[citation needed] The test has existed in some form since 1948, when it was created to give law schools a standardized way to assess applicants in addition to their GPA.

Beginning in 2023, candidates have had the option to take a digital version either at an approved testing center or on their computer at home.

At this meeting the issue of a way to test students who came from excessively "technical" backgrounds that were deficient in the study of history and literature was discussed but ultimately rejected.

Prior to August 2024, the LSAT contained an analytical reasoning section, commonly referred to as logic games.

[15] The LSAC previously administered the LSAT four times per year: June, September/October, December and February.

[17] In December 2018, LSAC announced that the Microsoft Surface Go tablet will be used exclusively to administer the LSAT beginning in 2019 when the test transitions to a digital only format.

The writing sample section will be separate from the LSAT starting with the 3 June 2019 test administration.

The decision prompt generally does not involve a controversial subject, but rather something mundane about which the examinee likely has no strong bias.

[27] For best results, LSAC suggests taking practice tests under actual time constraints and representative conditions in order to identify problem areas to focus on in further review.

[26] For preparation purposes, only tests after June 1991 are considered modern, since the LSAT was significantly modified after this date.

Students who do not use these courses often rely on material from LSAT preparation books, previously administered exams, and internet resources such as blogs, forums, and mobile apps.

[30] The LSAT is a standardized test in that LSAC adjusts raw scores to fit an expected norm to overcome the likelihood that some administrations may be more difficult than others.

[32] This means that the conversion standard is set beforehand, and the distribution of percentiles can vary during the scoring of any particular LSAT.

Adjusted scores lie in a bell curve, tapering off at the extremes and concentrating near the median.

LSAC still reports to law schools that the student registered for and took the exam, but releases no score.

University of North Texas economist Michael Nieswiadomy has conducted several studies (in 1998, 2006, and 2008) derived from LSAC data.

Many law schools are selective in their decisions to admit students, and the LSAT is one method of differentiating candidates.

Additionally the LSAC says the LSAT (like the SAT and ACT at the undergraduate level) serves as a standardized measure of one's ability to succeed during law school.

This may be due to the fact that an emphasis on LSAT scores is considered by some to be detrimental to the promotion of diversity among applicants.

This composite statistic can have a weaker correlation to first year performance than either GPA or LSAT score alone, depending on the weighting used.

These restrictions will not apply retroactively; tests taken prior to September 2019 do not count toward a student's totals.

Also, LSAC will implement an appeals process to grant exceptions to these restrictions under extenuating circumstances.

[43] When faced with multiple scores from repeat test takers, users of standardized assessments typically employ three indices—most recent, highest, and average scores—in order to summarize an individual’s related performance.

[44] How the law schools report the LSAT scores of their matriculants to the American Bar Association (ABA) has changed over the years.

In June 2006, the ABA revised a rule that mandated law schools to report their matriculants' average score if more than one test was taken.

The current ABA rule now requires law schools to report only the highest LSAT score for matriculants who took the test more than once.

In response, many law schools began considering only the highest LSAT score during the admissions process, as the highest score is an important factor in law school rankings such as those published by U.S. News & World Report.

[47][48][49][50] The minimum scores they require depend on the selectivity of each society and time period when the test was administered.

[54] A controversy surrounding the LSAT was the requirement that examinees submit to fingerprinting on the day of testing.