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.
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 Logic Games were dropped in August 2024, so older guides that still list them are out of date.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 can take the multiple-choice part at home with a live remote proctor or at a Prometric test 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.
| 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 |
- 1Register for a test date and choose remote testing or a test center.
- 2Schedule the writing task in the eight days before your test, not on test morning.
- 3Practice with full timed tests: four 35-minute sections in a row with a 10-minute break after the second.
- 4Train a 35-minute pace per section and note where you run out of time.
- 5Write one practice essay with the 15 plus 35 minute split, so the format is not new on the day.
- 6On test day, start check-in early and plan about 3 hours in total.