Hi Lathlee,
Good question! I don't expect much of a change though, when we look at overall scores and scoring. Here's what will likely happen:
- 1. More exams will reduce the number of test takers for each exam, but the drop will be slightly less than expected since more students will now take the LSAT multiple times.
The effect here is clear: when you give more exams, the number of test takers sitting for each one gets smaller. But since there is no limit on the number of attempts, and law schools focus on the high score, you see less of a drop than you would if the old 3-in-2 policy was in place.
2. The ability to have an unlimited number of attempts (and thus an increasing upward score trend, in most cases) will be offset by the increase of casual, walk-in test takers who give it a shot with minimal preparation.
Someone who is taking it for the 5th time probably will do better than on most of their previous attempts, but with 6 LSATs a year starting 2019, each individual LSAT becomes less of a major event, encouraging some people to take it on a sort of whim. These two trends work to offset each other.
3. The test itself, including difficulty, remains the same.
From a psychometric standpoint, the LSAT is extremely well-made, and it is doing its job (hence LSAC's frustration over the emergence of the GRE). As long as the overall distribution of the scores remains stable (as addressed in #2 above), then there won't be changes in the test or scoring scales. LSAC has been making this test for years and years, and they have 25+ years of giving this exam in the basic iteration they use now. That's a lot of knowledge and data, and there's no reason to shake things up on that front. Now, if scores do start drifting upward (or downward), then you would see corrections. But at the moment there's no reason to think that will happen, especially since they get to pre-test every item using Experimental sections.
Anyway, I don't think the changes will have an impact on test taker results, but the greater number of tests, the unlimited retake policy, and law schools' focus on the high score will all contribute to less pressure on the test taker. And that's a great thing!
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
