The LSAT Variable (Experimental) Section
What Test-Takers Will Know and Won't Know About the LSAT Variable/Experimental Section on Test Day
The LSAT consists of four sections: two Logical Reasoning sections, one Reading Comprehension section, and one section that is referred to as the "experimental" or "variable" section. While the terms are used interchangeably to describe this section, "variable" is LSAC's official term. The purpose of the variable section is to scrutinize the effectiveness of questions for use in future versions of the LSAT. Regardless of whether you complete the LSAT at a testing center or online from a remote location, there is only one experimental section in each exam.
It is important to note that, unlike the Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension sections, the variable section is unscored. Test takers are given 35 minutes to answer 24-28 multiple-choice questions. The variable section may contain Logical Reasoning questions or Reading Comprehension questions, which means there are two permutations of the LSAT you could take:
- Two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one unscored Logical Reasoning section
- Two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one unscored Reading Comprehension section
The variable section will never feature a mixture of Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension questions, and it is not presented in any specific order (e.g., it is not always the second section). While it is impossible to know before you begin the LSAT what type of questions you will be asked in the unscored section, with a bit of deduction, you should be able to identify whether the section consists of Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension questions.
Since there are always two scored Logical Reasoning sections, if there is a third Logical Reasoning section, you now know one of them is the experimental one. What you do not know and will have no way of determining is which of the three sections is the unscored one. Similarly, since there is always one scored Reading Comprehension section, if there is a second RC one, you now know one of the two is the experimental section. Again, you will have no way of determining which of the two sections is the variable one, and ultimately this doesn't matter, nor does it affect how you approach the exam.
LSAT Variable/Experimental Section Approaches
Since you have no way of knowing which section is the variable one, test prep experts strongly advise students to treat every section of the exam as if it is being scored. It's a waste of time and effort to try to figure out which is the experimental section, although you may find yourself noting whether there is a third Logical Reasoning section or a second Reading Comprehension section simply from working your way through the LSAT.
LSAC is very aware that some test takers do attempt to identify the variable section, and they have taken countermeasures against this to maximize the section's developmental value. As mentioned earlier, the purpose of the experimental section is to determine the effectiveness of questions for future versions of the LSAT. This objective is undermined if the trial questions are easily identified.
The LSAT's Variable/Experimental Section Compared to Other Standardized Tests at the Graduate Level
Optimal standardized test development and maximum assessment value cannot be attained without experimentation, which means the LSAT is not the only widely-used test to feature experimental content. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), for example, also has an unidentifiable and unscored experimental section that could cover either of the exam's major content areas. While the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) doesn't contain any experimental sections, there are experimental, unscored questions in both its Verbal and Quantitative sections. This is a standard practice in test development that allows for future versions of the exam to be created.
How LSAC Uses the Variable Section
LSAC analyzes test taker answers to experimental questions on a year-by-year basis, considering issues such as how many students answered individual questions correctly, the total number of correct answers on the experimental sections, and the scores of these students on the rest of the exam. By compiling and examining this data, test developers can give difficulty ratings for each experimental question, which will be factored into LSAT scaled scores should these questions be integrated into the scored portion of later versions of the test.
Questions that have poor assessment value, as demonstrated by too few or too many correct answers, can be discarded. Experimental questions with strong assessment value typically replace older exercises that have been in circulation long enough for LSAC to assume the answers have become public knowledge.
The LSAT Variable Section and Test Security
In addition to its role in test development, the LSAT's variable section has value for test security. Students who are seated next to each other at LSAT test centers will always have different experimental sections. If the variable section patterns of answer choices among these adjacent students closely match, LSAC officials have strong evidence of answer copying. This type of cheating detection also has the advantage of a very low false-positive rate, representing the best of both worlds in the enforcement of academic honesty.