LSAT vs. GRE: which is harder IYO? Forum

[PDaddy]

The gmat is difficult as well. Who would have thought that sentence completions could be so difficult.

I found the GMAT insultingly easy. The quantitative portion was tough b/c I hadn't interacted with trig and calculus in a long time. But it was like riding a bicycle. Besides, I learned to use "plugging in" consistently and mastered permutations and it was easy as pie. The LSAT prepares you very well for the GMAT RC and LR, so that's easy. Sentence correction is easy if you've had enough English courses.

[BioEBear2010]

This is a joke, right? You don't even have to study for the GRE.

[CyLaw]

This is a joke, right? You don't even have to study for the GRE.

This is what I hear from most scientist or engineers.

From my humanities friends, they say had to study a lot for the GRE.

I think it depends on what you normally did in your UG as to wether a numbers based test (like the GRE) is worse than a logic based test (like the LSAT).

[dajja15]

the Physics GRE is MUCH harder. It required much more background knowledge, takes much more time to study, and is not by any means as learn-able as the LSAT. But the LSAT is much higher pressure for a lot of people, since it means so much for admissions and a lot of people have majors which do not offer a lot of opportunities unless they do well on the LSAT. The LSAT also has lots of reading... and i LOVEEEE reading.

[OneKnight]

This is a joke, right? You don't even have to study for the GRE.

I know plenty of social science/humanities people who pulled 95th percentile+ verbal scores, 5.5/6.0 writing scores and still got a sub 50th percentile quant score. With a good math refresher some of them pushed their quant scores way up, but some serious studying was necessary for these folks.

That's just for the general test...

[BioEBear2010]

This is a joke, right? You don't even have to study for the GRE.

I know plenty of social science/humanities people who pulled 95th percentile+ verbal scores, 5.5/6.0 writing scores and still got a sub 50th percentile quant score. With a good math refresher some of them pushed their quant scores way up, but some serious studying was necessary for these folks.

That's just for the general test...

Still, the test is significantly easier than the LSAT. The quantitative section is at a lower level (albeit tricker) than the SAT, and the verbal section isn't much more difficult.

But yes, I guess I'm biased as an engineer.

And yes, this is only regarding the general test. I hear the subject tests are pretty insane.

[lakerfanimal]

The GRE is way easier in my opinion but that's because for math I do have somewhat of a math background and for verbal I had a really rigorous college writing program and I read a decent amount. Like someone already said, if you don't have a math background the GRE might be harder

[englawyer]

This is a joke, right? You don't even have to study for the GRE.

I know plenty of social science/humanities people who pulled 95th percentile+ verbal scores, 5.5/6.0 writing scores and still got a sub 50th percentile quant score. With a good math refresher some of them pushed their quant scores way up, but some serious studying was necessary for these folks.

That's just for the general test...

Still, the test is significantly easier than the LSAT. The quantitative section is at a lower level (albeit tricker) than the SAT, and the verbal section isn't much more difficult.

But yes, I guess I'm biased as an engineer.

And yes, this is only regarding the general test. I hear the subject tests are pretty insane.

i also have the bias, and agree. well of course i found the gre verbal to be tough, but engineering grad programs in general could care less about your score as long as it is over 500 . there is no way i would break 700 on that section.

the subject tests ARE insane!

[voice of reason]

I took both. I took the GRE in the '90s and it is now a very different test, but back in those prehistoric times the GRE was easier because a large portion of it was very easy math -- and I'm no math whiz. The worst part of the GRE was an "analytical" section that has apparently been dropped, which was like the logic games on the LSAT. That was a bitch.

[tomwatts]

No contest. GRE General is just not a hard test. Study ridiculous vocabulary and remember how to add, and you can do well on the GRE. LSAT's a different beast.

GRE Subject Tests are strange, strange things, evidently just tests of random trivia in the subjects.

[Cupidity]

It's easier to score at median on the LSAT than the GRE because it is to some extent common-sense based rather than knowledge based. That being said, it is far more difficult to score in the 75% or higher of the LSAT than the GRE.

[HiLine]

Harder in terms of what? If it is about scoring in the 99th percentile, I think they bear equal difficulty.

[Borhas]

The math on the GRE is very easy. It's a straightforward test, and probably one of the most worthless standardized tests there is.

[CrimsonCal]

GRE is less stressful / easier simply because grad schools overwhelmingly do not put as much emphasis on this test as the LSAT...

I was on a PhD admissions committee.... anyone who scores at or above 80-90% can easily still get into a top program (obviously GPA, research experience, publications mean A LOT)...

someone who scores an 80-90% on the LSAT doesn't have a breath of chance getting into a T14 school (unless you're URM, etc.)

something to consider

[BioEBear2010]

GRE is less stressful / easier simply because grad schools overwhelmingly do not put as much emphasis on this test as the LSAT...

I was on a PhD admissions committee.... anyone who scores at or above 80-90% can easily still get into a top program (obviously GPA, research experience, publications mean A LOT)...

someone who scores an 80-90% on the LSAT doesn't have a breath of chance getting into a T14 school (unless you're URM, etc.)

something to consider

+ a lot. Knowing that I could walk in, score in the 80+%ile, and still get into a great master's program left me no incentive to study for (or care about) the GRE.

[notanumber]

With very little studying I nailed the LSAT (178). With very little studying I got a perfect score the logic games section of the GRE (they got rid of that, right?). Not so much on the math and vocab (still did okay, 85%+, just not 99.9% well).

For me the LSAT was MUCH easier.

But I suspect that I'm a bit of an outlier.

[BioEBear2010]

With very little studying I nailed the LSAT (178). With very little studying I got a perfect score the logic games section of the GRE (they got rid of that, right?). Not so much on the math and vocab (still did okay, 85%+, just not 99.9% well).

For me the LSAT was MUCH easier.

But I suspect that I'm a bit of an outlier.

The simple fact that you got a 178 makes you an outlier

Extremely logical people (such as yourself) can kill the LSAT with little effort. The GRE is more based on random knowledge (i.e. vocab) and familiarity with math.

[02122015]

.

[r6_philly]

LSAT is a aptitude exam, GRE isexam of accumulated knowledge ...

If you are smart enough, LSAT is easier. If you are educated in the right subjects, GRE is easier. The answer would be drastically different based on different backgrounds and personal abilities.

[r6_philly]

No contest. GRE General is just not a hard test. Study ridiculous vocabulary and remember how to add, and you can do well on the GRE. LSAT's a different beast.

GRE Subject Tests are strange, strange things, evidently just tests of random trivia in the subjects.

To me, what you said about GRE is "hard". I could have scored in a much higher percentile on the LSAT without ANY studying. I think I would probably score below median on the GRE right now (which is what I am studying for right now).

[chutzpah]

I think the LSAT and GRE math are very learnable, the GRE verbal is less so. I took both and only studied a few weeks for the GRE and improved my math score by like 200 points but my verbal, which was already relatively high, didn't really go anywhere.

[Shrimps]

I think the LSAT and GRE math are very learnable, the GRE verbal is less so. I took both and only studied a few weeks for the GRE and improved my math score by like 200 points but my verbal, which was already relatively high, didn't really go anywhere.

GRE Verbal is mostly a vocabulary test, as I understand? Then it would indeed be difficult to improve for a person with an already significant vocabulary. On the other hand, given the number of non-native English speakers in engineering/science graduate schools in the US, I could see how these schools would consider the verbal portion of the test all but worthless. Would an immigrant who does not know the meaning of the words 'chary', 'peccadillo' or 'enmity' be any less competent as an engineer or a scientist? Or, for that matter, anything apart from an English professor? Would a non-immigrant?

Vocabulary is fairly highly correlated with IQ, which is why it has always been favored by SAT/GRE makers. But with so many non-native speakers in graduate schools, they seem to have shot themselves in the foot a bit by replacing logical reasoning testing with vocabulary testing as a means of gauging an applicant's intelligence.

[Ranita]

There are several ways to approach this question.

By sheer percentiles alone I think that a random person will rank in a higher percentile on the GRE than on the LSAT for one reason alone: the pool of test takers is different.

Regarding the effects of studying, a reasonably smart person could brute force a 1600 with enough time to study. Memorize a few vocab books, learn to solve to X, and there you go. On the other hand, one’s LSAT score will level off at a certain point based on sheer brainpower.

[09042014]

Why does the GRE even exist? Why is someone applying for a PhD in physics take the same test as someone applying as a classics MA major?

And why is the test a vocab and remedial math test? It is like they attempted to make the least relevant test for the most people.

[Shrimps]

GRE math doesn't require trigonometry, does it?