As part of our commitment to ensuring that the LSAT is the most reliable, valid, and fair assessment for admission to law school, we evaluate every scored and unscored question under real test conditions to ensure that the questions work as intended and are free from ambiguity or bias. The unscored questions that are approved through that process become scored items in future administrations.
Starting with the 2027-2028 LSAT testing cycle, we will change the way we incorporate these unscored questions into the LSAT. Beginning with the August 2027 LSAT, the unscored questions will be integrated into each of the three scored sections, making them part of the overall section experience rather than a standalone section.
What it means for test takers
This approach to unscored questions, known in the assessment field as “embedded pretesting,” will bring uniformity to the section types and section order on test day. Beginning with the August 2027 test, all test takers will start with the Reading Comprehension section followed by two Logical Reasoning sections.
- For the Reading Comprehension section, test takers will have 52 minutes for six passages with a total of 40 questions. Four passages with 27 questions will be scored and two passages with 13 questions will be unscored.
- For each Logical Reasoning section, test takers will have 45 minutes for 32 questions. In each Logical Reasoning section, 25 questions will be scored and seven questions will be unscored.
- There will be a 10-minute break after the first section and another 10-minute break after the second section.
IMPORTANT: There will be no changes to the types of questions or the number of questions that contribute to test takers’ scores. The amount of time provided per question will remain the same. LSAT scores of 120-180 will continue to represent the same skill levels, and scores will continue to be comparable across testing cycles.
Embedded pretesting of unscored questions is the same method as is used on the SAT, ACT, bar exam, and many other tests, and is considered a best practice in the assessment field. LSAC undertook significant due diligence in this process and is confident that this change in format will help us maintain and enhance the security and reliability of the LSAT going forward.
What it means for test prep
To help candidates prepare, we will be providing practice tests in both the current format and the new format, so candidates can select the version based on their planned test date. We will provide the practice tests in the new format in February 2027, enabling test takers to familiarize themselves with the new testing experience.
- People planning to test between now and June 2027 can use practice tests in the current four-section format, with one section containing unscored pretest questions.
- People planning to test in August 2027 or later will be able to use practice tests in the new three-section format starting in February 2027, with unscored pretest questions embedded among the scored questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does LSAC include unscored questions in the test?
Like most other assessment organizations, LSAC uses unscored questions during live testing to evaluate new questions to ensure they are working as intended and are free from ambiguity or potential bias.
What does “embedded pretesting” mean?
Embedded pretesting means the unscored questions that are being evaluated are integrated into a scored section, rather than a standalone section. This approach is used in the SAT, ACT, bar exam, and other high-stakes standardized assessments, and is considered a best practice.
When will the embedded pretesting change take place for the LSAT?
The LSAT will move to embedded pretesting beginning with the August 2027 LSAT administration. Test preparation material aligned with the new embedded pretesting format will be available in LSAC’s LawHub in February 2027.
What does the move to embedded pretesting mean for LSAT test takers?
Under embedded pretesting, test takers will no longer have a standalone unscored section. Unscored questions will be integrated into each of the three scored sections, making them part of the overall section experience, rather than a standalone section.
What are the benefits to test takers of embedded pretesting?
The embedded pretesting format brings uniformity to the section types and section order that test takers will see on test day. Beginning with the August 2027 LSAT, every test taker will start with the Reading Comprehension section, followed by two Logical Reasoning sections. There will now be two 10-minute breaks, one after the first section, and one after the second section. Embedded pretesting will also help ensure the continued security and validity of the test in the years ahead.
Will there be any changes to the number or type of questions that contribute to the LSAT score because of embedded pretesting?
No. Both the current format and embedded pretesting format have 27 scored Reading Comprehension questions and 50 scored Logical Reasoning questions that contribute to a test taker's score. LSAT scores of 120-180 will continue to represent the same skills, and scores will continue to be comparable across different testing years.
How will the LSAT be structured when embedded pretesting is implemented?
All test takers will take the Reading Comprehension section first, followed by the two Logical Reasoning sections. The average time per question will be the same as it is currently.
- In the Reading Comprehension section, test takers will have 52 minutes for the six passages with a total of 40 questions. Four passages with 27 questions will be scored and two passages with 13 questions will be unscored.
- For each Logical Reasoning section, test takers will have 45 minutes for 32 questions. In each Logical Reasoning section, 25 questions will be scored and seven questions will be unscored.
- There will be a 10-minute break after the first section and another 10-minute break after the second section.
| Section | ⏱ Time Allowed | ✅ Score Questions | ⚪Unscored Questions | 📝Total Questions |
| Reading Comprehension | 52 min | 27 | 13 | 40 |
| BREAK | 10 min | — | — | — |
| Logical Reasoning 1 | 45 min | 25 | 7 | 32 |
| BREAK | 10 min | — | — | — |
| Logical Reasoning 2 | 45 min | 25 | 7 | 32 |
Note: Reading Comprehension includes 6 passages total (4 scored and 2 unscored).
How will breaks work for the new LSAT format starting in August 2027?
When the new format goes into effect in August 2027, test takers will receive a 10-minute break between each section, so there will be two breaks during the test. The breaks will be test takers' opportunity to use the restroom or just take a few minutes to relax, but they must continue to follow the rules and not engage in any prohibited behaviors, such as cell phone use.
How will the length of the test change?
The testing time will be two minutes longer. The total amount of break time will be eight minutes longer due to the change in the number and length of breaks between sections. So the entire testing experience will be 10 minutes longer, with eight minutes of that being additional break time.
Will LSAT validity be impacted by embedded pretesting?
No, the validity of the LSAT will not be affected by the change. The types of questions and number of questions that contribute to a test taker's score will not change. Additionally, embedded pretesting is now considered a best practice across the assessments field.
Do other testing programs utilize embedded pretesting?
Yes. In the field of educational assessment, it is now considered best practice to have scored and unscored questions within the same section, because this provides a more realistic setting for evaluating the quality of the unscored questions. For this reason, the SAT, ACT, bar exam and many other large-scale tests have now incorporated embedded pretesting into their assessment programs, and LSAC is making this decision after significant due diligence as to the appropriateness of this format for the LSAT.
Could a test taker be advantaged or disadvantaged by the unscored questions they get?
No. The unscored questions in each section are balanced in the types and difficulty of the questions, as are the scored questions in the sections.
Will test takers know which questions are scored and which are unscored?
No. Just as with the current test format, test takers should do their best on every question, treating each question as a scored question. The positions of scored and unscored questions within a test section will be different for different test takers.
Will there be any changes to the Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension questions based on embedded pretesting?
No.
Will there be any changes to the amount of time per question?
No. Under both the current format and after we implement embedded pretesting, test takers have an average of 78 seconds for each Reading Comprehension question and an average of 84 seconds for each Logical Reasoning question.
Will there be any user interface changes to the LSAT based on embedded pretesting?
No. To the extent that there are any user interface changes in the 2027-2028 testing cycle, they would be the result of improvements to the test taking experience overall, not related to embedded pretesting.
Will there be any changes to proctoring or testing modality when embedded pretesting is implemented?
No.
Will there be any changes to the accommodation process based on embedded pretesting?
No. The process for requesting accommodation will remain the same, as outlined on the accommodations page on our website. We will provide additional information about accommodations in the embedded pretesting format soon.
Right now, when scores are released, test takers aren’t told which questions were scored and unscored — will that change with embedded pretesting?
No.
When will LawHub test prep be available for the embedded pretesting format?
We will provide practice tests in the new embedded pretesting format starting in February 2027. Test takers planning to test in August 2027 or later will have about six months to become familiar with the new format. The types of questions are not changing.
In addition, the current version of LawHub test prep will continue to be available through the June 2027 LSAT administration.