It’s a question that many potential grad students grapple with: LSAT vs GRE. Both are important parts of the academic and career journey, but they have different purposes and better serve different goals. Knowing the difference between them will let you make an informed decision tailored to your goals, though.
Purpose and Focus
The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is an exam specifically for students who want to enter law school. It assesses your logical reasoning, analytical thinking, and reading comprehension ability. It includes components like logic games and arguments meant to measure skills required to succeed in law study.
The GRE (Graduate Record Examination), on the other hand, is a more generalized test, utilized by a variety of graduate programs. It assesses verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing test is effective for students who, perhaps, are considering many disciplines, as it allows to keep academic options open.
Test Structure and Format
The LSAT is a standardized, multiple-choice, paper and pencil test, and is offered three to four times a year. It is composed of five 35-minute sections that evaluate logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension, plus an unscored experimental section and a writing sample.
The GRE is a year-round computer-based adaptive exam. There are three primary areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Unlike the LSAT, the GRE allows you to use a calculator on math-related questions, which will be a boon for anyone who does not have full confidence in their mental math.
Acceptance in Schools
The LSAT has long been the sole test accepted by law schools. But many law schools have started accepting GRE scores in recent years as a substitute, specifically to attract candidates with different academic backgrounds. Even with the LSAT still the most common standardized test choice at many of the best law schools, the fact that more schools are recognizing the GRE gives students more options in applying for both law and non-law programs.
Cost and Accessibility
The GRE, by contrast, has numerous testing locations near students in the United States and is offered multiple times a year, making it more “accessible” for students. It is also slightly less expensive than the LSAT. Students on a budget will also find the GRE appealing as the prep material is generally a lot cheaper and more varied.
Which Should You Choose?
The LSAT vs GRE quandary is determined by your career path. But if your only destination is law school, the LSAT’s still the gold standard. Alternatively, if you’re still weighing various graduate programs, the GRE enables you to maintain your options.
Ultimately, it comes down to your academic goals in addition to how well you adjust to the format of each test. If you know what to look for you can do some research on what your target schools require and in turn, think about what your strengths are and allow that to help you with the right choice.
Cameron Martin is the author of this article. To know about steps to apply for Canadian Law Schools please visit our website: lsac.org
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