Test, Experimental, and Scale Help

LSAT vs. Future Salary: The Importance of Test Preparation

LSAT Questions and Answers

When to Take the LSAT

Accommodated Testing

Test Day Preparations

The Experimental Section Explained

The LSAT Scoring Scale Explained

Historical Range of Correct Answers for Targeted Scores

Comprehensive Law Services LSAT Publication Identifier List

The Experimental Section Explained

Unfortunately, rumors about the LSAT experimental section are legion, and facts are difficult to come by. In the discussion below, we dissect the experimental section in detail.

What is the experimental section and why is it on the test?

Each LSAT contains five sections, but only four sections are scored. The extra, unscored section is known as the experimental section. According to Law Services, this section is used to "pretest new test items and to preequate new test forms." In other words, the experimental section contains items that will appear on future LSATs, and the results of your performance are used to determine future scoring scales (for related information on the LSAT Scoring Scale, please click here).

Although the experimental section has no direct impact on your score, your performance in this section is carefully analyzed by Law Services. Sophisticated statistical analyses are performed on your answers, and these results, when combined with information from thousands of other test takers, present a clear picture of the difficulty and logical validity of each question. Then, when future tests are assembled, questions can be selected with a high degree of confidence in how test takers will perform. Thus, entire tests can be assembled with a very accurate understanding of how many questions a 170-level scorer would miss, how many questions a 160-level scorer would miss, etc. With this information, scoring scales can be determined even before a test has been administered.

Where does the experimental section appear?

Up until the June 2007 LSAT, the experimental section number was the same for every test taker (for example, on the December 2006 LSAT every test taker in the country had section 1 as their experimental). See here for a listing of the experimental sections from 1995 to 2006. In June 2007, Law Services began using test forms that gave different experimental section numbers to different students. Thus, on a given test administration, some test takers might have section 2 as their experimental whereas other examinees might have section 3 as their experimental. Since June 2007 the experimental has appeared as the following sections:

Historically, the experimental section has always been one of the first three sections. We strongly believe this will continue to occur, but there is no way to predict before the test which section will be experimental.

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Does everyone have the same experimental section content?

Although every student has an experimental section, the content of individual experimental sections varies. For example, students taking the December 2007 LSAT had section 1 or section 2 as the experimental. Those students who had section 1as their experimental section, some test takers had a Logical Reasoning experimental section and some test takers had a Reading Comprehension experimental section. This variation in sections underscores another fact about the LSAT: although the composition of each scored LSAT is the same for all test takers, the order of section topic varies. These different test orders are known as different test forms. Consider the following two test takers from the December 2007 LSAT:

Note that each test taker has the same scored test components: two sections of Logical Reasoning, one section of Logic Games, and one section of Reading Comprehension. Each of these sections is identical for all test takers, e.g. everyone has the same set of Logic Games, the same Reading Comprehension passages, etc. But, each test taker does not have the sections in the same order, nor do they necessarily have the same experimental section topic.

The variation in test order is randomly assigned, and thus the order of the test is not matched to you personally—it is simply luck of the draw. The same is true for your experimental section topic, although if you get an experimental section that is one of your weaknesses (for example, two game sections), that can be a powerful psychological negative during the test.

Can I predict which section is the experimental prior to the test?

As discussed above, aside from understanding that the experimental section will be either section 1, section 2, or section 3, you cannot predict which section will be the experimental before the test.

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Should I try to figure out the experimental while I am doing the test?

No. Although some test takers can determine which section was experimental after the fact (as discussed below), this information is only useful for deciding whether to cancel your score once the test is over. During the test you should focus on performing well on each section without regard for the experimental.

Unfortunately, many test takers ignore this advice and try to determine the experimental during the exam. While we understand the attraction of this idea (who wouldn't want a 35 minute break during the test?), the downside is considerable if you incorrectly identify a section as the experimental. As a word of warning, we have heard many test takers cite the following two flawed methods as "foolproof" ways to determine the experimental section:

1. The total number of scored questions on the LSAT must equal 101

There is a myth that the scored sections of every LSAT must add up to 101 questions. The story goes that you can add up the questions during the test, and then throw out the extra section that would cause the question count to add to anything but 101 questions. While many LSATs do add up to 101 questions, the problem with this method is that there have been a number of exceptions to the “rule.” For example, the October 2004, December 2004, June 2005, October 2005, June 2006, September 2006, December 2006, June 2007, and September 2007 LSATs each originally contained 100 questions, and the October 1992 LSAT contained 102 questions. Because there is always the possibility that an LSAT can contain a fewer or greater number of questions than 101, the “question counting” method is not foolproof.

2. The section seemed unusually hard or unusually easy

Some people claim that they can spot the experimental because the questions are unusual in nature, or that the section seemed especially hard or easy. This is an imprecise method for determining the experimental section.

First, the LSAT is not comprised of sections of identical difficulty, but rather of a set of sections that are supposed to add up to the same overall difficulty every time. Within each exam the difficulty of individual sections tends to vary; for example, on some LSATs the Reading Comprehension section is very challenging whereas on other exams the Reading Comprehension section is fairly easy. The same is true for the other sections. While taking a demanding test, you would be hard pressed to make a fast, accurate assessment that a section is too hard or too easy to be scored.

Second, during the heat of the test, questions that are very typical can appear to be unusual. For example, we have heard students comment after a test that the Games section contained a completely new type of game. Yet, after they assessed the test later, the same students realized that the game in question was simply a variation of an old standard. The game just appeared unusual and difficult while they were under the pressure of the exam.

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How do I figure out the experimental section after the test?

For some test takers, this is easier, but for others it is quite difficult. Remember, each LSAT contains the same four scored section topics:

Because the experimental can be any of the section topics, the composition of your test will indicate which section topic you have as the experimental. Consider the following:

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The order of the test can then be used to narrow down the section number possibilities, although for some test takers this will yield more information than for other test takers. Consider the following test takers, and note that based on our discussion above, the experimental section is presumed to be one of the first three sections. These test takers are not presumed to have taken the same LSAT administration:

Clearly, test takers B and D have a decided advantage because as they complete their tests, they already know which section was the experimental section. Test takers A and C have narrowed down the possibilities, but they still cannot be certain of the exact experimental section number. Test takers B and C also have a different disadvantage: they both have four heavy reading sections in a row, which can be fatiguing. Test takers A and D have a somewhat greater variation in section topics.

If the experimental is unscored, why should I worry about it at all?

There are two situations where understanding how the experimental section is used is very helpful:

1. If you run into trouble on one of the first three sections.

Test takers can get very discouraged by a poor performance early in the test. But, because the experimental is one of the first three sections, if you have a poor early performance on a section, during the remainder of the test simply assume that the section was experimental and do not let that performance negatively affect the rest of your test performance. Then, at the conclusion of the exam you can determine if that section was in fact the experimental.

2. If you are thinking about cancelling your score.

The decision to cancel your score can be very difficult, and every piece of information helps make the decision easier. Sometimes, knowing the experimental section can finalize your decision to cancel or not to cancel.

For some students, the experimental section number is irrelevant. They work through the test, are comfortable with their performance, and they do not need further information about the test. For other students, especially those considering cancelling their score, determining the experimental can be critical.

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