experimental question for those who took lsat already Forum

[senorhosh]

Are experimentals noticeably different than actual sections? Are they "harder" or "easier"?
I'm worried the experimental might be so different it might throw me off..

Also, are experimental section randomly picked out of RC, LR, LG (equal chance of each section)?

Thanks

[horrorbusiness]

what you're saying doesn't even make sense. if the experimental was much harder or much easier than everything else, why would that throw you off? you'd just ignore it that section - you'd tell it was the experimental and wouldn't care how you did on it since it's not scored.

edit: yes, even chance of lg/lr/rc.

[rowingmyboat]

Personally, I couldn't tell a difference. But I was going through it quickly, so maybe there were differences I didn't pick up on. They are experts on making LSAT questions though so I don't know why they would deviate from their way of writing them enough to be noticable.

The experimental has always been in the first three sections though. So if you went against the instructions and looked at the last sections, you could figure it out. If caught, there would be bad consequences.

Even if you did find out thought, I don't know what you'd do with yourself for the thirty-five minutes. Might as well just do it.

[AffordablePrep]

My experimental was a reading comp that had a passage comparing dolphin and dog iq's. I found it fascinating, and would have read that in my personal time. Too good to be graded.

[Tiago Splitter]

Your experimental will show up as a future real section. All of the real sections you will end up doing were once experimentals. HTH

[Moomoo2u]

mine was LG on the first LSAT and LR on the second. The only thing to worry about it getting the section you're least good at as I could see how that might throw you off.

But as the 2nd poster said, it's not noticeably different from the other sections, otherwise it would defeat the purpose.

[Redzo]

My experimental section was RC and it was the only section on the test that I didn't feel very confident about afterward; it had some very tricky questions and it felt kind of "off" and I was already suspecting that it was the experimental section before I ever found out.

[bp shinners]

Personally, I found the experimental section on my test to be significantly 'harder', in that I felt many of the questions were poorly worded (logical reasoning). I almost canceled my score until I found out it was experimental.

So long story short, if you have a single section that feels harder, just shake it off as the experimental section and keep on trucking.

[rinkrat19]

Your experimental will show up as a future real section. All of the real sections you will end up doing were once experimentals. HTH

+100
People seem to have a really hard time comprehending this.

The "curve" (which is not really a curve) of your test is determined by the scores people got when they had it as experimental sections on their real test. The score you get on your experimental section is not disclosed, and will be used to determine the "curve" on a future test made up of the experimental sections from your administration.

If you think you can identify which section is experimental just by difficulty or style or whatever, you're wrong.

[mattviphky]

on my first one i have no idea, on my second lsat it was def an lg section cause it was toooo easy

[Tiago Splitter]

on my first one i have no idea, on my second lsat it was def an lg section cause it was toooo easy

The "curve" (which is not really a curve) of your test is determined by the scores people got when they had it as experimental sections on their real test. The score you get on your experimental section is not disclosed, and will be used to determine the "curve" on a future test made up of the experimental sections from your administration.

If you think you can identify which section is experimental just by difficulty or style or whatever, you're wrong.

[polaris769]

My LSAT had an insane experimental LG. That experimental cost me a minute or so on the next section when I initially had trouble focusing because I was thinking of cancelling the LSAT. Persevered and ended up with a 170.