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The LSAT, explained plainly.
Before you answer a single question, you should know how the test works, how it is scored, how to do well on it, and why it matters. Then you need one tool: LSAC LawHub Advantage. This page covers both.
- multiple-choice sections
- 4 × 35 minmultiple-choice sections
- two Logical Reasoning, one Reading Comprehension
- 3 scoredtwo Logical Reasoning, one Reading Comprehension
- per Logical Reasoning question
- ≈ 1:25per Logical Reasoning question
- score scale, no penalty for wrong answers
- 120–180score scale, no penalty for wrong answers
How to use this course
Before you begin
- The course is free. LawHub Advantage is not.
- Every lesson and tool on this site is free. The official practice tests belong to LSAC, and you will need to buy LSAC LawHub Advantage from LSAC, about $124 for one year, to do the daily assignments.
- Sixty study days, not sixty days in a row.
- You are not meant to study 60 days straight. Plan on about five study days a week, which makes the program roughly twelve weeks, before you take your first real exam.
- Self-paced first, then timed.
- LawHub has a Self-Paced Mode and an Exam Mode, and every assignment says which to use. Early on, almost everything is self-paced, with one short timed session a week. The timed work increases steadily until you are taking full tests in Exam Mode.
- It gets you ready for your first exam.
- After that you can keep studying on your own, which can be as simple as taking practice exams in LawHub, and you can work with a tutor if you want one.
- You can do it more than once.
- The program can be repeated, in whole or in part. I recommend studying for about a year in total. I studied for thirteen months.
What the LSAT tests
The LSAT is a skills test. It does not test knowledge of law or anything you can memorize. It tests whether you can read difficult material closely and reason about it under time pressure.
In my opinion it is, more than anything, a true test of reading. Some people start with an advantage because of what they studied or how much they read. I came from accounting and had to work harder at it. It is still a skill, and it can be learned.
How it is structured
There are four multiple-choice sections of 35 minutes each. Three are scored: two Logical Reasoning sections of 24 to 26 questions and one Reading Comprehension section of 26 to 28 questions. The fourth section is unscored, can be either type, and is not identified, so you treat every section as real. There is a 10-minute break after the second section.
Separately, you complete LSAT Argumentative Writing: 15 minutes of prewriting and 35 minutes of writing. It is not scored, but your LSAT score is not released until an approved writing sample is on file.
How much time you get per question
In Logical Reasoning, 35 minutes for about 25 questions is roughly 1 minute 25 seconds per question.
In Reading Comprehension, 35 minutes covers four passage sets and about 27 questions. That is under 9 minutes per passage, including its questions.
Nobody is fast at this at the start. Speed comes from understanding, and the course builds understanding first.
How it is scored
Your raw score is the number of questions you answer correctly in the three scored sections, about 75 to 78 questions. Every question counts the same, and there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so you should never leave a question blank.
LSAC converts the raw score to a scaled score from 120 to 180. The conversion is set for each test form to account for small differences in difficulty. You are not graded against the other people testing that day.
Why it matters
Your LSAT score and your undergraduate GPA are the two biggest factors in law school admission. The score also affects cost, because schools use scholarships to attract applicants whose numbers they want.
A strong score does not guarantee admission anywhere, and no score guarantees a scholarship. But it is one of the few parts of your application you can still change, which is why it is worth giving enough time.
How the test has changed
Until August 2024, the LSAT included a section called Analytical Reasoning, better known as Logic Games. LSAC removed it and added a second scored Logical Reasoning section. Older books and videos that teach games are describing a test that no longer exists.
The writing portion also changed in 2024, from a decision-style prompt to the current argumentative task. This course follows the current format, and it will be updated if the format changes again.
How people do well
They give themselves enough time. I studied for about 13 months.
They study consistently, in amounts they can sustain alongside the rest of their lives.
They review every mistake until they can explain why the right answer is right and why theirs was wrong.
They take the real test only after their practice results show they are ready.
Format details on this page were last reviewed in October 2026. Rules about where you test, identification, permitted items, breaks, and deadlines change, and they are not listed here on purpose. Always confirm them on LSAC's website for the test date you are considering.
Your one required tool
How to set up LSAC LawHub Advantage
Every official practice test in this course is taken inside LSAC's LawHub, in the same interface as the real exam. A free LawHub account includes only a few PrepTests. LawHub Advantage unlocks the full library, PrepTest 101 through PrepTest 158, and this course uses many of them.
Step 1
Create a free LSAC account
Go to LSAC’s website and create an account if you do not already have one. This is the same account you will later use to register for the LSAT and apply to law schools, so use an email address you will keep.
Step 2
Sign in to LawHub
Go to LawHub and sign in with your LSAC username and password. A basic LawHub account is free and includes a small number of official PrepTests.
Step 3
Upgrade to LawHub Advantage
In LawHub, choose the option to upgrade to LawHub Advantage and complete the purchase. It costs about $124 for one year of access (checked October 2026; confirm the current price on LawHub). You pay LSAC directly. This course is free and receives nothing from that purchase.
Step 4
Check for a fee waiver first
If cost is a concern, look at LSAC’s fee waiver program before you pay. LSAC has included LawHub Advantage in its fee waiver package. Eligibility and what the waiver covers are set by LSAC, so read the current details on its website.
Step 5
Find the PrepTest library
Once Advantage is active, open the LSAT practice area and confirm that you can see the full library of official PrepTests, numbered from 101 upward. This course refers to every test by those three-digit numbers.
Step 6
Learn the two modes
Self-Paced Mode has no clock and lets you work through a section at your own speed. Exam Mode is timed the way test day is. Every assignment in this course tells you which one to use. Early on, almost everything is in Self-Paced Mode, with one short timed session a week. The timed work in Exam Mode increases as the course goes on, until you are taking full tests.
How assignments are written. How to read an assignment: “first Logical Reasoning section” means the first section of that type in LawHub’s list for that PrepTest. Every PrepTest has at least two Logical Reasoning sections and at least one Reading Comprehension section. LawHub’s layout changes from time to time. If a button has a different name, the idea is the same.
PrepTest numbers. This course uses only LawHub's current three-digit numbers, such as PrepTest 101, PrepTest 120, or PrepTest 150. If you see two-digit PrepTest numbers elsewhere, they refer to the older format of the test.
Your diagnostic. The Day 3 diagnostic uses PrepTest 140, which LawHub has offered free with a basic account, so you can begin before your Advantage subscription is active. From Day 5 on, you need Advantage.
LSAT, LawHub, and LSAC are registered trademarks of the Law School Admission Council, Inc. Chicago LSAT Prep is independent, is not affiliated with or endorsed by LSAC, and receives nothing from your LawHub purchase.