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Coronavirus LSAT Updates

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coronavirus LSAT

At Manhattan Prep, we’ve been closely monitoring the effects of COVID-19 in our communities. This is an immensely difficult time and our thoughts are with all those who are impacted. Our top commitment is to the health and safety of our employees, our students, and our partners. 

Update 2/19/21: To ensure the safety of all test-takers, the LSAT will continue to be offered remotely through June of 2022. However, June 2021 will be the last LSAT-Flex!   Beginning in August 2021, the LSAT will include an additional unscored section, which could be of any type. The test writers use the unscored section to gauge the difficulty of new LSAT questions for future tests. You won’t know which section is unscored, but because this means a longer exam, you’ll get a short break half way through, between sections 2 and 3. You can read more about the new LSAT on LSAC’s dedicated webpage.

Update 10/15: The North American January, February, April, and June LSAT exams will be administered as LSAT-Flex.

Update 8/19: The North American October 3rd LSAT will be administered as an LSAT-Flex. Registration is open through Friday, August 21st. Most testing will take place on October 4th and October 10th. This test will be undisclosed, and score release is slated for October 23rd. This test will also count towards the number of times a candidate can take the LSAT in a year (3), in a two-year period (5), and in a lifetime (7).

Update 7/9: LSAC Announces “Score Preview” in advance of the August LSAT-Flex. Score Preview is a new, paid feature that allows first-time LSAT takers to preview their score before deciding whether to keep or cancel. Learn more in the Score Preview section of our LSAT Flex Blog.

We know that COVID-19 is deeply disrupting your life right now, and it has the potential to delay your long-term goals for your career and education. You can still study effectively, though, and it’s also fine to delay your studies if needed—the LSAT isn’t going anywhere and neither are we.

To that end, we want you to know that we’re here for you. Here are ways we’re working to help you continue to achieve your goals, even in these tough circumstances:

  • We’re Still Teaching Live (Online): Our services, including live teacher instruction, are still available, however our in-person classes and tutoring will be meeting online for now. You can try any of our classes for free (no credit card needed) to see whether it’s the right fit for you. Our online classes are small in size, have our expert 99th-percentile instructors, and cover the same rigorous curriculum as our in-person offerings.
  • We’re Keeping You Up To Date: As updates come from law schools and LSAC, we’ll keep you in the loop. Below are some resources we recommend for staying in the know, study and work from home advice, plus some additional stress-relief.  

We appreciate having you in our community and we’ve got your back. While this is an uncertain time, our team is leaning in every day to support you, and together we’re going to get through it.  

Thanks and stay healthy,

The Manhattan Prep Team

Study Advice & Recommended Resources

LSAT & STUDYING:

  • UPDATE 2/19/21: Remote LSAT Dates have been announced through June of 2022. However, June 2021 will be the last LSAT-Flex! Beginning in August 2021, the LSAT will include an additional unscored section, which could be of any type. The test writers use the unscored section to gauge the difficulty of new LSAT questions for future tests. You won’t know which section is unscored, but because this means a longer exam, you’ll get a short break half way through, between sections 2 and 3.  You can read more about the new LSAT on LSAC’s dedicated webpage.
  • UPDATE 8/19: The October LSAT will be administered as an LSAT-Flex. Registration is open through Friday, August 21st.  It will be the first LSAT-Flex to count towards the annual, multiyear, and lifetime limits on taking the LSAT. It will also be the second test for which candidates can use the new “Score Preview” feature. Score Preview is a paid feature ($45 if you buy in advance, $75 if you buy day-of) that allows LSAT takers to preview their score before they decide whether to keep or cancel. Score Preview is available only to first-time LSAT takers. Students who have taken a previous administration of the LSAT are not eligible. Previewed scores will be released on the same date as other scores, and candidates will have 6 days from that date to decide whether to keep or cancel.
  • UPDATE 7/9: The August LSAT will be administered as an LSAT-Flex. It will also be the first test for which candidates can use the new “Score Preview” feature. Score Preview is a paid feature ($45 if you buy in advance, $75 if you buy day-of) that allows LSAT takers to preview their score before they decide whether to keep or cancel. Score Preview is available only to first-time LSAT takers. Students who have taken a previous administration of the LSAT are not eligible. Previewed scores will be released on the same date as other scores, and candidates will have 6 days from that date to decide whether to keep or cancel. 
  • We think that Score Preview is a great option for all first-time LSAT takers. It’s like buying “score insurance.” But since you can only use it once, we don’t recommend that you use it unless you’re really ready for the exam. Don’t rush to take an exam that you’re not ready for and squander your opportunity to really ensure that you get a score that reflects all of your hard work prepping! 
  • You can read more about Score Preview on LSAC’s Score Preview FAQ page. 
  • You can stay informed about LSAT news directly from LSAC’s Coronavirus and the LSAT Update Page. 

LSAT-Flex and the New Remote LSAT

When LSAC canceled the April 2020 LSAT, they also announced a new take-from-home LSAT called LSAT-Flex. While LSAT-Flex is going away after June of 2021, the LSAT will continue to be administered remotely through at least June of 2022. 

Remote LSATs will use the same digital test interface as the Law Hub practice platform. The biggest difference between the old in-person LSAT and new, remote LSATs is that the new LSATs have only three scored sections: one Logical Reasoning, one Reading Comprehension, and one Logic Games (aka Analytic Reasoning). One LSAT-Flex, the sections are administered continuously with no break. On the new remote LSAT (August 2021 and beyond), there will be an additional, unscored section, taking the test length to four sections instead of three. This necessitates a break, which will be given in the middle of the exam, between sections two and three. If and when LSAT testing resumes in person, the 4-section model will continue, at least for the next few years, according to LSAC.

In addition to impacting the length of the exam, the move to three scored sections impacts score calculation. Traditionally, the two sections of Logical Reasoning accounted for 50% of your score. Now, the single section of Logical Reasoning will account for only 33% of your score. That means studying Logical Reasoning will not give you a bigger return on investment than studying the other sections.

Remote LSATs can be taken on a laptop or desktop computer with either a Mac or Windows operating system. You also need a working webcam and microphone. Google Chromebooks and tablets are not supported. The organization administering LSAT-Flex is ProctorU. You can read about the equipment requirements on their FAQ page. If you are registered for LSAT-Flex but don’t have the necessary equipment, or an acceptable room in which to take the exam, reach out to LSAC Candidate Services. 

If you were approved for testing accommodations by LSAC for an in-person exam, those accommodations transfer to LSAT-Flex. LSAC will reach out to students in the coming weeks about how those accommodations will be provided. 

WORK/STUDY/PLAY-FROM HOME:

  • Harvard Business Review has both an article and a video on how to work from home efficiently. 
  • Mindfulness is something MPrep recommends in everyday life, and especially now, it can be useful if you’re feeling anxious or need some techniques for self-care. Here’s a free 15 minute audio mindfulness meditation and also a 30 second video version. Or browse through this collection of free mindfulness resources.
  • The Museum Computer Network nonprofit has an extensive list of virtual museum tours, e-learning, and online collections. Check it out here.
  • MIT has virtually all of their course content available online for free at this site.
  • The Metropolitan Opera has free live audio streams of their operas here. 
  • Broadway Plays and Musicals have live streams available here.
  • Here’s 43 recipes for cooking with whatever’s in your pantry.
  • And here are some penguins visiting other animals in their aquarium. Because penguins!

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