LSAT vs. GRE: which is harder IYO? Forum

[Puffy]

I took both. The LSAT is more difficult by far. As I remember it, GRE math section was basically algebra. The hardest part is trying to remember what you did in middle school. However you are going up against engineers and such, so I think my 750 in the math section was only good for 80th percentile or something.

[visualpurple]

I took both, and received a similar percentile score on both. I found the LSAT much easier - my LSAT studying process consisted of just doing lots of practice because I seemed to naturally grasp the concepts. GRE studying involved tons of actual studying, because I needed to memorize all the vocab words. I also found the experience of writing the test to be much easier for the LSAT - because all the past tests are available, you know exactly what you're getting into. In contrast, GRE tests aren't made available so you have to rely on the prep companies' simulations. I found the real GRE to be much different than these simulations, which threw my confidence.

I came out of both doing very well, but I found the LSAT to be a much more relaxed and laid-back process than the GRE.

[englawyer]

the other thing that makes the LSAT harder is high stakes. i am not sure about liberal arts graduate programs, but engineering grad programs don't really use the scores for much of anything. most of the competitive applicants get 750+ on the math anyway and they don't particularly care about the verbal score. the LSAT on the other hand...

[risktaker]

Decided not to attend law school this fall. Will be applying to PA school next year. I am studying for the GRE right now, and I have to say it's a piece of cake compared to the LSAT. May be all the LSAT prep helped me, but I think the GRE is way more straightforward. I am killing the verbal and math sections. I can die happy that I can do well at a standardized test, just not the LSAT.

[Icculus]

I have taken both, scored in similar percentiles on both. The GRE was by far easier. I took two practice tests and read a Kaplan book and was 97%+ on one take. The LSAT took far more work and prep to score highly on, and it took three me three tries to hit my target score.

[lawgod]

I am debating over which one to take.

Interesting debate. I debated whether I wanted to be a lawyer or a whatever GRE people do. Then I took the LSAT. (Because it's harder.)

[camwon]

I took both.
GRE: 590v, 770q. didn't really study much except for reviewing math
LSAT: 162. took about ten practice tests. retaking in october.

I think the LSAT is harder, only because of the games section. Also, the LSAT's reading section is much harder. But, the GRE has absurdly difficult vocab words. But the math section is so easy! Also, the GRE has a graded writing section. So really I'd say they are more just different and hard to compare.

[sea15]

I have taken both in the past year.

I think it depends on your learning style as to which test is easier. For me, the LSAT was much easier in a lot of ways. I do not enjoy memorizing information, which is all the GRE is. I would rather take a test that measures my ability to do critical thinking. Though the math was easy on the GRE, I hadn't done that math in 8 years or more! It took quite a while to brush up. Really, I didn't even try on the vocab. For me, it's pointless to sit around and memorize words. I would forget them the minute after I memorized them.

That said, I definitely studied about 100x more for hte LSAT, but it didn't require any memorization, so IMO, it was much easier.

FYI
lsat 172
gre ~1300 (I really don't remember exactly. Definitely don't remember my section scores)

[pkrtbx]

I haven't taken the GRE but from what friends tell me, the math is a piece of cake if you have any kind of quantitative background, but the vocabulary/RC seems more difficult that the LSAT.

I remember reading from a few Econ grad programs that most of their successful applicants earn a perfect score on the quantitative section. I don't think it's assumed to be all that difficult.

I've also heard anecdotally that grad programs are much more likely to emphasize/discount certain sections of the GRE than do colleges or other professional schools with the SAT/LSAT/GMAT etc.

[suspicious android]

There's a new GRE starting next month, it's no longer adaptive question-by-question, instead the section difficulty is determined by your previous section score. Also, they've added a quantitative question type similar to that of the GMAT, identifying quantities A and B as either A>B, B>A, identical or unknowable. Apparently you can use an onscreen calculator, too. The verbal section is a lot different, they're gotten rid of analogies and antonyms, now vocabulary will only be tested in context, using sentence completion exercises. I think this is sensible, although analogies were a fun challenge. The other big change is to reading comp; the passages will be much shorter and they seem now to be more like LSAT style LR questions, asking about argument structure. The other weird change that I think is pretty cool is that a lot of the questions will have multiple correct answers. I've always thought standardized tests should have more of this, since it's a lot more like real life in which there can be multiple valid solutions to a problem. Anyway, a lot of changes, mostly for the better it looks like.

[$1.99]

took both and the LSAT is much harder. 172 on the LSAT and 1580 on GRE.

[Byzantine]

Took the GRE and got a 1400. Been PTing the LSAT, averaging 174.

Personally, I've found that LSAT score is much more improvable, especially the logic games. Sure, you can try to up your Verbal score by memorizing vocab--but there is just no way that you can cram to learn words you should have been picking up for years reading high and scholarly literature.

As others have noted though, the LSAT is a much bigger part of the admissions process than is the GRE. For grad school, the writing sample, SOP, LORs, GPA, and specific course work all trump GRE scores. Above a certain threshold (1300-1400), having a kickass GRE score does nothing for your admission chances. I know lots of people with 4.0s and 1600s rejected from even 2nd tier grad programs.

[JoeFish]

As others have noted though, the LSAT is a much bigger part of the admissions process than is the GRE. For grad school, the writing sample, SOP, LORs, GPA, and specific course work all trump GRE scores. Above a certain threshold (1300-1400), having a kickass GRE score does nothing for your admission chances. I know lots of people with 4.0s and 1600s rejected from even 2nd tier grad programs.

And the inverse of that: a CompSci friend of mine with sweet softs (won the MCM!!!) got into a great program with an 800 in the math (which just about every single CS grad student gets) and a 410 in verbal