The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is witnessing a significant shift in the preferences of aspiring lawyers, with more than half of registered examinees opting for the comfort of their own homes to undertake the examination. According to recent data from the Law School Admission Council, out of the 19,463 candidates enrolled for this month’s LSAT, 61% have chosen to complete the test remotely, while the remaining 39% have opted for the conventional in-person format at designated test centers.
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This noteworthy trend emerges as the LSAT introduces a groundbreaking change to its testing dynamics. For the August test, scheduled over the course of a Friday and Saturday, candidates were presented with the unique opportunity to select between remote or in-person formats. This decision to offer a choice was officially announced by the council in April, marking a departure from the exclusive online administration of the LSAT since May 2020—a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent limitations on in-person gatherings. It’s important to note that historically, the LSAT has primarily been administered in person.
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However, the option of remote testing has not been without its challenges. Notably, technical issues with the previous remote testing administrator, ProctorU, led to concerns regarding the integrity of the online exam. Instances of remote proctors assuming control of examinees’ screens mid-exam or encountering interruptions due to unreliable Wi-Fi raised skepticism among test-takers. Despite these issues, the shift towards remote testing remains prominent in the current LSAT landscape.
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Industry experts, including Steve Schwartz, the founder of LSAT Unplugged, expressed surprise at the relatively lower percentage of candidates choosing in-person testing. Schwartz noted that many candidates had developed trust in the online LSAT format, even with its past problems. This sentiment was shared by Dave Killoran, founder of PowerScore, an LSAT test prep company, who explained that students have grown accustomed to the online format over time and are therefore more inclined to select what they are familiar with.
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While offering candidates the choice between remote and in-person formats represents a step towards normalcy for the LSAT—a pivotal exam in law school admissions—it coincides with a period of uncertainty. This year, the branch of the American Bar Association responsible for law school accreditation voted to eliminate the requirement for schools to use standardized tests like the LSAT for student admissions, granting institutions more flexibility in their admission processes. However, this decision has faced opposition, leading to its suspension in May. Critics, including the council and law school deans, argue that removing the standardized test requirement could result in more subjective admissions decisions and potentially harm diversity in law school admissions.
As stated by the council in April, the rationale behind introducing the dual LSAT format stems from the desire to alleviate test-takers’ concerns about the testing environment. By allowing candidates to focus solely on the examination itself rather than the physical setting, the council aimed to enhance the test-taking experience for all participants.
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