The Law School Admission Test, better known as the LSAT, made one of its largest changes in history on Sept. 21, shifting from a paper and pencil test to an all-digital, technology-based format.
The LSAT is a three-and-a-half hour test which includes sections of logical reasoning, logic games, reading comprehension, an experimental section and a writing sample. The test is administered six times each year by the Law School Admission Council.
An LSAT score, which can range from 120 to 180, is an integral component of a law school application.
The previous format of the LSAT, had been in place since the early 1990s with few changes and updates to content. The administration of the test will be the only new aspect students should anticipate; no changes have been made to the content of the test, according to Glen Stohr, Kaplan Test Prep’s senior manager for instructional design.
Each student in attendance at an assigned test site will receive a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet equipped with a proprietary software to deliver the test. The tools embedded in the testing software are also to the student’s advantage, said Stohr.
The digital LSAT features a timer with a five-minute warning, highlighting capabilities, and a flagging tool students can use to keep track of unanswered questions, according to the Law School Admissions Council’s website.
Sports administration senior Caroline Cruse took the test on paper in July and digitally on Saturday. She said she preferred the digital format because of the helpful tools embedded in the software.
“Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. I actually enjoyed it better on the tablet than I did on paper,” Cruse said. “You can highlight on it, you can eliminate answer choices and then you can click your answer choice. It also has a timer on it, which was really cool too.”
Because of this change, the Law School Admission Council will allot for five more testing dates per year, giving students more opportunities to improve their scores. 
Adding test dates will greatly benefit students, as success on the LSAT is crucial to being perceived as an asset to most law schools.
“The LSAT is the most important piece of your law school application,” Stohr said.
All LSAT scores received in the five years prior to the date of a law school application are automatically sent to the schools to which a student applies. Because all scores received will be viewed and considered, it is in a student’s best interest to prepare accordingly, regardless of the medium in which the test was administered, according to Jake Henry, director of admissions at the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
“Most law schools, including LSU Law, utilize all reported [LSAT] scores for a student in making an admission decision,” Henry said. “The LSU Law Center still recommends adequate preparation for the LSAT regardless of the method of delivery.”
For more information about what the digital format of the LSAT entails and how to prepare, visit the Kaplan Center at LSU on the first floor of the Student Union.