If you are prepping to take the new LSAT in August 2024 or later, you NEED this information. LSAC has just released 58 new LSAT practice tests on Lawhub, reconfigured for the new test.
(Just in case you weren’t aware, the Logic Games section of the test will be removed starting in August. Instead, the test will consist of two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one experimental section, which could be either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension. Like before, you’ll have no way of knowing which section is experimental.)
It’s important to note that the new practice tests aren’t brand new questions. Instead, they seem to be the same as the old, pre-pandemic LSATs, reconfigured for the new test structure and with new score conversions (that is, new curves).
Why this is great news
As an LSAT tutor, I am so glad that LSAC reconfigured and released these new versions of the tests. One of the frustrating things about prepping for the LSAT during the pandemic was the fact that the test was shorter by one Logical Reasoning section, and so scoring practice tests without that extra LR section always involved some guesswork.
With these new Lawhub tests, on the other hand, we have LSAC’s actual scoring scale for the recalibrated tests. So when you take one, you can be sure that the score you receive is as accurate as possible.
It’s also great that these new practice tests are actually just taken from older practice tests. That means that there’s a wealth of information on the internet that will help you as you review and study the questions in these new practice tests. You don’t have to wait while the test prep industry scrambles to catch up. (Compared for example students who are taking the new Digital SAT this year. That test has undergone a massive change, and students who are studying for this new test only have four official practice tests to study from. Thank goodness you have 58.)
However, there is one tricky aspect to these new practice tests on Lawhub. In creating each of the new tests, LSAT stitched together sections from two different older tests. And then they gave the new test a new number from 101 to 158. Why does that make it a bit challenging for you?
Well, it can be a little bit difficult if you are taking one of the new practice tests and you want to look up explanations or tutorials. If you google explanations for LSAT Practice Test 131, you won’t find anything, at least not yet. And it can take some annoying detective work to figure out that actually you should be googling Practice Test 59 (or maybe 51 if it’s the experimental section). And it’s even more annoying that Practice Test 132 isn’t Practice Test 60 like you might expect, but it’s actually 62 (but the experimental section is still from 51). Confused yet?
That’s why I took the time to cross-reference each of the new practice tests with all of the old practice tests. And I created a handy chart for you so that you can get on with the business of studying for the LSAT instead of hunting down which test is which.
If you want the full details, read on. But if you just want the chart, here it is. (It is set as “view only” but you can make a copy of it if you want to make any edits.
Changes to the LSAT
I’ve been teaching standardized tests for the past 20+ years, and for Most of that time, I’ve been impressed by how little the LSAT changed. While the SAT went through about 5 different major overhauls, the LSAT was pretty stable, at least before 2019. After that, it’s been a whirlwind. Here’s what it looked like in each of its eras.
Pre-2019 LSAT
- Paper-based test
- Scored sections: 1 Logic Games, 2 Logical Reasoning, 1 Reading Comprehension
- Experimental section: 1 section (could be any type and could appear at any point)
- Writing test: paper-based and administered immediately after the multiple choice
From July 2019 until the Pandemic
- Digital test administered in a group setting using Surface Go tablets supplied by LSAC
- Scored sections: 1 Logic Games, 2 Logical Reasoning, 1 Reading Comprehension (exactly the same as the old paper-based test)
- Experimental section: 1 section (could be any type and could appear at any point)
- Writing test: online and administered one-on-one with an online proctor; not required if you’ve already done it
Pandemic Phase 1
- Digital test administered in your own home using your own device
- Scored sections: 1 Logic Games, 1 Logical Reasoning, 1 Reading Comprehension (shortened from the previous test)
- Experimental section: NONE
- Writing test: online and administered one-on-one with an online proctor; not required if you’ve already done it (no change from previous)
Pandemic Phase 2
- Digital test administered in your own home using your own device
- Scored sections: 1 Logic Games, 1 Logical Reasoning, 1 Reading Comprehension (same as Pandemic Phase 1)
- Experimental section: 1 section (could be any type and could appear at any point – standardized tests rely heavily on experimental sections to test out new questions and to ensure the validity of the testing scale, so LSAC really couldn’t get by for too long without an experimental section)
- Writing test: online and administered one-on-one with an online proctor; not required if you’ve already done it (no change from previous)
Post-Pandemic but before August 2024
- Digital test administered in your own home using your own device OR in a testing center
- Scored sections: 1 Logic Games, 1 Logical Reasoning, 1 Reading Comprehension (same as Pandemic Phase 1 & 2)
- Experimental section: 1 section (could be any type and could appear at any point – same as anytime except Pandemic Phase 1)
- Writing test: online and administered one-on-one with an online proctor; not required if you’ve already done it (no change from previous)
August 2024 and beyond
- Digital test administered in your own home using your own device OR in a testing center
- Scored sections: 2 Logical Reasoning, 1 Reading Comprehension (so it’s kind of like the old, pre-pandemic tests, just without the Logic Games)
- Experimental section: 1 section (could be LR or RC and could appear at any point – same as normal)
- Writing test: newly redesigned prompt structure
How LSAC Created the New Practice Tests
The new practice tests on Lawhub (PT 101 through 158) have two Logical Reasoning sections, one Reading Comprehension section, and one experimental section (which could be either LR or RC and which could appear at any point in the test.)
To create the scored sections of the new practice tests, LSAC essentially took an old, pre-Covid test, and removed the Logic Games section. They then reworked the statistics to create a new raw-to-scaled score conversion for the new test.
For the experimental sections, LSAC again dipped into past practice tests. Essentially, they took the two LR sections and one RC section from an old test, and distributed those three sections among three different new practice tests as experimental sections.
For example, new PTs 113, 114, and 115 take their scored sections from old PTs 37, 38, and 39. Old PT 31 was then broken up and distributed into PTs 113, 114, and 115 as the experimental sections.
What I noticed while working through Lawhub to correlate the new tests with the old tests is that while there was some logic to the numbering system, it wasn’t always possible to predict. PT 115 came from PT 39, but PT 116 came from PT 43, for example.
Why does this matter?
Beyond being a simply fascinating look at how practice tests get formed (no? only me?), the real takeaway here is that it’s handy to have a nice table that lays out which new test came from which old test.
So that when you are studying and you need to look something up, you don’t have to awkwardly Google question stems to try to figure out which practice test you should be looking up explanations for.
My hope is that this spreadsheet will save you time, helping you focus your study sessions on things that actually matter.
This post may contain an affiliate link or a referral link. For more information, please see my disclosure here.
LSAT Notes
If this post resonated with you, I’d love to stay in touch. About once a week, in the form of an email newsletter, I share useful strategies and insights I’ve picked up during my years teaching the LSAT. “LSAT Notes” you can use to study more effectively and raise your score.
Often these are inspired by breakthroughs my students had that week. Other times, they respond to questions students like you have. My goal is to provide motivation and encouragement along with knowledge about the test and advice about how to study.
Learn more about it here, or to subscribe, simply fill in the form below.