The Return of the Experimental Section: What You Should Know
The past few years have been tumultuous for the LSAT. In 2019, we got the first fully digital LSAT, administered via iPad but very much in-person. Then, in May 2020, we were introduced to the LSAT-Flex for the first time, which was the LSAC's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the LSAT-Flex is gone again, replaced by its very close cousin: the live remote-proctored LSAT.
What was the LSAT-Flex?
Until May 2020, the LSAT was a 5 section, in-person test, consisting of 2 scored Logical Reasoning sections, 1 scored Reading Comprehension section, 1 scored Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games) section, and 1 unscored "experimental" section that could be any one of the other 3 section types. The LSAT-Flex, introduced in May 2020, came with two significant changes:
It was administered remotely, so applicants could take it on their computers from the comfort of their homes.
It had just 3 sections instead of 5: 1 scored Logical Reasoning section, 1 scored Reading Comprehension section, and 1 scored Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games) section. The second Logical Reasoning section and the experimental section were both cut from the exam.
What's changing in August 2021?
Other than the fact that the test will no longer be called the LSAT-Flex, the only thing that's changing is that the experimental section is coming back. The LSAT is now 4 sections instead of 3. It will still be administered remotely, so you don't have to worry about having to drive 40 minutes to a community college 2 towns over to take your exam.
What is an "experimental" section?
The experimental section is used by the LSAC to test out potential LSAT questions before putting them in a scored section on a future test. This section is not scored - you could theoretically spend the entire time doodling and it would not affect your score.
By combining information about how an individual scored on their scored sections with how they did on the experimental section, the LSAT writers get an idea of how difficult the experimental questions were. For example: if lots of high scorers missed a certain experimental question, that's probably a tough question. If both high and low scorers got a question right, that's likely an easier question.
How do I figure out which section is experimental?
You will be able to narrow it down to two sections - if you had two Logical Reasoning sections instead of one, for example, you'll know that one of them must have been experimental. That being said, you have no way of knowing which of those two sections was scored and which wasn't.
A lot of people spend a lot of time trying to answer this question. Some even claim to be able to identify the experimental section based on the difficulty of the questions. Frankly, this is a waste of time. Even if you were able to identify the experimental section with 80% certainty (which we promise you can't), there's nothing you could do with that information on a real exam. Just treat every section as if it's scored, and you won't even have to worry about it.
What do I do with this information then?
Understanding the experimental section can be helpful in one main way: when you're deciding whether or not to cancel a score (assuming you no longer have score preview). Generally, our advice is not to cancel a score unless something happened during your exam that significantly threw off your performance.
Let's imagine that the fire alarm went off during your second section, causing you to only get to 4 out of 23 questions. That would normally be a good reason to consider canceling your score. However, if that section was a Logic Games section, and you know you had two of them on your test, that means there's a 50/50 chance that the section you just tanked isn't going to count towards your score. Those still aren't amazing odds, but they do tip the scales just a bit in favor of not canceling and waiting to see your score. After all, the worst-case scenario is just a retake.
Should this change affect how I study?
Yes, but only if you were previously drilling with 3 section LSATs. If so, you should start drilling with 4 section LSATs instead. The good news is that most publicly available LSAT exams are already 4 sections long!