The LSAT is administered in two parts. The first part consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the five sections contribute to your score. These include one reading comprehension, one analytical reasoning, and two logical reasoning sections. The unscored section, usually referred to as the variable section, is used to pretest new questions or evaluate new test forms. The placement of this section varies, and you won't know which section is unscored until you receive your score report.
Starting in September 2019, the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT will be administered digitally in North America — learn more about the Digital LSAT.
The second part of the LSAT consists of a 35-minute, unscored writing sample. The writing sample, called LSAT Writing, is administered online using secure proctoring software that you can install on your own computer. The LSAT Writing prompt presents a decision problem, and you are asked to choose between two positions or courses of action, and defend your choice. There is no “right” or “wrong” position; the writing sample lets you demonstrate your argumentative writing skills. Law schools are looking at the reasoning, clarity, organization, language usage, and writing mechanics you display in your sample. Copies of your writing sample are sent to all schools to which you apply.