The LSAT consists of two question types across its multiple-choice sections: Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. The exam is split into two parts. The first part has four 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions (three scored, one unscored). The second part is an unscored writing task called LSAT Argumentative Writing, completed separately online.
How the Test Is Structured
The multiple-choice portion includes three scored sections and one unscored experimental section. The experimental section looks identical to the scored ones and can be either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension. It can appear at any point during the test, and you won’t know which section is unscored while you’re taking the exam. LSAC uses it to test new questions for future exams.
Each of the four sections lasts 35 minutes. The LSAT no longer includes the Analytical Reasoning section (the one with logic games), so every multiple-choice question you encounter will fall into one of two categories.
Logical Reasoning Questions
Logical Reasoning makes up a significant portion of the scored exam. Each question presents a short passage, usually a paragraph or less, that contains an argument or a set of facts. You then answer a single multiple-choice question about that passage. The passages cover everyday topics, from politics to science to ethics, but you don’t need any specialized knowledge. What matters is your ability to pick apart how an argument works.
The specific question tasks vary, and recognizing what each one asks for is a core part of LSAT preparation. Here are the main types you’ll see:
- Flaw questions ask you to identify why an argument’s reasoning is flawed. You need to spot the logical gap or error the author made.
- Assumption questions ask you to find a claim the argument depends on but never explicitly states. Without that unstated assumption, the argument falls apart.
- Strengthen and weaken questions ask you to pick the answer choice that either supports or undermines the argument’s conclusion. You’re not deciding whether the argument is good; you’re finding the piece of information that shifts its strength in one direction.
- Inference questions ask what can be logically concluded from the information given. The correct answer follows directly from the passage, even if it isn’t stated outright.
- Method of reasoning questions ask you to describe how the argument proceeds. Instead of evaluating the argument’s content, you’re identifying its structure.
- Principle questions ask you to find a general rule or principle that justifies the reasoning in the passage.
- Resolve/explain questions present an apparent contradiction or surprising result and ask you to pick the answer that explains it.
- Parallel reasoning questions give you an argument and ask which answer choice follows the same logical pattern. Some specifically ask you to match a pattern of flawed reasoning.
- Disagreement questions present two speakers and ask you to identify the specific point on which they disagree.
Flaw, assumption, strengthen, and weaken questions tend to appear most frequently. If you’re just starting to study, those four categories are the place to focus first.
Reading Comprehension Questions
The Reading Comprehension section contains four sets of questions. Each set pairs a reading selection with five to eight questions about it. The passages are drawn from the humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and law-related topics. They tend to be dense, use high-level vocabulary, and present complex arguments or multiple points of view.
Most sets use a single long passage, but one set may use a comparative reading format: two shorter, related passages presented side by side. A section will typically include either three or four single passages and zero or one comparative reading pair. Comparative reading questions focus on the relationship between the two passages, such as whether one provides a specific example of a principle the other describes, or whether the authors take opposing positions on the same issue.
The questions themselves test a range of reading skills:
- Main idea or primary purpose questions ask what the passage is fundamentally about or what the author set out to accomplish.
- Explicit information questions ask about something directly stated in the passage. These are essentially “find it in the text” questions.
- Inference questions ask what can be reasonably concluded from the passage, even if it isn’t said outright.
- Vocabulary in context questions ask what a specific word or phrase means as the author uses it, which may differ from its everyday meaning.
- Organization and structure questions ask how the passage is put together, such as whether it presents and then refutes an argument, or builds from specific examples to a general conclusion.
- Application questions ask you to take information from the passage and apply it to a new scenario.
- Author’s attitude questions ask you to identify the author’s tone or stance based on the language they use.
- New information questions describe a hypothetical new fact and ask how it would affect the claims or arguments in the passage.
You don’t need background knowledge in any of these subject areas. Everything you need to answer the questions is contained in the passage itself. The challenge is processing complex material quickly and accurately under a 35-minute time limit.
LSAT Argumentative Writing
The writing section is administered separately from the multiple-choice exam. You take it online, on your own computer, using secure proctoring software. You’re eligible to complete it starting eight days before your scheduled LSAT date, and you’ll need a valid government-issued photo ID to launch it.
The prompt gives you an issue and several short perspectives representing different values or belief systems. You then write an argumentative essay in which you take a position on the issue and engage with some of the other perspectives. You get 15 minutes for prewriting (guided analysis questions and a digital notetaking tool) and 35 minutes to write.
This section is not scored, but it is required. Law schools will not receive your LSAT score until you have a completed and approved writing sample on file. Schools can read your essay as part of your application, so treating it seriously is worth your time even though it doesn’t affect your numeric score.
What Actually Gets Scored
Your LSAT score (on the 120 to 180 scale) is based solely on the three scored multiple-choice sections. The experimental section and the writing sample do not count toward that number. Since the experimental section is disguised as a regular section, the practical strategy is simple: treat every section as if it counts.
Because Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension are the only scored question types, your preparation should split between building argument-analysis skills and improving your ability to digest complex written material under pressure. Both sections reward careful, precise reading over speed, so practicing with timed sections is one of the most effective ways to prepare.