The Law School Admissions Test recently underwent its first facelift in 15 years, and Syracuse University students planning on taking the test after June 2007 will be the first to experience the new format.

SU has one of the highest numbers of students who apply to law school, said Russell Schaffer, senior communications manager for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. The most recent Kaplan figures from 2003 and 2004 show that 320 SU students applied to law school that year.

‘These changes are reflective of a test that is consistently trying to become ever more predictive of success,’ said Steven Marietti, director of Pre-Law Programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.

The LSAT, which is required for admission to the majority of U.S. law schools, consists of four sections and an un-scored writing sample. These sections are logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, reading comprehension and experimental.

The first change affects the writing sample. Marietti said that this difference is fairly minor.

The writing portion of the old LSAT gave students a choice of prompts. The new version has only one question, Marietti said.

‘Many students won’t even notice it,’ Marietti said.

Marietti said this change will have zero impact on cumulative scores.

The most important change is to the reading comprehension section, which is comprised of four individual passages, Marietti said. Starting in 2007, one of the four passages will be replaced and a new type of questions called comparative reading will be added.

‘Students should not panic,’ Marietti said. ‘We have seen this question type in many other exams. It is new to the LSAT but is not new to tests.’

These changes affect one-fourth of the scored portion of the test and count for three to six points of the final score.

‘Each section has six to seven questions, and there are 100 total questions,’ Marietti said. ‘Seven questions is a good piece.’

The test will still be scored on a scale from 120 to 180, Marietti said.

Kaplan recommends taking the test before the change takes place but only if students are adequately prepared.

‘If you don’t have to deal with the new test, we would say don’t,’ Marietti said. ‘Don’t panic, but be smart. When possible, focus on preparation whether or not you are looking at a test that is changing or not.’

Kaplan is still 100 percent confident that it will still be able to adequately prepare potential law students for the new LSAT, Marietti said.

The Law School Admissions Council will release more information on the updated LSAT in early 2007, Marietta said.

Mike Sinclair, a sophomore political science major who hopes to go to law school said he’s not really worried about the LSATs changing.

‘I’m just worried about taking them in general,’ he said.

Marietti said that Kaplan will offer a free LSAT practice test at Marshall Square Mall on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1:30 pm. Kaplan also has a Web site that is updated frequently, www.kaptest.com/law.

Published on October 24, 2006 at 12:00 pm