LSAT Reading Comprehension
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ExploreAbout this exam
LSAT Reading Comprehension is one of the multiple-choice question types on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), a standardized test used by law schools as part of the JD admissions process. It is designed for applicants preparing to enter law school, and it measures the ability to read lengthy, dense, argumentative, and expository material with understanding and insight - the kind of reading legal study and practice demand. On the LSAT, the multiple-choice portion consists of four 35-minute sections, three of which are scored and one of which is unscored and used to validate new questions; the unscored section may be Reading Comprehension or Logical Reasoning. The Reading Comprehension section contains four sets of questions, each set built on a reading selection followed by five to eight questions. A selection is either a single passage or two related shorter passages, known as comparative reading, and a section includes either three or four single passages and either one or no comparative passage. Passages are drawn from the humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and law-related areas. Because the section rewards accurate reading and close reasoning about structure, inference, and argument, preparation generally means sustained practice with dense texts under timed conditions, plus careful review of every wrong answer. Note that LSAC has announced format changes beginning with the August 2027 administration.
What you'll study
About LSAT Reading Comprehension preparation
How long is the Reading Comprehension section?
The LSAT's multiple-choice portion is made up of four 35-minute sections, so a Reading Comprehension section, when it appears, runs 35 minutes. One of the four sections is unscored and is used to validate new questions; it can be either Reading Comprehension or Logical Reasoning and can appear anywhere in the test.
How many passages and questions will I see?
The Reading Comprehension section contains four sets of reading questions, and each set consists of a selection of reading material followed by five to eight questions. A section includes either three or four single reading passages, and either one or no comparative reading passage consisting of two related shorter passages.
What subjects do the passages cover?
Selections are drawn from a wide range of subjects in the humanities, the social sciences, the biological and physical sciences, and areas related to the law. LSAC describes them as generally densely written, with high-level vocabulary and sophisticated argument or complex rhetorical structure, such as multiple points of view.
Is the writing sample part of the Reading Comprehension section?
No. LSAT Argumentative Writing is a separate, unscored part of the LSAT, administered online with secure proctoring on your own computer. You can take it as early as eight days before your multiple-choice test date. It allows 50 total minutes: 15 minutes for prewriting analysis and 35 minutes for essay writing.
Is there a passing score for Reading Comprehension?
LSAC does not publish a passing score for Reading Comprehension or for the LSAT as a whole in the material summarized here, so no pass mark is reported. Treat any specific "passing" figure you encounter elsewhere with caution and check LSAC's own scoring pages for authoritative information.
How hard is the section, and why do people lose points?
Difficulty comes from density rather than obscurity: passages use high-level vocabulary and complex rhetorical structure, and questions demand precise separation of what is stated from what is not. Common failure modes are reading too fast to track the author's attitude, confusing a plausible inference with an explicit claim, and running out of time on the fourth set.
In what order should I study the question types?
Start with main idea, primary purpose, and explicitly stated information, since these force complete comprehension of each passage. Then move to inference, organization, and meaning in context, and finally to the harder application tasks: principles, analogies, author's attitude, the impact of new information, and comparative reading relationships. LSAC lists all of these as characteristics questions may ask about.
What are comparative reading questions like?
In a comparative set, the selection is two related shorter passages, and the questions concern the relationships between them, such as generalization and instance, principle and application, or point and counterpoint. This mirrors legal work in which two texts must be read together, for example a trial court decision alongside an appellate decision overturning it.
Where can I practice, and is the test changing?
LSAC states that drill sets focusing on specific Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning question types are available free on LawHub, with personalized performance reports, hints, and explanations. Separately, LSAC has announced that starting with the August 2027 test administration the LSAT will look a little different while testing the same skills with the same question types.