How long is the LSAT?
The LSAT takes about 3 hours on test day. The multiple-choice part has four 35-minute sections, 140 minutes in total, with a 10-minute break after the second section. Check-in adds the rest. LSAT Argumentative Writing is a separate 50-minute task that you take online, starting eight days before your test date.
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In more detail
As of October 2026, three of the four sections count toward your score: two Logical Reasoning sections and one Reading Comprehension section. The fourth section is unscored and tries out future questions. It looks like the others, so you cannot tell which one it is. Logic Games were dropped in August 2024, so older guides that still list them are out of date.
LSAT Argumentative Writing is required but not scored. You get 15 minutes to read the sources and plan (you can move on after 5) and 35 minutes to write. It opens eight days before your LSAT date, runs on your own computer and is proctored remotely. Law schools receive it with your file, so treat it as real work.
You take the multiple-choice part at a Prometric test center. Since the August 2026 test, LSAC allows remote testing only as an approved exception, for example for some disability accommodations or if you live more than 180 miles (about 290 km) from a center. Test takers with approved accommodations get different timing. The score runs from 120 to 180 and every question counts the same, so a steady 35-minute pace matters more than finishing the hardest question.
LSAT timing as of October 2026
| Part | Time | Scored |
|---|---|---|
| Logical Reasoning (2 sections) | 2 x 35 minutes | Yes |
| Reading Comprehension (1 section) | 35 minutes | Yes |
| Unscored section (looks like LR or RC) | 35 minutes | No |
| Intermission after section 2 | 10 minutes | Break |
| Sections plus break | 2 hours 30 minutes | LSAC says to expect about 3 hours in total |
| LSAT Argumentative Writing | 50 minutes (15 to plan, 35 to write) | No, but required |
Step by step
- 1
Register for a test date and book a seat at a test center, or ask early for a remote exception if you qualify.
- 2
Schedule the writing task in the eight days before your test, not on test morning.
- 3
Practice with full timed tests: four 35-minute sections in a row with a 10-minute break after the second.
- 4
Train a 35-minute pace per section and note where you run out of time.
- 5
Write one practice essay with the 15 plus 35 minute split, so the format is not new on the day.
- 6
On test day, start check-in early and plan about 3 hours in total.
How StudyPDF helps
Official LSAT questions come from LSAC's LawHub. StudyPDF turns your own prep notes, book chapters and miss log into extra practice. Upload them, open New material and pick a quiz or a practice exam. The practice exam can be timed and shows no answers until you submit, like the real test, and every answer updates a per-concept score so you see which topics you keep missing.
Sources
See also
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More questions
Is the LSAT writing section timed?
Yes. LSAT Argumentative Writing takes 50 minutes: 15 to read and plan, 35 to write. It is unscored but required, and you can take it starting eight days before your test date.
How long are LSAT scores valid?
LSAC reports scores from the current testing year and the five years before it, so a score stays usable for about five years. You can take the LSAT up to five times in that period and seven times in total.
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