Is taking LSAT abroad harder than taking LSAT in the States? Forum

[Kimchi_smile]

If I take the LSAT in Asia, will that be harder because of a higher curve (due to smarter test population)?

If I take the LSAT in the States, when is generally the "favorable" time? February?

ETA: I heard that the test in Asia is harder than the test in the US from someone who actually took it in Asia. He said he got an actual score that is lower than PT score. However, now that I think over my post, there is another assumption inherent in what he said in addition to the assumption that the test population is smarter (mainly Asians, I'd assume). The 2nd assumption is the test content in Asia is different from the test content in the US. Is this true? If the test in Asia is just a rearrangement of sections of the original test in the US, then it shouldn't be significantly harder or easier (despite the smarter test taking population).

[MoS]

The curve is preset for the tests abroad. I took it in Asia it was basically the same as when I took it in the US.

[Kimchi_smile]

The curve is preset for the tests abroad. I took it in Asia it was basically the same as when I took it in the US.

Oh, is the curve present for the US LSAT, too?

By "basically the same," do you mean the difficulty level? Or do you actually mean the test content is completely identical?

The test date for the Asia LSAT is different from the test date for the US LSAT. If they use the identical test, how do they prevent cheating?

Thanks for your input. I'm trying to save $ flying back and forth between the US.

[bhan87]

If I take the LSAT in Asia, will that be harder because of a higher curve (due to smarter test population)?

???????

If I take the LSAT in the States, when is generally the "favorable" time? February?

There is no "favorable" month to take the LSAT in terms of difficulty. All the scores are normalized so that they reflect what a test taker would get on any given LSAT. The two considerations you should make are:

1. Are you fully prepared?
2. When are you applying? If you're ready to take it in June, it'll give you the chance to send your apps on Day 1 and give you the summer to finish your applications packages, but this in itself should not be the sole reason you take in June. If you're not fully prepared, taking it in October will also let you turn in your apps pretty early. December is the latest you want to take an LSAT for the same application cycle. February in general is too late.

[suspicious android]

Just think for a minute about what the point of a standardized test is.

If you wanted to measure performance in a standardized way, would you give tests at some places or on some dates that were more or less difficult?

[whymeohgodno]

Curve is preset so it wouldn't matter.

[MoS]

The curve is preset for the tests abroad. I took it in Asia it was basically the same as when I took it in the US.

Oh, is the curve present for the US LSAT, too?

By "basically the same," do you mean the difficulty level? Or do you actually mean the test content is completely identical?

The test date for the Asia LSAT is different from the test date for the US LSAT. If they use the identical test, how do they prevent cheating?

Thanks for your input. I'm trying to save $ flying back and forth between the US.

It's not the same test as they use in the US. It's like the sabath observers who take the LSAT on Sunday instead of Saturday, its not the same test everyone else has at the time.

[tomwatts]

In case it's not clear in the previous answers, the LSAT is equated, not curved. This means that achieving a certain score is equally difficult regardless of test form. There are different test forms in the U.S. and in Asia, but all LSAT test forms are equally hard, always.

[KingDave]

No offense man but there are a ton of pretty wild statements in your original post. Smarter Asian populations? Love to see a study showing that people in a countries where English is not spoken as the primary language outscore English speaking populations on the LSAT.

[TaipeiMort]

Taking it in Asia would be easier if it minimized study distractions for you. The test itself is the same.

[Kimchi_smile]

No offense man but there are a ton of pretty wild statements in your original post. Smarter Asian populations? Love to see a study showing that people in a countries where English is not spoken as the primary language outscore English speaking populations on the LSAT.

Sorry. I shouldn't have said "smarter," I should just have said more hard-working and self-selected. I know several people from a top university in Korea who got 180 on the LSAT and are now studying at HLS. I think in Asia the people who take the LSAT are generally more well-prepared and brutally diligent, and have had years of (standardized) test-taking mentality and exposure, but then again, I could be wrong about this without concrete statistical back-up.

[Kimchi_smile]

There is no "favorable" month to take the LSAT in terms of difficulty. All the scores are normalized so that they reflect what a test taker would get on any given LSAT. The two considerations you should make are:

1. Are you fully prepared?
2. When are you applying? If you're ready to take it in June, it'll give you the chance to send your apps on Day 1 and give you the summer to finish your applications packages, but this in itself should not be the sole reason you take in June. If you're not fully prepared, taking it in October will also let you turn in your apps pretty early. December is the latest you want to take an LSAT for the same application cycle. February in general is too late.

I took the previous test in February in the US, and I planning to retake it in the fall, and it's very likely to be in Asia this time. I'm not applying until the next next cycle, though. I'm taking a few years off between law school.

[mottainai]

No offense man but there are a ton of pretty wild statements in your original post. Smarter Asian populations? Love to see a study showing that people in a countries where English is not spoken as the primary language outscore English speaking populations on the LSAT.

Sorry. I shouldn't have said "smarter," I should just have said more hard-working and self-selected. I know several people from a top university in Korea who got 180 on the LSAT and are now studying at HLS. I think in Asia the people who take the LSAT are generally more well-prepared and brutally diligent, and have had years of (standardized) test-taking mentality and exposure, but then again, I could be wrong about this without concrete statistical back-up.

A: Your example uses people from a top university in Korea. How are you surprised that they got great test scores? That's not exactly representative of the entire test-taking population in Asia.

B: There are lots of people who take the test in Asia who are from the US, or native English speaking countries. I took the exam in Tokyo and roughly 75% of the people there at least looked non-Japanese.

To answer your question...no, there is no difference. The test itself may be a different version but the difficulty level is the same. The tests are non-disclosed (which sucks) and some of the tests even make it stateside (at least from what I heard).

[xChiTowNx]

How about taking the test in Canada, as that's where I'll be in October?

Should probably be the same up in America's hat?

[Straw_Mandible]

Standardized tests are standardized.
/thread