The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) recently announced that it will be transitioning the LSAT (the test taken by the vast majority of law school applicants) to a digital format, beginning in July 2019. Because law school applicants in the current testing year have anticipated taking the test under the pencil and paper format, the LSAC decided to wait until the July 2019 test date to make the change because summer marks the end of the traditional law school admission cycle. Students taking the LSAT before July of 2019 will take it under the old pencil and paper format.

Students taking the July 2019 exam will be assigned either a pencil and paper test or a digital one, which the LSAC maintains is necessary under educational testing standards when making such a transition from paper to computer test formats. To ease the transition, July 2019 test takers will have the option of seeing their scores before deciding whether they wish to cancel them (whether they’re assigned a digital or paper copy). Those who decide to cancel their scores may retake the test again through April 2020 free of charge.

Though the test will become entirely digital beginning in September 2019, the LSAC has made it clear that the structure of the test sections and test questions will not be any different from the traditional paper format. Furthermore, the LSAC will offer free online tutorials to help test takers become familiar with the digital format.

The new digital LSAT will be administered on a tablet device that the LSAC says will have several features that benefit test takers and schools, including faster reporting of test scores. Current LSAT preparation materials can still be used to effectively prepare for the test, and additional tablet-specific practice materials are forthcoming.

In addition to its move to a digital format, the LSAT will now be offered nine times a year (up from the current six). Beginning in July 2019, the LSAT will be offered in June, July, September, October, November, January, February, March, and April.

If you have any questions about preparing for the LSAT or applying to law school, please contact Maki Gorchynsky at maki@mosereducational.com.