LSAT India 2017: Exam Dates, Registration and Pattern Updated June 2017 LSAT remains one of the popular competitive exams because it can gain you an entry into top law schools and courses all over the world. Conducted by Law School Admission Council, over 100,000 candidates take the test every year. LSAT India 2017 is a law entrance exam for admissions to five-year integrated undergraduate and two-year postgraduate law programmes in more than 70 law schools in the country. You can also use the LSAT score to apply to foreign law schools of your choice. While the exam is designed by LSAC, the test is administered by Pearson Vue in India. LSAT India 2017 details you need to know Given the significance of the test for law aspirants in the country, it’s important to pay attention to details of LSAT India 2017. To make things easier, we have listed them for you here. LSAT Registration Registration for LSAT India 2017 began in September 2016 and the deadline has been extended till 3rd May 2017. You can register for the test only through the online process detailed on the official LSAC website. LSAT India 2017 registration fees are Rs. 3,800. You can make the payment via credit cards or demand draft/pay order/ banker’s cheque. Offline payments have to be drawn in the favor of Pearson India Education Services Private Limited. LSAT Exam dates This half-day standardized test is held four times a year in different parts of the world. However, LSAT India 2017 is set for 21st May 2017. Although officially there is no fixed eligibility criteria to appear for the LSAT, admissions criteria of universities and law schools are taken into account. There are a few basic criteria that need to be met based on the program you want to apply for.   LSAT Exam pattern LSAT is a 2 hour 20 minute long test with around 100 multiple choice questions. Unlike other standardized tests, LSAT is conducted offline (paper-pencil). You are awarded one mark for each correct answer and the good news is that there is no negative marking in the test. The test takers should make sure that they attempt every question carefully. The LSAT test aims to assess the reading and verbal reasoning skills of aspiring law students. The LSAT India 2017 test is ideal for those with critical thinking skills.  The standardised test breaks down the critical thinking skills into three main areas: logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension. The test is divided into four sections – Analytical Reasoning, 1st Logical Reasoning, 2nd Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. The exam contains five 35-minute sections containing multiple-choice questions. Out of these, four sections contribute to the final LSAT score. You can expect around 24 questions in each section with 35 minutes to answer them. There is an additional unscored section, which is used to test new questions. This section can appear anywhere in the exam and has no fixed order.  Test takers cannot identify the section on the exam day. In addition, candidates have to take a writing sample at the end of the LSAT. These samples are sent to every law school that the students have applied for. Understanding these LSAT India 2017 details are the first step in staying on top of the challenges the test brings. LSAT 2017 Exam Results The LSAT India 2017 results have been declared on June 8, 2017. Earlier, the results were supposed to be declared on June 20, but the results have come out almost two weeks in advance. The LSAT India 2017 exam results are announced in the percentile format. Students can check their LSAT India 2017 scores from the official website. You can check the respective websites of the Indian law schools to find out the schedule for the admission counseling sessions.   Article you may like: What is LSAT Raw Score?

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There has been an increase in the number of LSAT takers in the 2015 - 16 cycle, which ended the five year downturn in the figures. It has led to an increased number of applicants to law schools, and the trend continues. Early figures for the present LSAT cycle show that the numbers are bound to increase. After turning their backs to law as a career choice for a few years, candidates are cautiously but certainly returning to law schools through the LSAT route. Numbers speak for themselves Year 2009–10 had the highest number of LSAT takers in recent times and while the present showing doesn’t match up, it certainly overturns the decline in numbers in the past few years. 2014–15 statistics were worrying as they had dropped by 40% compared to five years ago. Heartening signs were seen early in the 2015-16 cycle and the numbers eventually rose by 5% from the previous year. There has been a corresponding rise in the number of applicants to law schools. According to studies, the numbers are only going to rise in coming times. What makes Law degree appealing in these times? To understand the growing appeal of law school degree today, we need to look back at the history and the present scenario all over the world. Last time there was a surge in LSAT applications was in 2009-10. It was after recession had hit and college graduates were finding it difficult to get a job. They flocked to law schools in large numbers to boost their career prospects. According to experts, we have reached a point where higher level degree is the only way to stand out from the crowd. Hence there is going to be an increase in the number of LSAT applicants, who want to give themselves the competitive edge. Another important factor that has to be looked at is the current political scenario all over the world, which leaves room for conflicts for individuals and institutions. There are more people taking recourse to law, which means more clients and new job opportunities in the field. However growing LSAT applications also means increased competition, which requires candidates to put their best step forward. You can also read: LSAT Multiple-Choice Question Strategies

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Preparing for the LSAT can be a nerve wracking experience, especially since you know that your future depends on your performance in the exam. You do everything possible to make sure you put your best step forward as the test day approaches. But it can happen that you are just not ready. Imagine a scenario where your LSAT date is just around the corner and you feel that your preparations are not up to the mark for one reason or another. There is nothing wrong with admitting that; if anything it shows self-awareness and the fact that you take the exam quite seriously. When should you withdraw LSAT application? While you have the option of taking the LSAT again, it can be a draining experience. If you feel you cannot get to your best score in the upcoming LSAT then you are well within your rights to withdraw your application. There are many candidates who get overwhelmed with the preparations and are prone to high levels of anxiety or physical strain. If you are going through a similar situation then you are better off taking the LSAT at a later date. Withdrawing LSAT application – know your options Of course there is a precedent to candidates withdrawing their LSAT applications. And it’s exercised more frequently than you might think. Here are different options you can choose from: Withdraw registration – LSAC has a “withdrawal” option for test takers and you can exercise it up to midnight before the test day. There are no negative consequences besides losing the registration fee. Withdrawal will not even show up on your score report. Remain absent – You simply do not show up on test day and lose your registration fee. Your absence shows on your LSAC score report though. But there could be several reasons you couldn’t make it on the test day, and a brief explanation in the addendum section of the application can suffice. Cancel your score – You can do that by showing up for your test and canceling before you start, just after taking it, or up to six days after the LSAT. The last two options make more sense because you at least get a real time testing experience. There’s nothing wrong with not being ready for LSAT first time around; you can always give it your best shot at the next date.   You should also read: Application Timeline For September LSAT Takers

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If you took your LSAT in September your scores are out and you can heave a sigh of relief. You know that the hard part is over. No, we are not going to tell you otherwise. Hard part IS over. Now it’s time to focus on the application process to ensure that you make it to Law School. While it’s true that what comes next is not hard, you have to put your best step forward to get through the door of your chosen law school. It means you have to streamline your application process and we are here to help you do just that. Eight-week timeline to take the weight off your shoulders We have chalked out a straightforward eight-week timeline for LSAT takers to ensure they are on top of things from Day 1. It’s helpful to everyone who took the test in September but can be followed by all LSAT takers. Week 1 - Submit transcripts and strategize Start with submitting transcripts from all schools you have been to. Then you have to focus on what your application is going to look like on the whole. Highlight key themes of the application like extracurricular, any specific activities, internships. If you have a few weaknesses like low GPA score strategize how you are going to overcome it. It’s advisable at this stage to make a list of 10 – 15 schools you want to apply to. Week 2 – Get in touch with recommenders and outline essays You should get in touch with recommenders at an early stage because you are not in control of when the letters come in. Ideally you should have a letter from at least one professor. If you have more than a year’s work experience, get a recommendation letter from your boss, someone who has direct knowledge of your work. Meanwhile also have a theme and outline for your essay, which should complement other aspects of your application. Week 3 – Write your personal statement The personal statement should describe why you want to go to Law School, and why do you think you are prepared for it. It has to be convincing to the admission officers and reflect the real you. Hence it’s important that the statement is in your own authentic voice. You are better off with saying things you want to through anecdotes. Make sure you proofread the statement so that there are no mistakes. Week 4 – Write down diversity statement This might be applicable for only certain schools and if you don’t fit the criteria, don’t write it. But when applicable, focus on the narrow and broad prompts. The former is in the more traditional sense of diversity like socioeconomic background, race, religion etc. The latter could be about an experience that makes you a unique candidate. Make sure you describe how the experience and background add to the law school’s community. Week 5 – Work on school specific essays You are already half way through the process; now it’s time to focus on why you are applying to a particular school. That’s the most common topic of the essay here and you can tackle it by finding a medium between your interests and professional goals. Focus on any offerings, faculty members at the school, which help you get to that goal. These essays are often optional but you should still submit them to add weight to your application. Week 6 – Create your resume, write down the school-specific essays Unless you have years of work experience, keep your resume one page long. Your academic background should be at the top. Write in line with research, critical thinking that you had to do in your extracurricular, internships or at work. You already have an idea of what you are going to write in school specific essays. Put them down in a long version and edit where necessary. Here it’s important to take into account a law school’s writing specifications like margins, length of the essay and font. Week 7 – Write Addenda Your Addenda could be about lower GPA, several LSAT attempts or any explanations regarding character and fitness. Remember they are not essays and should be short. They should only have relevant information to anything you feel the need to explain. But don’t make excuses or apologize. Rather take a positive approach and tell them what you have learned from the experience and how it will help you. Week 8 – Finalize, proofread and submit There is nothing more unappealing than an application filled with errors. Proofread your applications several times. Take help from a friend or family members to go over your essays to make sure they sound authentic. You also don’t want the school specific essays and recommendations going to wrong schools. Double check everything before you send your application. This weekly plan has been designed to make the application process simpler for you. Once you have made your applications you might have to consider interview prep, waitlist strategy etc. At any point if you feel it gets overwhelming it’s a good idea to get expert guidance. We are here to help!  

#LSAT Preparation

Around 30,000 law school aspirants take LSAT every year and not one of them is going to tell you that it’s a walk in the park. Though there is no magic figure that will assure you admission into top law schools, getting LSAT score of 160 and above can definitely boost your chances. But that is definitely not an easy task. Add to it the fact that experts believe you should take the LSAT only once and when you are best prepared for it. Although many candidates retake the test it’s not uncommon for law schools to only consider the highest or the most recent score. So why is LSAT Hard? Please note that we only want you to know what you are in for with the LSAT so that you can prepare for it in the best possible way. As they say, knowing your adversary can help you conquer him. And it’s about time you start treating LSAT as an adversary; a pretty tough one. Foreign logic To begin with, LSAT is hard because you have to use logic that is not naturally intuitive to you. Three different sections have a different type of unintuitive problem each. Moreover the language is subtle, confusing and you are given way too much information to make things difficult. Time pressure is enormous Most LSAT takers comment that they would be more certain of an answer if they had more time for it. Unfortunately you have about a minute and a half to answer each question on the test. There might be a few easy questions, but overall it’s a sprint to the finish. Stress that gets to you A majority of law school aspirants know that they only have a few shots at the LSAT, and getting the score they have in mind. That raises the pressure on the test day manifold and those who score near perfect on practice tests can do miserably on the actual LSAT. Prep can burn you out LSAT is more of an IQ test than any of the other standardized tests. There is no real information that you can memorize and it only means you have to solve thousands of problems to get a hang of it. Fighting burnout is a common issue with test takers. Needs you to study smart Your natural ability with certain kinds of mental processes is going to be tested on the LSAT. Hence it’s important to study smart, way ahead of time and with the help of the best resource material. LSAT is a tough battle, but it’s a battle that you can win. Are your LSAT exams right around the corner? Here is a video of six last minute tips for LSAT test takers to help you overcome the nerves.

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