Get ready to write the LSAT

18 March 2015

If you’re thinking of applying to the top Australian Law School, you should know that as part of the application process for the Melbourne JD, applicants need to register for, and sit, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The LSAT is an independent, international test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

University of Melbourne Law School
Study law at the University of Melbourne

All applicants for the Juris Doctor (JD) at Melbourne Law School must sit the LSAT prior to applying.
What can you expect?
The LSAT comprises five multiple-choice sections of 35 minutes each and a 35-minute writing sample. The writing sample does not go toward the calculation of your LSAT score, although the university receives this sample and it forms part of your application.
The LSAT has three types of questions:

  1. Reading comprehension
  2. Analytical reasoning
  3. Logical reasoning

Go to About the LSAT on the LSAC website for a more detailed description of these three question types and what to expect in the LSAT. Information on how the questions in the LSAT are relevant in testing an applicant’s aptitude to study law are also available. This document is an extract from The Official LSAT Handbook, a publication of the Law School Admissions Council.

How should you prepare?

The University of Melbourne strongly recommends that in order to perform to your true ability, you take the time to prepare for the LSAT. The LSAC website includes information on LSAT Preparation Materials, providing links to sample questions with explanations and a couple of sample LSAT tests. Many bookshops also stock LSAT prep books which can be ordered online. Students are also encouraged to download the sample LSAT test online and sit it under exam conditions to decide for yourself if further preparation is needed. Please remember that your LSAT score only forms part of your application, and is only one of the three criteria considered in assessing your application.

LSAT Dates and Registration Deadline

LSAT Registration Closing Date: May 1, 2015
Late Registration (additional fees apply): May 13, 2015
LSAT Sitting: Monday, June 8, 2015
Registration for the October 2015 through February 2016 LSAT administrations will open in late May 2015.

LSAT Score

Your LSAT score is based on the number of questions answered correctly (the raw score). There is no deduction for incorrect answers, nor are individual questions on the various test sections weighted differently. Raw scores are converted to an LSAT scale that ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 the highest possible score. This is done through a statistical procedure known as equating, a method that adjusts for minor differences in difficulty between test forms.

Melbourne Law School Juris Doctor

Program: Juris Doctor (JD)
 Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Semester intake: February
Duration: 3 years (standard course structure); 2 or 2.5 years (accelerated course structure)
Application Deadline: Melbourne Law School has a general application deadline of November 30 each year. It is recommended that you apply as early as possible.
Entry Requirements
Melbourne JD applicants must have

  • completed an undergraduate degree in any discipline; and
  • completed the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

The Melbourne JD selection criteria:

  1. Academic results achieved in previous tertiary studies
  2. The LSAT score

Apply to Melbourne Law School!

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Discover more about the Melbourne Law School and the Melbourne JD program! Contact OzTREKK’s Australian Law Schools Admissions Officer Shannon Tilston for more information at shannon@oztrekk.com or call toll free in Canada at 1-866-698-7355. Find out how you can study in Australia!

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