All About the LSAT-Flex
LSAC’s answer to closed test sites, LSAT-Flex may not be right for all applicants. But for those who’ve been prepping, it’s better than not testing at all.
RECENT HISTORY OF LSAT
Until last summer, the structure, content, and format of the LSAT had hardly changed since 1991, when the Issues and Facts section was eliminated, leaving five sections: Analytical Reasoning (commonly called “logic games”), Reading Comprehension, two sections of Logical Reasoning, and Writing.
But the past year has seen several major changes to the LSAT. Beginning in July 2019, the pencil-and-paper format was replaced by a digital version of the test, administered via a tablet and stylus. Moreover, the Writing section was separated from the multiple-choice sections. LSAT Writing is now administered as a proctored, on-demand exam available to test takers from their own computers, for up to one year from their official test date. In addition to the new format, the number of tests offered was expanded from six per year to nine.
The move came as the LSAT is facing increased competition from the GRE, which is recognized by a growing number of law schools as an alternative to the LSAT. There have since been five administrations of the Digital LSAT. Despite some initial glitches, these have been largely noncontroversial.
CORONAVIRUS INNOVATIONS
The crisis surrounding COVID-19 has led to another significant change: The Digital LSAT scheduled for March 20 of this year was cancelled, and registrants were automatically registered for the April 25 test. In April, however, LSAC announced that there would be no April test. Instead, they introduced a shortened, at-home version of the test called the LSAT Flex, which was administered to about 10,000 test takers between May 18 and 22.
The LSAT-Flex is a shorter version of the conventional test, taking just under two hours, rather than the typical four hours. While the Digital LSAT has five 35-minute sections, only four of which are scored, the LSAT-Flex contains just three 35-minute sections, all of which are scored. This shorter test eliminates one of the two logical reasoning sections, an experimental section, and all breaks. The LSAC has since canceled both the June and July dates of the Digital LSAT and replaced them with LSAT-Flex options. It remains unclear when the standard Digital LSAT will return.
Is the LSAT-Flex good or bad for test takers? That depends.
There are obvious benefits: if you’ve got a reliable internet connection and a quiet space at home, it means you don’t have to leave your home to take the test. You’ll enjoy a comfortable and familiar testing environment and won’t have to worry about the distractions of other test takers. (Those with subpar internet access or who lack a quiet place to take the test may want to ride out the pandemic until they can take the test under better circumstances.) Additionally, because the LSAT-Flex is a much shorter test, fatigue won’t play the role it normally plays.
Finally, the LSAT-Flex may benefit those whose weakness is the Logical Reasoning section. Instead of making up a full 50% of the total score, this section makes up only 33%, which means the Analytical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension sections count comparatively more. (On the other hand, those who struggle particularly with the logic games or reading sections may find this version of the test more frustrating, given that those sections count for more than they traditionally have.)
CONCLUSIONS
At least two trends are worth watching. First, depending on how long testing centers remain closed for reasons of public health, the more plausible it becomes that the LSAT-Flex becomes the standard format of the LSAT, seriously changing the dynamics of the test. And even if the LSAT-Flex remains only a temporary option, will the Digital LSAT return in an attenuated form? Finally, given the LSAT’s recent loss of its monopoly on law school standardized testing, how will the experience of the LSAT-Flex affect its standing, both among test takers and law schools?
Some have expressed concerns that law schools won't view the LSAT-Flex as truly equivalent to the standard test. Exacerbating such fears, LSAT-Flex scores include "an annotation" to signal that it was taken in an online, remotely proctored context. Some law schools have already addressed these fears. University of Michigan they’ll view the test without suspicion: "We have a lot of faith in the LSAC's ability to ensure their traditional high levels of security, validity, and reliability." And given that a law school's chief concern about scores is the way the median LSAT score for an incoming class affects the school's US News & World Report ranking, it's unlikely that applicants will be disadvantaged by submitting a LSAT-Flex score rather than none at all.
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