LSAT Canada Registration - Information for Canadian Test Registrants

Upcoming LSAT Test Dates Across Canada

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is offered four times a year: February, June, September/October and December.

List of Canadian LSAT Test Centre Locations

Canadian LSAT test centre locations and test centre codes are listed in the table below. Please note that while the LSAT is offered four times every year not every test centre will offer each writing of the LSAT. The Law School Admission Council has a complete list of all LSAT test centres, including US and international locations.

1. LSAT offered at these test centres in September/October, December, and February.
2. LSAT offered at these test centres in December and February.
3. LSAT offered at these test centres in June, September/October, December, and February.
4. LSAT offered at these test centres in June and December.
5. LSAT offered at these test centres in September/October and December.
6. LSAT offered at these test centres in September/October.
7. LSAT offered at these test centres in January.

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LSAT Fees and Services for Canadian Registrants

The following table summarizes the LSAT fees and services for Canadian registrants. For additional information on all these fees, please check the LSAC website.

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About the Law School Admission Council

Headquartered in Newtown, Pennsylvania (about 48 km north of Philadelphia), the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is best known for administering the LSAT, with an average of 150,000 prospective law students writing the test each year. LSAC is a nonprofit organization whose membership includes 197 ABA-approved law schools in the United States and 15 law schools in Canada.

All US law schools approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) are LSAC members along with 15 Canadian law schools recognized by a provincial or territorial law society or government agency. For a brief description of LSAC's services and programs, click on "LSAC" and then "About the LSAC" at www.LSAC.org.

The following, listed alphabetically, are the 15 Canadian law schools which are included in the voting membership of LSAC:

• University of Alberta Faculty of Law
• University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
• University of Calgary Faculty of Law
• Dalhousie University Schulich Law School
• University of Manitoba Faculty of Law
• McGill University Faculty of Law
• University of New Brunswick Law School
• University of Ottawa Faculty of Law
• Queen's University Faculty of Law
• University of Saskatchewan College of Law
• University of Toronto Faculty of Law
• University of Victoria Faculty of Law
• University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law
• University of Windsor Faculty of Law
• York University's Osgoode Hall Law School

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About the LSAT

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day, standardized exam administered four times each year by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) at designated testing centres throughout the world, but primarily in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. Most Canadian law schools along with all American Bar Association (ABA)-approved law schools require the LSAT as part of their admissions processes.

The LSAT provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools use as a primary factor in assessing applicants. The test itself is comprised of numerous questions designed to assess a wide range of abilities involved in critical thinking, with an emphasis on the skills that are central to legal reasoning. These skills include:

• the reading and comprehension of complex text with accuracy and insight
• the organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it
• the ability to think critically
• the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others

Many law schools require the LSAT to be taken by December for admission for the following fall. However, it is advised that students take the test earlier – in June or September – to allow ample time to prepare to re-test if need be.

The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker's score. These sections include: two Logical Reasoning sections, one Analytical Reasoning section, and one Reading Comprehension section. An unscored fifth section typically is used to pre-test new questions or to pre-equate new test forms. The placement of this unscored section, which is commonly referred to as the “variable section”, varies for each administration of the test. From the February 2006 LSAT to the October 2008 LSAT, the variable section appeared in the following locations:

The LSAT is scored on a scale from 120 to 180, with 180 being the highest possible score. An additional 35-minute Writing Sample is administered at the end of the test. The Writing Sample is not scored, but copies of the Writing Sample are sent to all law schools to which a candidate applies.

LSAC administers the LSAT four times a year at hundreds of designated test centres around the world. Since 2001, the annual average number of test-takers writing the LSAT has been just under 142,000:

According to a recent LSAC research report, approximately 6% of all test-takers write the LSAT in Canada, with 93% writing it in the United States and the remaining 1% writing the LSAT in other countries. Although it is the very same LSAT test that all Canadian, American, and foreign test-takers write, LSAC has observed that Canadian and foreign test-takers have had slightly higher mean LSAT scores than test-takers from the United States.

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Changes to the LSAT

Beginning with the June 2007 LSAT, LSAC added a new variant to the Reading Comprehension section called "comparative reading", as one of the four sets in the LSAT Reading Comprehension section. The new style of question is similar to the traditional Reading Comprehension questions. The significant difference is the comparative reading questions have two shorter passages rather than one longer passage. The total amount of reading remains essentially the same though. Most of the questions that follow a comparative reading passage pair are about both passages and how they relate to each other, but a few comparative reading questions concern only one of the two passages.

Test-takers are no longer randomly assigned an argument or decision prompt for the Writing Sample section. As of June 2007, all test-takers are assigned a decision prompt and the Writing Sample continues not to be scored.

For more information, including test preparation material for the comparative reading section, the Writing Sample, or a complete sample LSAT exam, please contact LSAC.

Please Note: The Oxford Seminars LSAT Test Preparation Course curriculum includes examples of the new comparative reading questions.

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LSAT Test Centre Regulations

Regulations and the full list of permitted and forbidden items can be found at www.lsac.org. This information will also be provided on LSAT admission tickets. LSAC warns that "ignorance of these new regulations will not be considered an excuse for their violation. Bringing prohibited items into the test room may result in the confiscation of such items by the test supervisor, a warning, dismissal from the test centre, and/or cancellation of a test score by LSAC."

Some of the most significant changes are listed below:

• Items permitted in the test room

  Test-takers may bring into the room only a clear plastic Ziploc bag, maximum size one gallon (3.79 liter), which must be stored under the chair and may be accessed only during the break. The Ziploc bag may only contain the following items:
  
  • Your signed LSAT Admission Ticket stub;
  • Valid ID; wallet; keys;
  • Hygiene products;
  • #2 or HB pencils, highlighter, erasers, pencil sharpener (no mechanical pencils);
  • Tissues; beverage in plastic container or juice box (20 oz./591 ml maximum size) and snack for break only.
  
  

• Items permitted on the desk

  Test-takers may only have tissues, ID, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener (not supplied at the test centre), highlighter, and an analog wristwatch (not digital) on their desk. No electronic timing devices are permitted. This is a change from previous testing years.
  
  

• Prohibited items

  Candidates are not permitted to bring into the test centre the following items: books, papers of any kind, backpacks, handbags, ear plugs, mechanical pencils, rulers, calculators, timers of any kind (except analog wristwatches), recording or photographic devices, cellular phones, pagers, beepers, headsets, and/or other electronic devices, weapons or firearms. Bringing prohibited items into the test room may result in the confiscation of such items by the test supervisor, a warning, dismissal from the test centre, and/or cancellation of a test score by LSAC. Prohibited items may not be used during the break. LSAC and LSAT testing staff are not responsible for test-takers' belongings.



• Hats/Hoods

  No hats or hoods are allowed, except items of religious apparel.



• Handbags, backpacks, briefcases

  No handbags, backpacks, briefcases, or other bags—except the Ziploc bag described above—are allowed in the test room.



• Cancellation/Complaint Deadlines

  The LSAC must receive test-taker complaints and cancellation requests within six days of the test date. This is a change from previous years.

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LSAT Contact Information for Canadian Registrants

Canadian registrants can contact LSAC via their website or by email, telephone, fax, or mail. The contact information for each method is listed below:

Registering for the LSAT in Canada

Registering for the LSAT is done on a first-come, first-served basis; therefore, the earlier you register, the better your chances are of being assigned to the test date and test centre you selected. LSAT test-takers can register online, by telephone, or by mail. Registration for the test must be completed on or before the registration deadlines; registrations after these dates are not accepted. Please see the LSAT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines section for exact dates and deadlines.

Those wishing to have their score sent to law schools or pre-law advisories must make the request when they register for the test.

LSAT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines

The following table highlights the upcoming LSAT test dates and registration deadlines. Individuals can register online, by telephone, or by mail:

* These test dates are for Saturday Sabbath observers.

Changing Canadian LSAT Test Centres and Test Dates

Any changes regarding Canadian test centres and test dates can be done if the request is made on or before the appropriate deadlines listed below. There are fees associated with changing test dates and test centres; please see the LSAT Fees and Services for Canadian Registrants section for the appropriate fees. 

Changes to test dates and test centres can be done using the following three methods:

• Online: www.LSAC.org (must be received by midnight (EST) on the deadline date)
• Telephone: (215) 968-1001 (must be received by 4:45 PM EST [March – August]; 7:00 PM EST [September – February])
• Fax: (215) 968-1277 (must be received by midnight (EST) on the deadline date)

A written request must be done when making changes by fax. Canadian registrants making such a request should include:

The following table outlines the deadlines for the test centre and test dates changes:

* These test dates are for Saturday Sabbath observers.

Note: You will be assigned to the nearest test centre if your requested test centre is full or closed.

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LSAT Exam Score Release Dates

The following table highlights the exam score release dates for upcoming LSAT test dates:

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LSAT Exam Scores

Upon the release of LSAT scores, candidates will receive their LSAT exam score by email, mail, or telephone. Only these three methods are used to ensure confidentiality. Scores will only be released to the test-taker and not the parents, spouses, friends, or any other persons. Those wishing to have their score sent to law schools or pre-law advisories must make the request when they register for the test.

Test-takers who have LSAC accounts will automatically receive their score by email approximately three weeks after taking the test with no additional fee. Hard copy scores will be sent by mail approximately four weeks after the test is taken with an additional fee for processing the hard copy. Those obtaining test scores by telephone will also pay an additional fee. Please see the “LSAT Fees and Services for Canadian Registrants” section for all fees associated with taking the LSAT.

Scores reported online or mailed will show the current test score along with the last 12 test scores reported in the last five years. Cancellations, absentee notations, and an average score is also included if you have more than one reportable score. The LSAT score is based on the number of questions answered correctly and there is no deduction for incorrect answers. All questions are weighted evenly and the correct answers are converted to the LSAT scale of 120 - 180, with 120 being the lowest score and 180 being the highest score. A percentile rank is also calculated and displayed on the score report.

Scaled Score vs. Percentile Rank Conversion Chart for LSAT Test Scores

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Cancelling the LSAT Score

If one has written the LSAT and wishes to cancel his or her score, one can do so in one of two ways. Candidates can complete the score cancellation section on the LSAT answer sheet at the test centre. Candidates must sign his or her full name and date for the certifying statement. The other option is writing a cancellation request to LSAC, which must be done within six calendar days of the test. The request can be made in the form of a signed fax, overnight letter, or expedited mailed score cancellation form. The cancellation forms can be obtained at the test centre on the day of the exam. There are no exceptions for late requests and any other form of request (email or voicemail) is not valid. A valid score cancellation request must include:

All requests must be sent to:

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Repeating the LSAT Test

Test-takers may repeat the LSAT if they feel the test score does not reflect their ability. Candidates can only write the test three times in a two-year period. This policy applies even if you cancel your score or it is not otherwise reported. In addition, not all law schools use the highest score; some take an average of all the candidate's test scores. If a candidate has some circumstances such as illness or anxiety that prevents him or her from scoring well on the LSAT, he or she should notify the law schools to which he or she applied.

LSAT Refund Policy

Individuals not able to take the test on the day for which they registered for will receive a partial refund if the request is made before the specified deadline. Non-refundable fees include late fees, test date and test centre change fees, and fees for non-published test centres. All refund requests can be done in writing prior to the refund deadline to avoid an absentee notation appearing on the file or by filling out the Refund Request Form PDF. The refund takes approximately six weeks to process, and the test registration will be cancelled.

All written requests must include:

All LSAT refund requests must be sent to:

The following table outlines the refund request deadlines. For any further information regarding the refund policy, please contact the LSAC.

LSAT Test Preparation Courses Across Canada

Oxford Seminars offers 30-hour and 48-hour LSAT test preparation courses across Canada:

Free Sample Practice LSAT Questions and Full Tests

Sample LSAT questions and a sample practice LSAT test (June 2007 LSAT) are available for free download from the LSAC website. Click on “The LSAT” for full menu options, followed by “Preparing for the LSAT” and “Free Materials”. You have a choice of “Sample Questions with Explanations” and “June 2007 LSAT” for free download.

List of Additional Sample Practice LSAT Tests

* Publication of these PrepTests is now discontinued and they are no longer available for sale.

LSAT Practice Tests and Test Preparation Materials Available Through Oxford Seminars

Listed below are the most recent LSAT PrepTest materials we have to offer.

For additional information regarding the PrepTest materials listed above, please visit Oxford Seminars Book List.

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Canadian Law School Rankings

Each year, Canadian Lawyer magazine conducts a nationwide survey of Canadian law schools. The survey provides future lawyers with a list of the top-ranked law schools in Canada. The following table is a brief summary of the grades assigned to each law school:

Please note the University of Alberta was not included in this survey. For a more detailed summary of these survey results, please visit the Canadian Lawyer website.

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Canadian Law School Profiles

The following links take you to concise descriptions of the 15 Canadian law schools which, according to LSAC, require applicants to take the LSAT as part of the admissions process. Each profile covers admission requirements, curriculum, special programs, expenses and financial aid, and a link to each law school's own website for additional information. Some of the law schools have also released an admission profile grid as an illustration of the credentials of previously admitted applicants.

• University of Alberta Faculty of Law
• University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
• University of Calgary Faculty of Law
• Dalhousie University Schulich Law School
• University of Manitoba Faculty of Law
• McGill University Faculty of Law
• University of New Brunswick Law School
• University of Ottawa Faculty of Law
• Queen's University Faculty of Law
• University of Saskatchewan College of Law
• University of Toronto Faculty of Law
• University of Victoria Faculty of Law
• University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law
• University of Windsor Faculty of Law
• York University's Osgoode Hall Law School

For a complete list of, and links to websites of all 199 ABA-approved law schools in the United States, visit the LSAC Official Guide. In recent years, the following law school application trends have been noticed:

• More Canadians are writing the LSAT each year (a 32% increase since 2001).
• Applicants are applying to more law schools (on average 6 law schools per applicant).
• Overall, applicants are completing their law school applications earlier in the admission-year cycle.
• Older applicants are applying later in the admission-year cycle.

Information about this test, and its requirements and policies, changes constantly. For the most up-to-date information, see the official testing website.