Why Are There Two Summer 2018 LSAT Tests?

Why Are There Two Summer 2018 LSAT Tests?

If you are planning on taking the LSAT this summer, you may have been surprised by the fact there seem to be two summer 2018 LSAT tests. In the past, LSAC has only offered an LSAT in June, and an LSAT in late September or early October. What has changed in the LSAT schedule, and what does it mean for future administrations?

Why Are There Two Summer 2018 LSAT Tests?

What are the summer 2018 LSAT test dates?

You can find all of LSATs published test dates here. To save you a click, the two summer 2018 LSAT tests are June 11, which is close to the typical date, and July 23, which is very much an outlier. Now, there are two summer 2018 LSAT test dates, when traditionally there would only be one.

Is 2018 special, or is a larger change afoot?

LSAC decided to add more test dates last year. You can read our breakdown of that change here. Moving forward, there are now going to be six LSAT test dates each year. So, you will be able to take the LSAT in January, March, June, July, September, and November every year. LSAC has increased the number of LSAT administrations by 50% in 2019.

The great thing about more LSAT tests is that you have much more flexibility to take the test. For example, if you planned on taking the LSAT after your junior year, but could not sit in June, the old schedule forced you to wait until late September or early October. If you had to retake, you would then have to wait until December, delaying your law school application by 3-4 months. Under the new system, if you couldn’t take the LSAT in June, you could take it in July. Then, if you needed to retake it, you could take it in early September. The new schedule could save you a ton of time in applying to law schools!

How will this affect me?

On the positive side, this change gives you more options of when you take the LSAT. If you are a college student, it is now much easier to take the LSAT at a time that doesn’t conflict with a traditional semester schedule. June, July, and also early September are ideal times for many students to sit for the exam. This flexibility, which starts with the summer 2018 LSAT test dates, is a real positive for students.

On the negative side, if you do need to retake the LSAT, you have much less time to prep. The compressed summer schedule means that students who anticipate needing to retake must immediately begin studying or else leave themselves only a few weeks for review. This will be stressful for retakers. Ideally, you should try to limit your attempts on the LSAT to one, but if you need to retake, you have less time to find a different approach. We would encourage anyone who needs to retake the LSAT to skip an administration before attempting again, even if it delays your law school application. Unless there were mitigating circumstances, like an illness or other distraction, you’ll need more time than a few weeks to really prepare for your second crack at the test.

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