LSAT-FLex: What You Need to Know COVID-19 Series
The Princeton Review
Hi, everyone.
I’m Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, and I am here to talk to you about
the LSAT.
Like the GRE and GMAT—and the AP exams too for that matter—the LSAT is getting an at-home,
remote-administration treatment.
That online exam even has a great name: LSAT-Flex.
We’re going to talk about LSAT-Flex—and how you can be strategic about both the exam
and your law school applications in light of this current global public health emergency.
First I want to call out that LSAC, the Law School Admission Council, has done a truly
marvelous job of anticipating and responding to student questions about LSAT-Flex.
Theirs is the most comprehensive information page we have seen yet, so do give that a read.
We’ll touch on the salient points here, but I want to use our time together to talk
about strategy, too.
Let’s do a quick rundown of the LSAT-Flex key components:
It’s a remotely-proctored version of the LSAT that’ll be available in the second
half of May (dates TBA by 4/17).
It’ll have three 35-minute scored sections (compared to the four 35-minute scored sections
plus an unscored section in the traditional test).
It’ll have one section each of Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reasoning, and Logical Reasoning.
You’ll also take LSAT Writing, separately from the multiple-choice portion of the test.
If you haven’t already provided a writing sample from a previous LSAT, you’ll need
to complete LSAT Writing separately, as soon as possible after you take LSAT-Flex.
LSAT-Flex clocks in at about two hours—and here’s the rub, my friends: no breaks!
But there’s also good news: You will get to choose your test time.
LSAT-Flex will be scored on the usual 120–180 scale, and you’ll also get a percentile
ranking.
You should receive your score about 2 weeks after testing.
And your score WILL have an annotation that the test was administered in the online, remotely
proctored format.
(I’ll talk more about that in a moment.)
For now, LSAT-Flex is only available to folks who were registered for the April 2020 test
and had their exams canceled—and that includes March registrants who’d been moved to April.
That being said, LSAC is going to monitor the coronavirus pandemic and may make new
LSAT-Flex dates available if needed.
There will not be any more LSAT cancellations because there will be this alternative going
forward.
Now, if you were registered for the April LSAT and don’t want to take LSAT-Flex, do
not fear—you can also register for any other published LSAT test dates until April 2021,
without having to pay a date change fee.
(But keep in mind that, depending on the status of the Covid-19 pandemic, those test dates
may also ultimately have an administration of the LSAT-Flex.)
If you have a disability and need accommodations—contact LSAC.
They’ve said they’re committed to providing necessary accommodations.
If you don’t have the necessary test-taking equipment, again—reach out to LSAC.
They’ll work with you to try to get you a loaner device.
And if you’re currently living in your parents’ house with your noisy siblings and some extended
family too—and no one will be quiet for two hours no matter how nicely you ask or
how important it is—reach out to LSAC.
They’ve promised to try to identify individual solutions to that challenge.
If your internet goes out during the test, do not panic.
The remote proctoring system will likely pause the test, and then restart it after you’ve
resolved the technical issue.
Speaking of the remote proctoring system: LSAC
is employing ProctorU, the same remote proctors who will be administering the GRE.
Someone will be watching and listening (and recording!) as you take LSAT-Flex, and they’ll
ensure that test security and integrity are maintained throughout—for you and ALL test
takers.
Finally, if you want to get familiar with the test format, you can start now!
LSAT-Flex will be delivered in the same format as the free Official LSAT Prep practice tests
available on LSAC’s LawHub.
What does this all mean for you?
First things first: If your LSAT was canceled, then you can probably feel very good about
taking the LSAT-Flex instead.
We’re hearing so far from law schools that they’ll consider the LSAT-Flex in the same
way that they’ve considered the traditional LSAT.
Now, with all of these remote-option exams, the question we most often get from students
is: What about cheating?
And specifically, students who are not planning to cheat—I expect that’s the vast majority
of you—are worried that they’ll be penalized in the testing curve because their peers who
do cheat will have an unfair advantage.
Here’s what I want to say directly to you: ProctorU is a very reputable remote-testing
company.
They’ll not only be watching and listening in real time, but they’ll also be recording
you, for subsequent analysis by humans and AI.
Given how incredibly severe the consequences for cheating are, it is just not worth it.
If you were planning to take the LSAT in August or October or beyond, our advice to you is
unequivocally this: Register for it!
Prep for it!
Just as you’d been planning to do.
Even if the standard LSAT isn’t offered, you can pretty much count on there being an
LSAT-Flex option for those dates.
If you’ve got your heart set on a particular law school: prep, prep, and prep some more—and
go secure your dreams.
One last note—if you’re currently
in college and have had your classes transitioned to online and pass/fail, please take heart
that law schools will understand—many of them have made the same choices for their
students.
And also know that LSAC will place a letter in the CAS report of every applicant enrolled
during spring 2020, to remind law schools that this semester was one in which many schools
changed their grading systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You won’t be penalized for circumstances that are out of your control.
Repeat that mantra as often as needed.
What that also means is that you may find yourself with a bit more time to prep.
Rather than worry about the things you can’t change, focus on the things you can change—and
one of those things could very well be your future LSAT score.
Thanks so much for watching.
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Take care and be well, everyone.