not allowed to read aloud any portion of the LSAT questions or responses while taking your test unless you have received an approved testing accommodation that allows this.  

It’s also important to remain in camera view while you’re taking the test. This includes when you’re working on your scratch paper (for the multiple-choice test only, as scratch paper is not permitted for the writing sample). Going out of camera view raises concerns and will cause your session to be flagged for additional review. Moving the computer farther away from you can help ensure you stay within camera view for the entire testing session.  

Don’t assume you’ll have access to your LawHub credentials if they’re saved in your browser.

You won’t be able to access outside programs while taking the LSAT. If you forget your password, you will not be able to access your email to reset it. We recommend that you write your credentials down if you don’t have them memorized.  This will prevent a delay to the start of your test.  

Don’t assume your laptop battery will last for the whole test.

Under standard conditions, it can take up to five hours to complete the LSAT. Ensure you have a power cord for your laptop or take the test on a desktop computer with an external webcam to ensure you’re able to complete the entire test.