COVID-19 Questions

[sparrrkk_]

Hi,

I had a few questions regarding the LSAT and its changes in response to COVID-19. Although I understand that everything is speculative right now, I'd love to hear your opinions on how things might proceed

1. Do you think the at-home LSAT would be similar to how the GMAT is carrying out their at-home version? I saw that for the at-home GMAT, you can't use Macbooks? I thought this was a bit unfair considering how many people only have Macbook laptops at home... Would the at-home LSAT resemble the at-home GMAT?

2. I'm assuming that for the at-home LSAT, only laptops or desktop computers would be allowed since tablets or ipads might give some unfair advantage. Do you think this would be the case? Additionally, should we start prepping on laptops instead then?

3. For the transition from paper to digital, LSAC allowed July test takers to cancel their test after seeing their score. For this transition to take-home, do you think LSAC would give the same option? Although I understand that at-home tests are the best alternative considering the challenging and unprecedented time, I can see a lot of potential problems (wifi issues, disadvantages to those without a desk/computer/quiet work environment at home) with administering an at-home test, so I'm thinking maybe they would offer this again?

4. Finally, assuming that the summer LSAT administrations are changed to at-home versions, would law schools shift their Fall 2021 admission deadlines later to accommodate for those who face problems with taking at-home versions?

Thank you so much for all the help - your advice and opinions are more helpful then you can imagine, especially in this unpredictable and crazy time!

[Dave Killoran]

Hi,

I had a few questions regarding the LSAT and its changes in response to COVID-19. Although I understand that everything is speculative right now, I'd love to hear your opinions on how things might proceed

1. Do you think the at-home LSAT would be similar to how the GMAT is carrying out their at-home version? I saw that for the at-home GMAT, you can't use Macbooks? I thought this was a bit unfair considering how many people only have Macbook laptops at home... Would the at-home LSAT resemble the at-home GMAT?

2. I'm assuming that for the at-home LSAT, only laptops or desktop computers would be allowed since tablets or ipads might give some unfair advantage. Do you think this would be the case? Additionally, should we start prepping on laptops instead then?

3. For the transition from paper to digital, LSAC allowed July test takers to cancel their test after seeing their score. For this transition to take-home, do you think LSAC would give the same option? Although I understand that at-home tests are the best alternative considering the challenging and unprecedented time, I can see a lot of potential problems (wifi issues, disadvantages to those without a desk/computer/quiet work environment at home) with administering an at-home test, so I'm thinking maybe they would offer this again?

4. Finally, assuming that the summer LSAT administrations are changed to at-home versions, would law schools shift their Fall 2021 admission deadlines later to accommodate for those who face problems with taking at-home versions?

Thank you so much for all the help - your advice and opinions are more helpful then you can imagine, especially in this unpredictable and crazy time!

Hi sparrrkk_,

Thanks for the questions! The problem we have here is that LSAC hasn't even stated that they can do an at-home LSAT, just that they were looking at it. So, there's absolutely no information about what that would look like or how it would operate. thus, anything anyone says would be a guess or pure speculation. So, keep that in mind with the below

1. Possibly but that doesn't mean they'd restrict the same platforms as the GRE and GMAT (GRE was the one I saw with massive and unreasonable restrictions). Since we don't know what platform LSAC is considering, there's absolutely no way to know.

2. I wouldn't make this assumption.

3. Possibly but I don't know. The transition from paper to digital is less than from digital to at-home digital. So I'm not sure they see the situation as all that different. If they don't do field tests, we'll know they think it's substantially the same, inc which case the likelihood of the "cancel Preview" is far less.

4. Likely. I think we'll see a lot of deadline extensions in the coming weeks and months as tests get cancelled and more becomes clear!

Thanks!