Hi! There are no bathroom breaks :( you are not allowed to leave the view of your facecam. The check in process involves you signing in to Proctor-U. From there a proctor will ask you to scan your room, mirror your screen, show your paper, double check the software on your computer, etc. You read a statement aloud, and then you begin the test. Ideally, it is rather simple and straightforward. You've heard so many different things because an individual's testing experience solely relies on the proctor that you get. It truly is hit or miss; you can end up with a phenomenal testing experience, or one where your proctor is absolutely clueless and does not know the LSAT's rules (or, in my personal case, one that has their internet disconnect 22 times during the test). In general, expect a straightforward process of letting them check your surroundings and then you proceed to take and finish the test within a hour and 45 minutes. Just make sure to not be caught off guard if some things do spiral out of control -- worst case LSAC will refund you and you'll have a cancel on your record.

Here is how this one clicked for me -- the stimulus specifies that chlorofluorocarbons need to be phased out because the standards are becoming more strict. The ? stem says that cars are meeting these more strict standards. Thus, we need to infer how this is possible. (E) Fills the gap, saying that something makes a contribution, therefore validating that cars meet said standards. (D) says that solvents that replace the chlorofluorocarbons will be marginally less effective. I would take a guess and say that you viewed (D) and thought that the replacement solvents will still be "effective" even if the difference was marginal. Overall though, given that the chlorofluorocarbons are the best possible solvents (according to stim), the standards are becoming even more strict, and cars have continued to meet the stricter standards means that something else must have contributed because the chlorofluorocarbons are no longer useful to them and they are phasing them out.

Hopefully that helps!

I did the July and August flex. It is definitely a mix, and you can never really know what you'll be getting. This is VERY subjective, and keep in mind this is reliant on specific sections I received on test day(s), but -- LG feels like 70s and RC feels like the 80s to me. LR definitely has less of a focus on formal logic, but I don't think I could confine it to a specific era. That's how I felt just going through the test with patterns of difficulty, having a weird fourth game, etc. If there is anything to take away from this is that you should spread your studying out and I highly recommend not skipping over the 70s (and including the 80s)!

@ said:

@ I was wondering the same thing. I am writing in November and have no clue when to do the written. I was thinking of just doing it the same day I do the flex if possible? Or should you definitely be doing it beforehand? My only issue is these are precious days left before the exam and am wondering if it is smart to lose study days doing it????

If I was in your position, I would do it before the test. There's nothing worse than waking up on score release day and being unable to see your score. There is a slight chance that you could do it on test day and it be processed on time, but as the August LSAT indicates -- there are still test takers who haven't received their score and scores were released roughly ten days ago. (Unless you are taking January -- if that is the case then definitely feel free to take it afterwards)

Further, I wouldn't consider doing it as losing much, if any, study time. You can't really study for it (besides getting a conceptual idea of what you'll be writing down) and it only takes like 45 minutes in total including the process of clearing your room, showing paper, etc.

If anything, getting it out of the way can help you feel a little more accomplished when you are stressed going into the exam + ability to fully relax after finishing the test is nice because you will be more exhausted than you can imagine after. Let me know if you have any more questions!

First piece of advice is to do it as soon as possible! A lot of test takers were unable to receive their score as LSAC now requires it to be on file to view your score (it takes approx. 1-3 weeks to be processed). It is recorded and an AI processes it so just make sure there is nothing unnecessary going on in the background.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I think there are two effective ways to structure it. One way is to have an intro, shorter body paragraphs, conclusion (w/concession). Another way is two lengthy paragraphs that go into the details of both options. (If you're unfamiliar with the prompt, you are essentially always tasked with analyzing and arguing between two options in a situation).

I hate to throw around the words "it doesn't matter," but it really is just a neutral factor in your app that just ensures that you can write on your own accord. Hope that helps!

It ranges between seven to ten questions for a 170 on the flex usually. LSAC will rotate different, individually-scaled sections between test takers that have a numerical effect of -1, 0, or +1. Consider 7 your starting point. If you have a difficult section then that usually adds a point, meaning that would equate to -8 for 170. Powerscore explains this really well, I would recommend listening to their podcast if you need a better explanation.

What @ said about the diversity statement is true. From what I understand, however, is that optional essays are another way of adcoms gauging an applicant's interest in the school. A lot of schools offer multiple unique prompts i.e. "If you could create a non-profit org, what would it be and why?" Obviously, not writing one of these is not the end all be all, but it certainly could help. Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I would highly recommend writing an optional essay if the school allows it.

Absolutely. I know some applications actually ask about SAT/ACT scores, but an addendum directly addressing the source is great. I have also heard that if your score is far below your undergraduate's average this may be useful info to include. (Make sure to emphasize that your score is on the old scale of the SAT, although this may be obvious)

I'd say it depends on where you are at in your studies. I'm guessing you mean core curriculum, and if that's the case I would recommend against it. Maybe one test won't hurt, but you will surprisingly burn through most PT tests later on in your studies and you don't want to waste any valuable materials. At least wait until you understand the basic concepts of every section so that you can identify how they appear on an actual test.

I absolutely agree with everything the other commenters said. That being noted, I'm just gonna throw PT 88 out there. It's not a more "accurate" representation per say, but I think it's been deemed slightly more challenging and can be a great PT to test yourself.